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RETROFIT PROJECTS THROUGH PINCH TECHNOLOGY

Bodo Llnnhoff
Department of Chemlcal Englneerlng
Unlverslty of
Instltute of Sclence and Technology
ENGLAND
Don R. Vredeveld
Unlon Carblde Corporatlon
Technlcal Center, South Cnarleston, WV
Abstract
The plnch concept ln heat recovery network
deslgn has become well-establlshed ln recent
years (1,2). In ICI, the concept was reported
to have saved an average of 30% on energy cost,
coupled wlth capltal cost savlngs ln new plant
deslgns (1). Payback tlmes ln retroflt
appllcatlons were reported to be typlcally on
the order of 12 months (3).
Recent research has extended the concept for
better conslderat10n of capltal cost trade-offs,
of retroflt sltuatlons, and of changes to the
chemlcal process ltself.These new pr\nclples
have been trled and tested ln Unlon Carblde.
N\ne projects were completed wlth1n the flrst
year, showlng energy cost savlngs averaglng 5ax
\n new plant deslgns and payback tlmes ln
retrof1t appllcat\ons typlcally on the order of
slx months or better.
The paper explalns the new concepts ln outllne
and descrlbes appllcatlons ln Unlon Carblde.
The appllcat10ns are dlscussed ln terms of
technlca1 features, economlc benef\ts, and the
"technology transfer" task lnvolved.
Manuscr\pt subm\tted for pUbllcatlon ln CEP 13th
March 1984
based on
Paper 5f, AIChE Dlamond Jubl1ee Meetlng,
washlngton, 30 Oct. - 4 Nov. 1983
INTRODUCTION - ESTABLISHED PRINCIPLES
Heat exchanger network deslgn ln the context of
chemlcal process deslgn requlres as a startln!'
polnt the process heat and materlal balance w th
spec\fled reactors, separators, and other unl,
operatlons. The task ls to match the "hot" and
"cold" process streams connectlng these unlt
operatlons w\th each other or wlth external
ut111tles ln a heat exchanger network to redu e
utl1\ty consumptlon. Often, there are many i
dlfferent posslbl1ltles of matchlng such
ln a network. The preferred deslgn must be
and operable and should exhlblt the lowest [
posslble annua11zed cost of energy and caplta'.
It ls posslble to construct "Compos\te curvesjl
of all hot streams and cold streams from a g1 en
heat and materlal balance(2,4), see Flgure 1. I
If the curves are placed as ln Flgure 1, the hot
composlte ls always hotter than the cold I
composlte by at least AT
m
ln (the mlnlmum
permlsslble temperature dlfference). Thus, heat
exchange between hot and cold process streams I
must, ln the 11mlt, be posslble to the extent
that the compos\te curves overlap. The open
jaws of the compos\te curves deflne the mlnlmum
hot and cold utl1\ty requ\rements. These '
requ1rements are the "energy targets".
If a lower value for AT
m
ln ls chosen, the
curves can be shlfted more closely together so,
that the energy targets decrease. However, th
polnt of narrowest approach between the curves
sets a def\n\te l\m\t even lf AT
m
ln = O. Th\s
polnt represents a bottleneck on heat recovery
and has been termed the "p\nch"(5,6).
It \s worth notlng that the utl11ty targets
glven by the process stream enthalpy balance I
above the plnch (hot target) and below the
(cold target). Bearlng thls 1n mlnd, conslder
Flgure 2. If more than the energy target ls
suppl\ed from hot utl1lt\es, the excess heat
must be transferred across the plnch: the
process streams above the plnch cannot absorb
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more than corresponds to theIr enthalpy
balance. By the same token, there must be a
correspondIng Increase In the cold utIlIty
consumptIon. We conclude that desIgns meetIng
the energy target exhIbIt a zero heat flow
across the pInch. Sub-optImal desIgns exhIbIt a
heat flow across the pInch whIch corresponds to
the excess utlllty consumptIon both hot and
cold(7).
ThIs last conclusIon Is as powerful as It Is
sImple. It Is now possIble to replace the
dIffIcult desIgn objectIve ... try to mInImIze
energy consumptIon ... by the much sImpler
objectIve ' ... do not transfer heat across the
plnch ... . The latter objectIve Is achIeved
easIly enough by IntegratIng streams above and
below the pInch separately. The result Is a
vIrtually foolproof way of desIgnIng mInImum
energy networks.
Another conclusIon that can be drawn from FIgure
2 Is that excess energy flows tend to Incur hIgh
capItal costs due to the extra heat transfer
capacIty needed for both utIlIty heatIng and
coolIng. The result Is a capItal cost penalty,
not benefIt, for low levels of energy recovery.
Or, In other words, Improved energy recovery may
lead to capItal savIngs! ThIs Is contrary to
expectatIons, but has been verIfIed In practIce
In ICI(l) and now In UnIon CarbIde.
