Process Integration and Heat Exchanger Network

Process integration (PI) design tools were originally developed over the past two decades for heat exchanger networks (HENs) because escalating energy costs have caused operating companies to look for alternative ways to maximize production while reducing the energy consumption. PI has a profound effect upon the chemical process industry and refinery in the form of pinch technology/analysis and heat-exchanger network optimization. In this chapter, HENs are reviewed using examples and case studies from the literature, and the applications of PI and pinch analysis to technologies such as water and hydrogen pinch are then considered. The Excel spreadsheet software provided by A User Guide on Process Integration for the Efficient Use of Energy, is used to determine the minimum heating and cooling requirements for several example problems and case studies in this chapter. Finally, the process utility systems are designed to provide additional minimum heating and cooling requirements, and consequently maximum energy recovery for the process.