RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26

Module05:PinchDesignMethodforHENsynthesis
Lecture26:RulesofPinchDesignMethod(PDM)1
st
Part
Keywords:PDM,HEN

Thetypicalheatexchangernetwork(HEN)synthesisproblemcanbestatedasfollows:

For NH hot streams (to be cooled) and NC, cold streams (to be heated) with given supply
temperatures, target temperatures, heat capacities, flow rates and film heat transfer
coefficients,synthesizetheHENwithleasttotalannualcost.

To minimize total annual cost, the synthesis problem should consider all capital cost factors
[heat transfer area, number of units (exchangers, heaters and coolers), materials of
construction, type of exchanger, etc.] and all operating cost factors (amount of hot and cold
utilities,pressuredropandpipingcost)simultaneously.ThusthesynthesisofaHENisalarge,
combinatorial,nonlinearproblem.

Thereforethedecisionvariablesdeterminingtheoptimaldesignofaheatexchangernetwork
shouldbeexpandedtoincludetheeconomictradeoffsbetweenunits,area,energy,shells,
streamsplitsandtopology(operability)assummarizedinFig.1.Theeconomictradeoff
betweenthefirstfivefactors,viz.units,area,shells,energyandstreamsplits,canbereadily
quantified.However,itisverydifficulttoassociateacostwiththetopology.Easeofoperability
isahighlydesirablegoalforanyprocessdesignbutslightlydifferent

PinchTechnologyisawidelyusedtechniqueforthegrassrootsdesignofHENsbecauseofthe
insight it provides which allows the design engineer to easily incorporate real plant situations
for industrial scale problems. UsingPinch Technology one can understand fundamentally how,
inheatrecovery,theexchangersizeandtype,F
T
factor,numberofunits,numberofshells,area,
pressure drop and other aspects fundamentally connect to network structure, operability and
energy cost. With Pinch Technology, it is easier to set targets, prior to design, for acceptable

Tradeoffs
No.ofShells
Streamsplits
No.ofUnits
Topology
AreaofHEN
Operating
Cost
FinalDesign
Fig5.1TradeoffsforHENsynthesis
RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26
payback times in revamp or debottlenecking projects, and to predict initial nearly optimal
network and equipment tradeoffs from basic principles. Current versions of the Pinch Design
Method (PDM) for HEN synthesis yield improved solutions by utilizing the Driving Force Plot
(DFP)andRemainingProblemAnalysis(RPA).

Though, the pinch design method(PDM) does not guarantee optimal solution. However, it
allowsaHENtobesynthesizedthatoperateswiththeminimumenergyconsumptionandatthe
sametimeisagoodapproximationoftheoptimalnetwork.Furthermore,itgivesfullcontrolof
thedesigntotheengineer,andhelpstoidentifytheparametersoftheprocessthatarelimiting
theenergysavings.

There are three Important steps in HEN design such as the targeting of utility and capital
needs prior to synthesis of the HEN, synthesis and optimization of the network and, finally,
analysts of network performance under network structure changes and varying operating
conditions(i.e.feasibilityandresilienceanalyses)

For these reasons, the pinch design method is a popular and wellestablished tool for HEN
design.

Theinitialaimistoproducedesignsusingtheminimumutilityusagewithasfewcapitalitems,
i.e. units, as is compatible. The present lecture discusses the actual procedure such as the
development of feasibility criteria which quantify the restrictions placed on design by the
pinch,theuseofatickoffheuristictoensurethedesignissteeredtowardsthefewest
possible units and the solution of the remaining problem allowing consideration of process
constraintsandotherrequirements.

The pinch represents the most constrained region of a design as T

min
exists between all hot
and cold streams at the pinch. As a result the number of feasible matches in this region is
severelyrestricted.Quiteoftenthereisacrucialoressentialmatch.Ifthismatchisnotmade,
thiswillresultinheattransferacrossthepinchandthusinincreasedhotandcoldutilityusage.

ThePDM,therefore

1.recognizesthepinchdivision
2.startsthedesignatthepinchdevelopingitseparatelyintotworemainingproblems.

PDMiscompletelydifferentfromthenormalintuitiveapproachwhichstartsthedesignatthe
hotsideandmovestowardsthecoldendsuchintuitiveapproachesgenerallyviolatethepinch.
To the contrary, whena design is started at the pinch, initial design decisions are made at the
pinchwhichisthemostconstrainedpartoftheproblemandarelesssusceptibletodifficulties
later. At the pinch T
min
exists between hot and cold streams. This means that the pinch heat
exchangershouldhaveaTatpinchendwhichisequaltoT
min
.Ifthedesignisstartedaway
frompinchandismovestowardspinchthenthefollowupmatchesarelikelytovioletthepinch
ortheT
min
criterionasthepinchpointisapproached.Thus,ifthedesignisstartedatpinchand
moves away this will not happen. Thus in a PDM ,as shown in Fig.5.2, hot end and cold end
designsstartfrompinchandmovesaway.

RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26

Feasibilitycriteriaatthepinch

Thereareeightfeasibilitycriteriaasgivenbelow:

1. Criteriafornumberofprocessstreamsandbranches
2. TheCPcriteriaforindividualmatches
3. TheCPdifferencecriteria
4. TheCPtable
5. Thestreamtickoffrule
6. RemainingProblemAnalysis
7. Cyclicmatching
8. RuleofCPratio

The identification of essential matches at the pinch, out of available design options and the
stream splitting is so required, is achieved by applying three feasibility criteria to the stream
data at the pinch. While developing the above feasibility criteria reference is made to pinch
ExchangersorpinchmatchesthesearedefinedusingFig5.3

As shown in Fig. 5.3 pinch exchangers are those exchangers which have the minimum
temperature approach, T
min
on at least one side and at the pinch. It is necessary to identify
pinch exchangers in the design as for these exchangers heuristic Pinch Design Rules are
implementedsacrosanct.

1
2
2
3
3
4
1 4
Fig5.3Pinchandnonpinchmatches
Exchanger1isapinchmatch
Exchanger2isapinchmatch
Exchanger3isnotapinchmatch
Exchanger4isnotapinchmatch
Exchanger5isnotapinchmatch
5
5
Pinch

T
m
i
n

T
m
i
n

H,kW
T
,

Pinch
Fig5.2DesignstrategyadoptedinPDM
Designstartsat
pinchandmoves
awayfromit.
RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26
Criteriafornumberofprocessstreamsandbranches

Thefirstfeasibilitycriterionconcernsthestreampopulationatthepinch.Thepopulationofhot
andcoldstreamshastobesuchthatitwillallowanarrangementofexchangerscompatible
withminimumutilityusage.

AsamplehotenddesignisshowninFig.5.4.Inthisproblemeachprocesshotstreamhastobe
cooledbyprocesscoldstreams.Asperthepinchrulesutilitycoolingcannotbeusedinhotend
tocoolhotstreamsasitwillviolatethetargetedminimumutility.Whenattemptedtocoolthe
processhotstreamsbyplacingpinchmatchesbetweenhotstreamNo.1andcoldstreamNo.4
( match exchanger 1) and hot stream No. 2 and cold stream No. 5( match exchanger 2) as
shown in Fig.5.4(a), it is possible to cool hot stream 1 and 2. However, after these matches
havebeenmade,thereisnopossibilityofcoolinghotstreamNo.3usingeithercoldstream4
or 5 without violating the T
min
constraint. This isso because the temperature of cold stream
after placing the match 1 will rise to a value 100+ , where will depend on the load of
match1.Thus,ifhotstream3ismatchedwithcoldstream4thentheTwillbelessthanT
min

( =20C) as can be seen in Fig.5.4. The same problem will arise when hot stream 3 is matched
with cold stream 5. Thus, it appears that utility cooling would be required to bring the hot
streamNo.3topinchtemperaturewhichinfactwillincreasethecoldutilityandthedesignwill
deviatefromminimumutilitydesign.

The above problem can be solved by stream splitting as shown in Fig.5.4(b). By splitting the
cold stream No.4 an extra branch of the same cold stream is created which allows the hot
stream No.3 to match with the branch of cold stream 4 without the violation of T
min
constraint.Thusitcanbeconcludedthataminimumutilitydesigncanonlyberealizedifapinch
match can be found for each hot stream. For this to occur inequality given by Eq. 5.1 must
satisfy.
Pinch
Pinch
120
120
100
100

<

T
m
i
n

1
1
2
2
120
100+
120
3
100+
3
3

T
m
i
n

2
0

120
120
100
100

T
m
i
n

1
1
2
2
120
100+
120
3
100+

T
m
i
n

2
0

100
3
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
(a) (b)

<

T
m
i
n

Fig.5.4(a)Infeasibledesignforabovepinchregion(b)Streamsplittingatabovepinch
regiontogetafeasibledesign
RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26

NHNC (5.1)

Where,NHisthenumberofhotstreamsorbranchesandNCisthenumberofcoldstreamsor
branches.StreamsplittingmayberequiredtoensurethattheinequalityinEq.5.1issatisfied.