It Is apparent from thIs dIscussIon that the use
of the pInch concept does not necessarIly
Involve the use of systematIc step-by-step
methods and 'black-box' computer programs.
Rather than IntroducIng systematIc rules, the
pInch concept Is makIng them superfluous. The
concept clarIfIes physIcal facts. Just as It Is
easIer to launch a satellIte once we understand
gravIty, It Is easIer to desIgn a heat recovery
network once we understand the pInch. The
perceIved complexIty of the problem Is reduced
so drastIcally that the need for
'black boxes' ls vIrtually elImInated and the
engIneer Is left free to make hIs own
declslons. There Is lIttle doubt that thIs
feature Is one of the maIn reasons for the
success of the pInch concept In practIce; after
all, It Is thIs feature whIch ensures that
IndustrIal applIcatIons lead to desIgns whIch
are safe, controllable, have good plant-layout,
etc.
SummarIzIng, the establIshed prIncIples allow
the user to:
set energy targets prIor to
desIgn
desIgn mInImum energy networks
by keepIng the portIon of the
process 'above' and 'below' the
pInch separate
stay In control (no 'black
box').
The claIms hold valId for desIgns of any degree
of complexIty. Processes such as ethylene,
ethylene oxIde, ammonIa, vInyl chlorIde,
petroleum reflnerles, etc., are all analyzed
wIth reasonable effort. "ultlple pInches,
extended pInches and near-pInches, multIple
utIlIty levels, margInal tarIffs ln utIlIty
costlng, safety constralnts, control, etc., can
all be taken lnto account. The most
comprehenslve text descrlblng the establIshed
t chnlques publlshed to date Is the "ICHemE's
User GUlde on Process IntegratIon for the
Efflclent Use of Energy(2).
NEW PRINCIPLES
There used to be three major short-comIngs In
the establIshed technIques. FIrst, the capItal
cost consIderatIon was rather crude, beIng based
on lnltlal guesses for 6T
m
l
n
(the mInImum
permIssIble temperature dlfference). Second, It
15 usually easy to avoId cross-plnch heat
transfer In the deslgn of a new plant, but It
can be a dIffIcult task In retrofIt sItuatIons.
ThIrd, the heat IntegratIon has to be carrIed
out around a 'frozen" process Interface. In
other words, dIstIllatIon column pressures,
recycle flowrates, flash sequences, etc., are
all accepted as beIng fIxed. Research Is now
co pleted addressIng all these problems.
SpecIfIc dlscusslons are glv n In separate
research publlcatlons(9,14,15>' The present
paper presents an outlIne summary of these
developments.
CapItal Cost Targets for Correct CapItal Energy
Tradeoff
Prevlously, the englneer had to guess an InItIal
value for 6T In. For example, In low
temperature processes he would choose a lower
value than for an above ambIent desIgn. In
sltuatlons where expensIve materIals of
constructlon are used, he would choose a hIgher
value than for mIld steel exhangers. However,
It Is apparent that, other thlngs beIng equal,
composite curves such as shown In Flgure 3a
requlre a larger dTml
n
for correct trade-off
between energy and capItal than composIte curves
such as shown In FIgure 3b. We conclude that It
15 not only the project context (technology,
cost of materIals, etc.) but also the shape of
the composlte curves that determInes the
'economlcally correct value of 6T
m
l
n
' For thIs
reason, any InItIal guess for 6T
m
l
n
has to be
a prel'mlnary 1n1tlallzatlon and, at the end of
the stUdy, the trade-off between energy and
capltal has to be adjusted and optmlzed by
convent10nal means.
What Is needed Is the abIlIty to set capItal
cost targets as a funct10n of 6T
m
l
n
sImIlar
to th energy targets. Energy and capItal
targets comb1ned should enable the engIneer to
make better InItIal judgements about the correct
economIc choIce for 6T
m
ln'
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Cap1tal costs depends largely on the "number of
unHs" (-'.e., 1nstalled Hems of equIpment) and
the total heat transf r surface area. Targets
for the number of un1ts are well estab11shed(5J.
Targets for the total surface area are also
well-estab11shed, as long as U, the overall heat
transfer coeffIcIent, Is constant throughout the
network. From any compos1te curve, we can
establIsh the temperature d1fference between hot
streams and cold streams for all heat exchange
dQ". Thus. the overall area requ1rement A Is:
A (1 )
ThIs Is a well-known procedure(4,8). The
proble Is that U = constant Is too rough an
approxImatIon to g1ve mean'ngful results. A
consIderatIon of Indlv1dual stream f11m transfer
coeffIcIents Is requIred.
