Introduction:

Simulation modeling is widely applied in computer networks, chemical

engineering, services, management and health sector. Simulation modeling for heat
exchanger network is used to improve the performance of the process with respect to
cost, and general performance and provides efficient energy saving and cost saving
network designs.

Refinery operations use a lot of energy. Due to the rising cost of energy,
refineries and petrochemical companies try to decrease the energy consumption
through process integration. Heat integration aims at the reduction of the quantities of
utilities which are not necessary in the process. This is done by simulating the process
with real plant data and applying heat integration techniques on that data (Cui, C., &
Sun, J., 2017).

Heat Exchanger Network Synthesis is a very important field in process

integration due to its role in controlling the cost of energy for a process. One of the
solution techniques of heat exchanger network synthesis is pinch design technique.
Most of these solution techniques have been integrated into computer packages
(Sreepathi, B. K., & Rangaiah, G.P., 2014).

Aspen Energy Analyzer® is a software developed by Aspen Technologies Ltd

which combines mathematical programming and pinch technology in the synthesis of
an optimal heat exchanger network design that minimizes process energy and cost.
Aspen Energy Analyzer aims to maximize energy efficiency using the energy-saving
suggestions provided by pinch technology and utility planning solutions.

Classical pinch-analysis determines the energy costs for the heating and
cooling utilities. Large heat exchangers are used to transfer heat between the hot and
cold streams at the pinch point at which the hot and cold streams are the most
constrained. Large heat exchangers lead to high investment costs. A minimum
temperature difference (ΔT) at the pinch point is required to reduce the capital cost.
The heat exchanger area and capital cost can be estimated and hence the optimal
ΔT minimum value. However, the cost curve is not quite indicative and the optimum
can be affected by "topology traps". Sometimes, the pinch method is not suitable for
simple networks or when serious operating constraints exist, and this is considered
one of the disadvantages or limitations of the pinch analysis (Linnhoff, B., &
Hindmarsh, E., 1983).

The heat exchanger network uses industrial data from Gothenburg refinery. Aspen
Energy Analyzer® is used to analyze the heat exchanger network of the preheat part
of the crude distillation unit of the refinery. This is done to inspect the energy and cost
saving opportunities that are available to the refinery.

Results and discussion:

The process streams are taken from the refinery and they are as
following:

Fig 1. Process streams

Energy targets and pinch temperatures:

The targets are generated based on the composite curves and minimum temperature
difference (ΔTmin) which equals 15oC.

Qh minimum = 1.385*107 KJ/h = 3847.2 KW.

Qc minimum = 1.072*107 KJ/h = 2977.8 KW.

Pinch temperatures are: Tp hot = 86oC and Tp cold = 71oC

Fig 2. Targets and pinch temperatures

Table 1. Potential heating and cooling savings

Parameter Present Minimum Potential for Potential for
demand (KW) demand (KW) saving (KW) saving (%)
Heating(Qh 6456 3847 2609 40.4
min)
Cooling(Qc 4990 2978 2012 40.3
min)
 Fig 3. Composite curves

Fig 4. Grand composite curve

The utilities used are chosen from the energy analyzer to fulfill the energy targets.

The utilities used are fire heat 1000 for heating and cooling water for cooling.
 Fig 5. Utility streams

Fig 6. Utility grand composite curve

The energy analyzer recommends several designs and the most optimum design is
chosen according to the least total cost, and the closest value to the energy targets, so
as to decrease the external energy from utilities as much as available.

The most optimum chosen design has a total cost index of 3.459*10-2 cost/s and has
a heating duty of 1.707*107 KJ/h.
 Fig 7. Design 1 (most optimum design)

Fig 8. Design 2

The second design and the other recommended designs have a greater cost index
value, so they are not chosen. Thus, the first design is the most optimum one.

The heat exchanger network design that fulfills the minimum total costs overlooks the
pinch violations, as it can decrease the ΔT min. to decrease the total cost, and this
leads to excess utility requirements for hot and cold streams when exchangers cross
the pinch. While the heat exchanger network design that fulfills the energy targets
does not violate the pinch, so it reaches the exact targets.

The heat exchanger network performance is evaluated based on the targets.

Table 2. Comparison between the targets and the performance of the heat exchanger
network
Parameter Network value Target value Deviation % Deviation
7 7 6
Heating value 1.707*10 1.385*10 3.22*10 23.25 %
(KJ/h)
Cooling value 1.394*107 1.072*107 3.22*106 30 %
(KJ/h)
Total cost 3.459*10-2 4.33*10-2 -8.71*10-3 -20.1%
index (Cost/s)

It is observed that the heat exchanger network performance values differ greatly from
the target values, due to pinch rule violation. This leads to excess utility requirements
for hot and cold streams, as observed in the previous table.

Conclusion:

It is concluded that the network design performance is above the target. This is due to
pinch rule violations from heat exchangers crossing the pinch, and not using the
minimum driving force principle.

The cross load is quite high meaning that the heat exchanger network was designed
without applying the pinch technology. Thus a retrofit is required to eliminate the
cross loads and optimize energy utilization during crude oil preheating.

References:

- Sreepathi, B. K., & Rangaiah, G.P. (2014). Review of Heat Exchanger Network
Retrofitting Methodologies and Their Applications. Industrial & Engineering
Chemistry Research, 53(28), 11205-11220.
- Linnhoff, B., & Hindmarsh, E. (1983). The pinch design method for heat exchanger
networks. Chemical Engineering Science, 38(5), 745-763.

- Cui, C., & Sun, J. (2017). Coupling design of interunit heat integration in an
industrial crude distillation plant using pinch analysis. Applied Thermal
Engineering, 117, 145-154.