On the contrary, diagonally opposite argument applies to below the pinch region. To avoid
utility heating at below pinch each cold stream must be brought to the pinch temperature by
process exchange with hot stream as shown in Fig.5.5. As a requirement, a pinch match is
requiredforeachcoldstreamatthepinchandthisisonlybeachievedifEq.5.2holdsgood.

NHNC (5.2)

TheaboveproblemcanalsobesolvedbystreamsplittingasshowninFig.5.5(b).Bysplittingthe
hot stream No.1 an extra branch of the same hot stream is created which allows the cold
stream No.5 to match with the branch of hot stream1 without the violation of T
min
constraint.

TheCPcriteriaforindividualmatches

The pinch design method starts the design from the pinch where the temperature difference
between a pair of hot and cold stream is T
min
. This constitutes the temperature difference
available at one end of the pinch exchanger. Now question is what is the temperature
differenceattheotherendofthepinchexchanger?Whether,itmorethanT
min
orlessthanit.
If it is less than T
min
then it will violet the designas T
min
is a function of utility requirement
and designs are created to achievea certain utility requirement. Thus to guarantee the utility
targets it is necessary that the temperature difference at the other end of pinch exchanger
Fig.5.5(a)Infeasibledesignforbelowpinchregion,(b)Streamsplittingatbelow
pinchregiontogetfeasibledesign
120
120
100
100
100
1
1
2
2
120
120
3
3
3

T
m
i
n

T
m
i
n

Pinch

T
m
i
n

2
0

(a)
1
2
3
4
5
120
120
100
100
100
1
1
2
2
120
120
3

T
m
i
n

Pinch

T
m
i
n

2
0

(b)
1
2
3
4
5
3
120
100
RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26
shouldbemorethanT
min
.AsearchtoguaranteethisconditiongivesrisetotheCPcriteriafor
individualstreamsasshowninFig.5.6.

Fig.5.6(c) shows the temperature profiles of the match 1 which between hot stream No.1 and
cold stream No.3. In this case the CP of stream 1 is greater than CP of cold stream 3. As we
know the 1/CP is the slope of the temperatureprofile ( as evident from Composite Curve) the
slopeofthetemperatureprofileofcoldstream3willbehigherthanthetemperatureprofileof
hot stream 1. This means that the temperature profiles will converge when these move away
from pinch leading to a temperature difference at the other end of the pinch heat exchanger
which will be less than T
min
. This will lead to infeasible matching. To maintain T
min
at the
1
2
3
1
2
2
1
Pinch
120
100
120
120
100
T
=

T
m
i
n
=
2
0

=
2
0

T,C
T
min
Pinch

T
m
i
n

Q,kW
CP
H
CP
C

1
3
T,C
T
min
Pinch

T
m
i
n

Q,kW
CP
H
CP
C

2
3
Above Pinch
Above Pinch Below Pinch
Below Pinch
Fig.5.6(a)FeasibleCPcriteriaforstreammatchatabovepinch
(b)FeasibleCPcriteriaforstreammatchatbelowpinch
(c)InfeasibleCPcriteriaandmatchabovepinch
(d)InfeasibleCPcriteriaandmatchbelowpinch
(a) (b)
Above Pinch
Below Pinch
(c) (d)
T,C
T
min
Pinch

<

T
m
i
n

Q,kW
CP
H
<CP
C

2
3
T,C
T
min
Pinch

<

T
m
i
n

Q,kW
CP
H
>CP
C
1
3
RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26
other end at least the CPs of both the streams should be equal. Under this case both
temperatureprofilesbecomeparallelas1/CPvaluesofbothtemperatureprofileswillbeequal.
Tohaveafeasiblematching,abovethepinch(hotend),itismandatorythatCPofhotstream
shouldbelowerorequaltoCPofcoldstream(showninFig.5.6(a))necessitatinganinequality
conditionshowinEq.5.3.

CP
H
CP
C
[abovePinch] .(5.3)

Fig.5.6(d)showstheinfeasiblestreammatchingbelowthepinch(coldend).Inthiscasealsothe
temperatureprofilesofhotstreamaswellascoldstreamconvergewhenonemovesalongthe
length of heat exchanger away from pinch leading to a temperature difference which is less
thanT
min
leadingtoaninfeasiblematch.ThissituationwillalwaysariseifCPofhotstreamwill
belessthanCPofcoldstream.ThissituationcanonlybeavoidediftheCPofhotstreamwillbe
morethanCPofcoldstreamoratleastequal.ThiswillleadtothesituationshowninFig.5.6(b)
whichshowsafeasiblematch.ThustheCPruleforstreammatchingatbelowthepinchregion
isgivenbyEq.5.4.