To re-wrlte equatIon (1) In terms of fIlm
transfer coefflc1ents for IndIvIdual streams Is
dIffIcult as, In many segments of the composIte
curve. there w111 be several hot streams and
several cold streams mak1ng a multItude of
matches possIble. However, thIs proble has now
been overcome(9). We are able to pred1ct
urface area and capItal costs typically wIthIn
the same bounds of accuracy wh1ch are 1ntr1nslc
In the technIcal parameters (f11m transfer
coefflc1ents. v1scos1t1es, pressure drop
predlct1ons, etc.) and economIc parameters
(capital cost correlat10ns) wh1ch aff ct capital
cost calcul tlons anyway. In br' f, 1t 1s now
possIble to pred1ct. prIor to desIgn. on the
basIs of any gIven composIte curves, materIals
of construction. utIlIty and capItal cost data;
etc., a value for t>Tml
n
whIch Implies a
well-optlm1zed comblnat10n of energy and capItal
cost!
DesIgn for Pred1ct d Cap1tal Cost
When attempt1ng to des1gn net rks whIch
approxImate the pred1cted opt1mu trade-off
between cap1tal and energy costs. the eng1neer
w111 flnd 1t helpful to cons1der a d1agram such
as f1gure 4a. The temperature d1fference t>T
between hot compos1te and cold composIte curve
has been plotted aga1nst cold composIte curve
temperatures. (Some may pref r to plot
I'll = f(Thot) or T = f( That + Teal". It Is
1mportant to note that, toZmeet the surface area
target, each heat exchanger 1n a network must
meet the temperature difference 'mplled In th1s
dlagram. (ThIs argument's str'ctly correct
only If U = constant, but lt Is useful as a
gu'd1ng prIncIple In practlcal stUdIes).
In other words. mln1mum overall surface area
does not Imply mlnlmum dr1vlng forces
everywhere, but correct drlvlng forces. A lower
or a higher value for AT wIll lead to an
Increas In overall surface area. HIgher values
wIll do so because they necessItate lower v
elsewhere.
ConsIder now FIgures 4b and 4c. The propos
match 1n fIgure 4b roughly falls In line wIt
the "Ideal" t>Ts. Th1s match would therefor
make good use of drIvIng forces 1n the cont t
of the speclf1c desIgn task at hand. The
proposed tches 1n f1gure 4c do not fall 1n
Hne wHh the "Idea" !lTs and would therefor
make bad use of drIvIng forces. They would ot
waste energy but surface area.
Process Mod'flcat10ns
It has been accepted up to date that heat
exchanger network desIgn r quIres, as a star Ing
poInt, the underlyIng process heat and mater 1
b lance, an that much could be gaIned by
IdentIfyIng process changes to complement
network desIgn changes. However"t has ls
been accepted that open1ng up the questIon 0
process changes Is lIke openIng up Pandor '5
box. There are InfInItely many "settIngs' f r
reactor conversIon, evaporator stages,
dlst',1at'on column pressures and reflux rat os.
feed vapor1zatlon pressures, pump-around
flowrates. etc. The multItude of choIces Is so
large that It seems an ImpossIble goal to
conf'dently predIct wh'ch three or four such
parameters could be changed to advantage 1n he
over 11 context. Aga'nst thIs background,
now have sImple results whIch allow us to
d1scuss wIth great conf1dence many dlfferen
process p rameters from the poInt of vl&W of
thelr utllmate Impact on the overall desIgn. A
d'scusslon follows.
ConsIder once aga1n the composite curves In
fIgure 1. What are the changes to the
underly1ng process heat and mater'al balance
that w1l1 change the hot and/or cold energy
targets bene Iclal1y1 Cons'der F1gure 5. If
the targets are g'ven by the process enthalpy
balance above and below the p1nch, then clear y,
we must try to:
'ncrease the total hot stream
heat duty above the p1nch
decrease the total cold stream
heat duty above the plnch
decrease the total hot stream
heat duty below the pInch
1ncrease the total cold stream
heat duty below the p'nch.
These s1mple gu1de11nes provIde a defln1te
reference for the adjustment of sIngle heat
dutIes such as vapor1zat10n of a recycle,
pump-around condensIng duty, etc., as to wh'c
modlf\cat10ns would be benef1cla1 or detr1men' al.
Often It Is poss1ble to change temperatures
rather than heat dutIes. It Is clear frOM
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
F\gure 5 that temperature changes wh\ch are
conf\ned to e\ther s\de of the p\nch can have no
effect on the energy targets. It \s also clear
that temperature changes across the p\nch w\ll
sh\ft heat dut\es from one part of the process
to the other. Thus, the pattern \n F\gure 6
emerges:
sh\ft hot streams from below
the p\nch to above
sh\ft cold streams from above
the pInch to below.
For example, \f the pressure for a feed
vapor\zer can be chosen, \t should be set so as
to fall below the p\nch.
Th\s pr\nc\ple \s \n l\ne w\th the general \dea
that \t ought to be benef\c\al to \ncrease the
temperature of hot streams (th\s must make \t
eas\er to extract heat from them) and that
l\kew\se cold streams should be cold. We sImple
now real\ze that chang\ng the temperatures of
streams \n th\s fash\on w\ll \mprove dr\v\ng
forces, but cannot poss\bly decrease the energy
targets unless the temperature changes extend
across the p\nch. Aga\n, we obta\n a defln\te
reference. We can pred\ct wh\ch mod\f\cat\ons
would be benef\c\al, detr\mental, or \nconse
quent\al.