CP
H
CP
C
[belowPinch] .(5.4)

WhereCP
H
istheheatcapacityflowrateofahotstreamorhotstreambranchandCP
C
isthe
heatcapacityflowrateofacoldstreamorcoldstreambranch.

ThisshouldbenotedthatCPinequalitygivenbyEqs.5.3and5.4areapplicableonlyatpinchor
alternatelyforpinchheatexchangers.Theserulescanberelaxedconsiderablyforheat
exchangersawayfrompinch.Thisisbecause,awayfromthepinch,temperaturedrivingforces
mayincreasetoanextentwhichmayallowmatchesinwhichtheCPsofthestreamsmatched
violatetheinequalities.Further,theCPinequalitiesarereversedwhenonemovesfromabove
thepinchdesigntobelowthepinchdesign.

Ifitisnotpossibletocreatematchesfulfillingtheseinequalities(Eqs.5.3&5.4)thenitis
necessarytochangeoneormoreCPsofstreamsbystreamsplitting.

RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26

TheCPdifference

Tounderstandthethirdfeasibilitycriterionatthe
pinchitisconvenienttodefinetheCPdifference

Forahotendpinchmatch

CPdifference=CPCCPH

Foracoldendpinchmatch

CPdifference=CPHCPC

Similarequationscanbewrittenfordifferencesin
theoverallsumofhotstreamCPsandcoldstreamCPs

Immediatelyabovethepinch

OverallCPdifference=

Immediatelybelowthepinch

OverallCPdifference=

Fig.5.7(a)TotalpinchexchangersCPdifferenceis
equaltooverallCPdifference,(b)Totalpinch
exchangersCPdifferenceislessthanoverallCP
difference,(c)TotalpinchexchangersCP
differenceismorethanoverallCPdifference,
CP
5
3
6
4
Pinch
1
2
2
1
OverallCPdifference=6+4+2(5+3)=4
TotalexchangerCPdifference=(65)+(43)=2
(b)
AbovePinch(HotEnd)
2
OverallCPdifference=9+2(4+3)=4
TotalexchangerCPdifference=(93)=6
(c)
CP
4
3
9
2
Pinch
1
1
AbovePinch(HotEnd)
CP
5
3
6
4
Pinch
1
2
2
1
OverallCPdifference=6+4(5+3)=2
TotalexchangerCPdifference=(65)+(43)=2
(a)
AbovePinch(HotEnd)
Fig.5.7 shows the concept of the CP difference
for early identification of matches those are
feasible but are not compatible with a feasible
overallnetwork.

In Fig. 5.7(a) shown a hot end pinch design

where thesum of the exchanger CP differences
equalstheoverallCPdifferencemeaningthatall
streamsatthepinchareinvolvedthroughpinch
exchangers.

Fig.5.7(b) shows a different hot end pinch

design where the total pinch exchanger CP
differencesislessthantheoverallCPdifference
meaning that all streams at the pinch are not
participatingthroughpinchmatches.

RulesforPinchDesignMethod Module05 Lecture26

Fig.5.7(c) shows yet another hot end pinch design where the total pinch exchanger CP
differencesismorethantheoverallCPdifference.Thepinchmatch(match1)isfeasibleasit
fulfillsinequalityEq.5.3however,itisnotcompatibleasfarasfeasiblenetworkisconcerned.
In this case the total pinch exchanger CP difference is 6 whereas the overall CP difference is
only 4. Thus, the design cant be completed. A match between the remaining hot stream (
havingCP=4)andtheremainingcoldstream(havingCP=2)cannotbematchedasperEq.5.3.
Thus it can be concluded that for a feasible network design the total pinch exchanger CP
differencesmustalwaysbelessorequaltooverallCPdifference.

References

1. AngelMartn*,FidelA.Mato,Hint:Aneducationalsoftwareforheatexchanger
networkdesignwiththepinchmethod,educationforchemicalengineers3(2008)e6
e14
2. Linnhoff,B.andFlower,J.R.,1978,Synthesisofheatexchangernetworks,AIChEJ,24(4):
633.
3. Linnhoff,B.andHindmarsh,E.,1983,Thepinchdesignmethodforheatexchanger
networks,ChemEngSci,38(5):745.
4. Linnhoff,B.,Townsend,D.W.,Boland,D.,Hewitt,G.F.,Thomas,B.E.A.,Guy,A.R.and
Marsland,R.H.,1994,AUserGuideonProcessIntegrationfortheEfficientUseof
Energy.(TheInstitutionofChemicalEngineers,Rugby,Warks,UK).
5. Smith,R.2005,ChemicalProcess:DesignandIntegration(seconded.),(J.Wiley,JWiley.