Another \nterest\ng po\nt to note \s that F\gure
6 represents the general pr\nc\ple beh\nd
prev\ously recogn\zed spec\al cases \n the area
of heat and power Integrat\on and d\st\llat\on
column \ntegrat\on. The "appropr\ate placement"
concept for heat eng\nes, heat pumps, and
d\st\llat\on columns as publ\shed prev\ous
ly(lO.ll) turns out to \mply sh\fts of streams
through the p\nch exactly \n l\ne w\th the
gu\del\nes expressed \n F\gure 6. Furthermore,
stream sh\fts through the p\nch have recently
been referred to by Sh\roko and Umeda(12).
However, these authors cla\m that changes
accord\ng to F\gure 6 w\ll result \n p\nch po\nt
el\m\nat\on. Th\s \s not necessar\ly so. Also,
Sh\roko and Umeda treat process mod\f\cat\on \n
parallel w\th changes \n ut\l\ty levels wh\ch \s
apparently erroneous and at best confus\ng. A
clar\fy\ng d\scuss\on \s g\ven elsewhere(16).
Some may be th\nk\ng now of s\tuat\ons where
several process modIfIcatIons are related and/or
where, as the result of attempted mod\f\cat\ons,
the p\nch \tself w\ll change. In related
mod\f\cat\ons, each effect can be \ndependently
assessed. If the p\nch \tself changes, then
th\s cannot make the mod\f\cat\on detr\mental.
At worst, the mod\f\cat\on may become
\nconsequent\al. An example of th\s w\ll be
seen \n F\gures 9 and 10.
So far we have d\scussed the effect of process
mod\f\cat\ons on energy costs only. Ev\dently,
\f cap\tal cost changes are not cons\dered, our
conclus\ons are l\kely to be a l\ttle tenuous.
There are two elements of cap\tal cost to be
cons\dered. F\rst, cap\tal costs w\ll change \n
the un\t operat\ons of the process (\.e., the
d\st\llat\on columns, reactors, etc.). Second,
cap\tal costs wIll change \n the heat exchanger
network wh\ch has as yet to be des\gned.
CapItal cost changes In the unIt operatIons have
to be est\mated by short-cut calculat\ons.
Cap\tal cost changes \n the network can be
predIcted by us\ng cap\tal cost targets (see
below).
W\th a l\ttle pract\ce, the above pr\nc\ples
enable the eng\neer to qu\ckly screen from
amongst, say, f\fty poss\ble mod\f\cat\ons those
three or four that w\ll lead to benef\c\al
overall cost effects. A s\mple computer program
wh\ch allows the eng\neer to repeatedly change
h\s stream data and study the consequent\al
changes \n the shape of the compos\te curves and
the targets (see F\gure 7) \s a useful a\d(13).
Retrof1t Projects
In the past, the p\nch technIques had to be
appl\ed \n retrof\t projects w\th a great deal
of ad-hoc \mprov\zat\on, lead\ng to stud\es
wh\ch were both cumbersome and prone to \dent\fy
second-best projects.
A d\fferent approach has now been developed(14).
As a f\rst step, the surface area target \s used
to establ\sh how much energy can be recovered by
us\ng the \nstalled surface area. (Note the
"\nverse" appl\cat\on of the tool.) Then, the
ex\st\ng des\gn \s analyzed \n terms of wh\ch
exchangers transfer heat across the p\nch. The
rema\n\ng exchangers are analyzed as to the use
they make of dr\v\ng forces (compare F\gure 4).
Next, those un\ts that are transferr\ng heat
across the p\nch and/or make \nappropr\ate use
of dr\v\ngforces are cons\dered to be "re-p\ped"
or ore-used". Somet\mes th\s \s all that \s
needed. More often, one or two new exchangers
are added to compensate for the \nev\table
sub-opt\mal\ty of the ex\st\ng structure. The
f\nal structure (after retrof\t) usually does
not qu\te reach the opt\mal targets wh\ch would
be relevant to new des\gn. It does, however,
prov\de optImal ut\l\zat\on of ex\st\ng
equIpment. The results are low \nvestment cost,
short shut-down per\ods, and payback t\mes of
typ\cally s\x months or better (see Table 1).
CASE STUDY
The pr\nc\ples descr\bed \n the prev\ous sect\on
were appl\ed on var\ous projects w\th\n Un\on
Carb\de. One such project \s d\scussed here.
F\gure 8 shows the process flowsheet at the
outset. The process cons\sts of a reactor, a
flash system, and a rather complex ref\n\ng
system. The process \s already h\gly
\ntegrated, w\th var\ous streams be\ng heat
exchanged to reduce overall energy requ\rements.
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
confIguratIon are shown In Figure 9. The curves
Indicate a mInImum energy target of 101 mIllIon
BTU's per hour for the hot utIlity, which Is
steam. The orIgInal process consuned 133
mIllIon BTU's per hour of steam. Thus, the
"scope" for Improvement Is 26 mIllIon BTU's per
hour or 20 percent of orIgInal demand.
A brIef analysIs of the exIstIng flowsheet
uncovered the specIfic reasons for current
utilIty requIrements being greater than the
target: these reasons Included:
Two major process-to-process
heat transfers across the
pinch, plus several other
relatively small pinch
violations.
One Instance of utility heating
below the pInch.
One Instance of utility cooling
above the pinch.
These vIolations totalled 26 million BTU's per
hour. If elhnlnated, they would bring the
process utIlity requirements to target. The
problem was, It would take six new exchangers
and a substantial new Investment to accomplIsh
th15 .
At this stage, one should always look for
process modIficatIons. We chose to re-examIne
the composIte curves to look for clues on how
the process mIght be modIfied to both Increase
the scope for Improvement and reduce the need
for heat exchangers. ThIs revIew suggested that
the process could be Improved sIgnIfIcantly by
making several process modificatIons IncludIng
the following:
(1) Decrease the pressure of column
No.2 by 5 ps1.
(2) Decrease the pressure of column
NO.5 by 10 psi.
As shown In Figure 10, the effect of these
modifications was to:
(1) Shift a larger portion of the
heat content of the hot
composIte curve above the
pInch. (Note that the Intended
benefit was to shift the
reboller of column No. 2 below
the pInch. Instead, the pinch
changed. However, much of the
beneficial effect was realized).
(2) Reduce the heat duty of column
No.5 reboller (a cold stream
above the pinch).
The energy target for the process so modIfIed
was 92 mIllion BTU's per hour representIng
another 15 million BTU's per hour potential
savIngs. The problem was, It would still take
sIx new exchangers and a substantial new
Investment to accomplIsh thIs, see Figure 11.
At thIs stage, one should look for "second
order" process modIfIcatIons aImed at
sImplIfying the necessary hardware changes.
Instead of retrofittIng the exchangers so that
theIr sIzes fIt the process, why not modIfy th
process slightly so that Its enthalpy changes
fIt as many of the exIstIng exchangers as
possible? These mInor adjustments led to the
sacrIfIce of 4.5 mIllIon BTU's per hour, but
helped to save four exchangers, see Figure 11.
The flowsheet for the process finally
recomnended 15 shown In FIgure 12. It 15
InterestIng to note that the two new exchanger
are required only because of consIderatIons I
regarding pressure and materials of constructl n
and that three exIstIng exchangers re
elIminated (I.e. Investment avoidance In a new
desIgn). The project resulted In reducing the
overall requirement for hot utIlIties by 36.5
mIllIon BTU's per hour. ThIs represents 89
percent of the maxImum scope for Improvement a d
140 percent of the scope wIthout process
modIficatIon, see FIgure 11. The other real
advantage of going beyond "sImple heat exchangQr
networkIng" and Into "process modifIcatIon" w a ~
the Improvement In the sImplicity of the i
suggested hardware arrangements. The estimated
Investment payback for the final retrofit
project was approximately six months.
SUMMARY or APPLICATIONS IN UNION CARBIDE
ThIs new technology was first Introduced In
UnIon CarbIde In 1982, when Dr. Llnnhoff
presented hIs course on Heat Exchanger Networ
DesIgn" to a number of our engineers. In less
than a year, the technology was applIed to nln
dIfferent projects: an overall summary Is shown
In Table 1. The studIes covered a wide varlet
Y
of processes and facIlIties, ranging fro large
petrochemical or organic bulk chemIcal unIts to
I
small specIalty chemical unIts. The plants In
question are located at different sites on the
Gulf Coast of the United States and In the
Kanawha Rhervalley of West VIrgInIa. WhIle
most of the units were several years old, s o ~
were relatively new desIgns. A nunber of
dIfferent chemIcal engineering technologIsts
with dIfferent backgrounds were Involved In the
studies.
In spite of all of this variety, It Is accurate
to say that all the projects were successful.
PrIme opportunIties for cost reduct'on were
uncovered In all cases. In on case, potential
energy cost savIngs of 15% were Identified. Th
Investments required In plant modlf'catlon
projects typIcally ranged from two to twelve
months payback.
This Immediate succes with real IndustrIal
problem solving led to the conclusIon In UnIon
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Carb\de that the new technology was mature
enough for general \ndustr\al appl\cat\on, and
that more concentrated efforts were requ\red to
max\m\ze the benef\ts. To accompl\sh th\s, a
techn\cal funct\on was establ\shed \n January
1983 w\th\n the Chem\cal Eng\neer\ng Technology
sect\on of the Central Eng\neer\ng Department.
Its purpose was to prov\de the focal po\nt for
cont\nued development, appl\cat\on, and eventual
transfer of the technology to the organ\zat\on
at large.
S\nce \ts format\on, members of the new Process
Des\gn Methodology funct\on have been \nvolved
\n several add\t\onal projects not yet l\sted \n
Table 1, both retrof\ts of ex\st\ng
manufactur\ng un\ts and new des\gns. As we
became more fam\l\ar w\th the spec\f1c
techn\ques and ga\ned exper1ence, the qua11ty of
our results has cont\nued to \mprove. Certa\n
conclus10ns have been reached:
We are conv\nced from our
results that th\s new
technology can cons\stently
lead to s\multaneous energy
cost reduct\ons and \nvestment
sav\ngs \n new des\gns.
It \s extremely \mportant to go
beyond s\mple heat exchanger
network analys\s. The key to
h\gh qua11ty results \s process
mod\f\cat\on sett1ng the
process up to prov\de
add\t\onal opportun\t\es for
energy reduct\on and to
fac\l\tate effect\ve des\gns
w\th the m\n\mum of
\nvestment. In a sense,
process mod\f\cat\ons lend
retrof\t projects much the same
character as new des\gn
projects. It \s poss\ble not
only to save add\t\onal energy,
but also cap\tal.
Un\on Carb\de has always
ma\nta\ned a keen awareness of
new developments 1n process
des\gn methodology, \nclud\ng
process synthes\s. We f\rmly
bel\eve that Dr. L\nnhoff's
technology presents a dec\s\ve
breakthrough \n th\s f1eld.
The results l\sted \n Table 1
would not have been ach\eved
w\thout th\s technology.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
In th\s sect\on, we offer some comments based on
our j01nt exper\ences concern\ng the transfer of
th\s new technology \nto \ndustr\al
organ\zat\ons. we bel\eve that the follow\ng
po\nts are cruc1al for success:
348
Understand \t Fully. It \s not
poss\ble to work effect\vely \n
th\s new f\eld of technology
w\thout a good understand\ng of
the fundamental pr\nc\ples. It
\s therefore necessary that
potent\al pract\t\oners are
\dent\f\ed at the outset and
properly educated. In Un\on
Carb\de's judgement, th\s
\n\t\al educat\on \s best
prov\ded d\rectly by the
relevant lead\ng author\t\es \n
the f\eld.
Spec\al\sts are Essent\al. It
\s \mportant to have
spec\al\sts \n the organ\zat10n
to concentrate on the
ass\m\lat\on and development of
the technology, and to prov\de
cont\nu\ty 1n appl\cat\ons.
These spec\al\sts need to act
as consultants and educators.
They need to be act\vely
engaged \n appl\cat\ons work.
Background Illum\nat\on \s
Essent\al. A technology wh\ch
saves m\ll\ons of dollars \s
too good to be true. A very
real problem delay\ng
w\de-spread appl\cat\on \s
everyday cyn1c\sm and
d\sbel\ef. Eng\neers and
managers \n product\on, 1n
des\gn and development, and \n
the bus\ness areas have to be
1nformed about the \mpact and
\mpl\cat\ons of the new
technology. Process
eng\neer1ng general\sts have to
be educated to that they can
\dent1fy l\kely appl\cat10ns
and can cooperate w\th the
spec\al\sts \n deta\led stud\es.
Follow the F\eld Act\vely.
Th\s relat\vely new f\eld of
overall process analys\s and
synthes\s \s st\ll grow\ng
rap\dly. Stay\ng abreast of
the f\eld \s a non-tr\v1al
task. It \s essent\al to
comm\t the necessary t\me of
spec\al\sts to accompl\sh th\s
and prov\de them w\th
opportun\t\es for exposure to
researchers and other
pract\t\\oners \n the f\eld.
Keep the Eng\neer \n the
Dr\ver's Seat. The most
\mportant \ngred\ent \s the
well tra\ned eng\neer who uses
these new \ns\ghts and concepts
to supplement h\s trad\t\onal
ESL-IE-84-04-64
Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
desIgn and analysIs technlqu s.
Many practl al decIsIons need
to be made. Computer programs
are useful as long as they do
not InhIbIt the engIneer's
clear grasp of the Issues at
hand. They can easIly become
counter- productIve If they are
allowed to "take-over".
EmphasIze Prolect Work. The
ultImate educatIon In thIs
fIeld comes through
applIcatIons. ThIs takes place
naturally and effectIvely In a
team envIronment where the
technology specIalIst, process
engIneerIng generalIst, plant
representatIve, and other
approprIate support personnel
work together to solve a common
problem.
CONCLUSIONS
Ten years ago, heat exchanger network desIgn was
a fIeld of Interest In academIc research only,
of lIttle relevance to IndustrIal practIce.
FIve years ago, the pInch technIques resulted In
promIsIng savIngs In the real IndustrIal
envIronment In ICI(l,3). Today, the
technology has come of age. From an Isolated
energy savIng tool, It has developed lnto a
general chemical engIneerIng desIgn methodology,
embracIng conslderatlons of heat and materIal
balance, unIt operatIon deslgn, retrofIt
equIpment constraInts and capItal costs.
savlngs today average at 50% energy costs In new
desIgns and at slx months payback In retroflts.
UntIl recently, It seemed unllkely that exIstIng
processes could offer quIte so much scope for
Improvement. The authors believe that the
technIques dIscussed here are essentIal to
uncover thIs scope.
LIST OF REFERENCES
1) Llnnhoff, 8. and Turner, J. A.
"Heat-Recovery Networks: N InsIghts YIeld
BIg SavIngs", ChemIcal EngIneerIng, p. 56,
Nov. 2 (1981).
2) Llnnhoff, 8. et al "User GuIde on Process
IntegratIon for the EffIcIent Use of
Energy". PublIshed by the IChemE, U.K.
AvaIlable ln the UnIted States through R.
N. MIranda, Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell
House, FaIrvIew Park, Elmsford, New York
10523.
3) Boland, D. "Energy anage nt: Emphasis In
the 80s, The ChemIcal EngIneer, p. 24.
March (1983).
4) Hohmann, E. C. Optlmum Networ s for Heat
Exchange, PhD ThesIs, UnIversIty of
Southern CalIfornIa (1971).
5) Llnnhoff, 8., Mason, D. R. and wardle, l.
Understandlng Heat Exchanger Networks",
Computers &ChemIcal EngIneerIng 3, p. 295
(1979).
6) Umeda, T., Itoh, J. and Shlroko, K., "Heat
Exchange Syste SynthesIs", C.E.P., Vol 74
(7), p. 70 (1978).
7) Llnnhoff, B. "New Concepts ln
ThermodynamIcs for Better Chemlcal Process
DesIgn", ProceedIngs of the Royal SocIety,
386, No. 1790, p. 1 March (19B3).
8) NIshIda, N., Llu, Y. A. and LapIdus, L.
Studles In ChemIcal Process DesIgn and
SynthesIs: III A SImple and PractIcal
Approach to the OptImal SynthesIs of Heat
Exchanger Networks", AIChE Journal, 23,
p.77 (1971). -
9) Townsend, D. W. and Llnnhoff, B. "Surfaoe
Area Targets for Heat Exchanger
Paper presented at IChemE Annual Researqh
Meetlng, Bath, UK, AprIl (1984).
10) Llnnhoff, B. and Townsend, D. W. "DesIgnIng
Total Energy Systems", C.E.P., Vol. 78 (17L
p. 12 (1982).
11) Llnnhoff, B., Dunford, H. and SmIth, R.
"Heat Integra Ion of Dlstl11at\on Colu ns
Into Overall Processes", Che . Eng. ScI.,
Vol. 38 (B), p. 1175 (19B3).
12) Shlroko, K. and Umeda, T. A PractIcal
Approach to the OptImal Deslgn of Heat
Exchange Systems", Process EconomIcs
InternatIonal Vol. III (4), p. 44 (1983).
13) Llnnhoff, B. and SenIor, P. R. TARGET - a
computer program to set energy targets.
AvaIlable from the authors of: The
UnIversity of Manchester InstItute of
ScIence and Technology, Department of
ChemIcal EngIneerIng, P. O. Box 88,
Manchester M60 lQO, UK.
14) Tjoe, T. N. and Llnnhoff, B. "Heat
Exchanger Network RetrofIts", Paper
presented at IChemE Annual Research
MeetIng, Bath, UK, AprIl (1984).
15) Morton, R. J. and Llnnhoff, B. "IndIvIdual
Process Improvements In the Context of
SIte-WIde InteractIons, Paper presented at
IChemE Annu 1 Research MeetIng, Bath, UK,
April (1984).
16) Llnnhoff, B. and Ahmad, S., to be
LIST OF FIGURE CAPTIONS
fIGURE 1 The "ComposIte Curves set the energy
targets prlor to desIgn.
349
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
FIGURE 2 Heat flow across
excess heat flow
the pInch equals
In and out.
FIGURE 3 The optImum choIce for Tml
n
depends on a varIety of factors
IncludIng the "shape" for the
composIte curves.
FIGURE 4 Good matches utIlIse the temperature
dlference IndIcated by the composIte
curves. no less and no more.
FIGURE 5 The energy targets can only be
modIfIed If the process stream
enthalpy changes are modIfIed.
FIGURE 6 Temperature changes can affect the
energy targets only If streams are
shIfted from one part of the process
to the other.
FIGURE 7 Computer graphIcs are convenIent to
study the effect of process changes
on the energy target.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 12
The process prIor to retrofIt.
The compos1te curves before process
modIfIcatIons. (Target: 107.10
6
Btu/hr).
The composIte curves after process
modIfIcatIons. (Target: 92.10
6
Btu/hr)
"FIrst order" process modlflcat'ons
reduce the energy target from 107 NM
Btu/hr to 92 mm Btu/hr. "Second
order" process modIfIcatIons reduce
the number of new exchangers from sIx
to two.
The process after retrofIt. Process
modIfIcatIons and two new exchangers
gIve 28% energy savIngs at sIx months
payback.
350
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
TMLE 1
FIRST RESULTS CF APPLYlto.C THE PINCH TECHN<l..OGY IN UNIOO CARBIDE
PROCESS PROJ ECT TVPE* ENERGY COST INSTALLED CAPITAL PAYBACK
1 DUCTION COST MONTHS
$/YEAR $
Petrochemical Mod. 1,050,000 500,000 6
Specialty Mod. 139,000 57,000 5
Chemi al
Speci al ty Mod. 82,000 6,000
Chemical
Li cens ing
Package
New 1,300,000 Savi ng s
Petroc hemi ca1 Mod. 630,000 Yet Unclear ?
Organic Bulle Mod. 1,000,000 600,000 7
Chemical
Organic Bulk Mod. 1,243.000 1,835.000 18
Chemi cal
Sped al ty Mod. 570.000 200.000 4
Chemi cal
Organ; c Bul Ie Mod. 2,000.000 800.000 5
Chemi cal
*New Means new Plant Design;
Mod means Plant Modification
Eight out of nine projects were retrofits. In most of these. the suggested
modi fications would have resulted in lower capital costs had they been known
when the original plant was built. Several of the studies listed have already
been implemented. othe rs a re in the project stage.
351
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
--
Temperature
Hot Utility Target


r:,\
R
O

PINCH
1:1Tmin
Process
Above the
Pinch
Process
Below the
Pinch
Cold Utility Target
Enthalpy
FIGURE 1 - The "Composite Curves" set the energy targets
prior to design.
352
ESL-IE-84-04-64
Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Temperature
Excess
Energy
Flow
~
Cold Target
E n t ~ a l p y
FIGURE 2 - Heat flow across the pinch equals excess heat \
flow in and out.
353
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Temperature
Enthalpy
(a) "Narrow" Composite Curves
Temperature
Enthalpy
.
(b) "Normal" Composite Curves
FIGURE 3 - The optimum choice for 6T
m
in depends on a variety of
factors including the "shape" of the composite curves.
354
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
bT
a)
A Good Match
Two Bad
b)
c)
bT
Matches
T
COld
FIGURE 4 -
Good matches utilize the temperature difference indicated
~ .. -
by the composite curves, no less and no more.
355
ESL-IE-84-04-64
Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Temperature
Hot Target
ffi
Cold Target
Enthalpy
FIGURE 5
- The energy targets can only be modified if the
process stream enthalpy changes are modified.
356
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Temperature
Enthalpy
FIGURE 6 - Temperature changes can affect the energy targets
only if streams are shifted from one part of the process
to the other.
357
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Initial Stream Data
Easy Data Editing
Graphical Output
Computer Program
Target Setting
FIGURE 7 - Computer graphics are convenient to study the effect
of process changes on the energy target.
358
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
17,000 Ib/hr Steam
BASE CASE
Feed
and
Recycle
Recycles Recycle
w
U1
\D
Preheater
i
Flash
Stripper
~ 11
FIGURE 8 - The process prior to retrofit.
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
--
180 T(OC)
160
140
Hot
120
Composite
100
80
60
BASE CASE
\
Cold Composite
\
107.10
6
Btu
1- -I
11
Column 5
40
H(10
6
Btu)
20 ~ _ ~ _ - - I - _ - - - ' - __.a....-_....J-.. ----a.__.a....---,
o 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
FIGURE 9 - The composite curves before process modifications.
(Target: 107.10
6
Btu/hr.)
360
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
---
Btu)
180
160
'(
Column 5
140
Hot
120
Composite
100
)
80
Cold Composite
60
MODIFIED PROCESS
40
H(10
6
20
o
FJ GURE 10 - The composite curves after process modifications.
(Target: 92.10
b
Btu/hr.)
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
361
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
Base Case
Process and Network
(Figure 8)
133 MM BTU/HR
TWO
Exchangers
SIX
Exchangers
SIX
Exchangers
Base Case
Composite Curve
(Figure 9)
107 MM BTU/HR
Final
Process and Network
(Figure 11)
96.5 MM BTU/HR
Modified
Composite Curve
(Figure 10)
92 MM BTU/HR
DESIGN TARGET
EXISTING
PROCESS
W
0\
N
MODIFIED
PROCESS
FIGURE 11 - "First order" process modifications reduce the energy target from 107 MM Btu/hr to
. 92 MM Btu/hr. "Second order" process modifications reduce the number of new exchangers
from six to two.
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984
FINAL PROCESS AND NETWORK
11,000 Ib/hr Steam
Feed
w
0)
w
Flash
Stripper
and
Recycles
h_' ~ 1 1
Recycles
FIGURE 12 - The process after retrofit. Process modifications and two new exchangers give
28% energy savings at six months payback.
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Proceedings from the Sixth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference Volume I, Houston, TX, April 15-18, 1984

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