Technical Note

Energy recovery by pinch technology

L. Matijassevi
*
, H. Otmaeei
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Savska c 16, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Received 15 July 2001; accepted 17 September 2001
Abstract
This paper shows how the application of pinch technology can lead towards great energy savings. The
heat exchanger network of a nitric acid plant has been studied and it was found that it is possible to reduce
requirements for cooling water and medium pressure steam. In order to enable these savings, three heat
exchangers should be replaced with new ones. Energy consumption in steam power system increases
slightly. However, the nal result is a reduction of energy costs and a payback time of 14.5 months. 2002
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Energy recovery; Pinch technology; HEN design; Nitric acid plant
1. Introduction
In this work the fundamental principles of the pinch for energy integration will be outlined and
illustrated on the example of nitric acid production in the plant Petrochemical IndustryKutina,
located in Croatia.
The plant produces 450 ton/day HNO
3
, w 5760%. The production technology dates back to
1982.
2. Case studyproduction of nitric acid
2.1. Analysis of energy in the process
The process includes 17 heat exchangers, 2 turbines (steam and gases) and 2 compressors. The
power of turbine is used for the compressors. Table 1 shows elementary data about exchangers,
Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484
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*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +385-1-4597101/272318; fax: +385-1-4597133/4597260.
E-mail address: ljmatij@marie.fkit.hr (L. Matijassevi).
1359-4311/02/$ - see front matter 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S1359- 4311( 01) 00098- 9
Table 2 shows the power of single units, and Table 3 shows production and consumption energy
in the nitric acid plant. In case study analyses the energy consumption of the process. The HP
steam generated by heat transfer is utilized for other process in Petrochemical Industry. The
power generated on turbine is used for compressor work. Fig. 1 shows the process owsheet where
pinch methods are outlined.
The design employs 17 heat exchangers. The exchanger E103 for ammonia vaporization, and
E115 air heater will not be considered. The energy MP steam (12.2 bara), LP steam (4.4 bara),
cooling water and boiler feedwater is consumption for 16 streams. The data are given in Table 4.
Nomenclature
Symbols
c
p
average specic heat capacity, kJ/kg C
CP heat capacity, kW/C
DH change in enthalpy, kW
m mass ow rate, kg/s
T temperature, C
DT
min
minimum temperature dierence, C
Indices
T target state
S source state
h cold stream
t hot stream
Table 1
Elementary data about exchangers
Tube-side temperature (C) Shell-side temperature (C) Heat load (W)
Ti To Ti To
E103 28 11.7 35 8.5 150 938
E112 210 187 8.5 85 153 600
E113 210 187 13.5 100 347 089
E102 194 120 50 70 360 461
E104 28 38 44 42.5 10 467 500
E105 258 400 850 767 2 581 050
E106 258 258 767 425 10 213 544
E107 427 337 235 350 2 695 319
E110 340 270 258 258 1 936 662
E119 255 50 28 38 175 928
E111 283 169 90 235 3 287 958
E116 25 90 210 187 1 489 704
E109 174 38 28 38 12 245 713
E108 232 140 105 200 2 631 366
E114 148 46 26.5 39.5 4 235 944
478 L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484
Fig. 1. The process owsheet of nitric acid plant.
Table 3
Production and consumption energy in actual nitric acid plant
Energy production
HP steam (44 bar) 7119 kg/h
Energy consumption
MP steam (12.2 bar) 4800 (summer)/9800 kg/h (winter)
LP steam (4.4 bar) 703 kg/h
Cooling water 2702 m
3
/h
Boiler feedwater 3431 kg/h
Table 2
Power of recovery and consumption units
Recovery units Consumption units
Steam turbine 3415 kW 40.2% Air compressor 4710 kW 56.0%
Gases turbine 5070 kW 59.8% Nitrous compressor 3775 kW 44.0%
L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484 479
Choosing the correct value of DT
min
is crucial. The DT
min
is easily identied using the pinch
design method. Increasing DT
min
will decrease the amount of heat exchanged into the system.
In our case study with DT
min
38 C, the amount of heat exchanged is the same as DT
min
10
C, 25 133.7 kW. Capital cost of cold utilities decreases. In the case considered, the pinch tem-
perature is 277 C, with minimum transferred energy 3.8 kW.
2.2. The network design [1]
The network above pinch, features one hot stream and three cold streams (Fig. 2). There are
three heat exchangers (shown as linked circles on the relevant streams). It is suggested to link
streams 3 and 13 because term CP
h
6CP
c
is fullled.
Table 4
Area and cost of new exchangers
Heat exchanger A (m
2
) C ($)
Ammonia vaporizer 13.8 9024
Preheater NH
3
50.8 33 022
Waste heat boiler 172.2 110 112
Total 152 058
Fig. 2. Network design above pinch: (a) existing arrangement of nitric acid plant and (b) retrot existing network.
480 L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484
Network design below pinch, features one hot stream and one cold stream. The match between
streams 3 and 9 is feasible because the CP of the hot stream is greater than of the cold stream. The
network design of the processproduction of nitric acid is shown on Fig. 3.
The grid representation of heat exchangers in the actual nitric acid plant show that the streams
10 and 14 are connected by exchanger E102, streams 6 and 15 are connected by exchanger E108.
The stream 16 has a higher temperature, but has not enough heat for transferring. A good so-
lution is to connect stream 6 with streams 1 and 2. If the heat capacities of streams are such, that is
not possible to make a match, then the heat capacity can be altered by splitting a stream. Dividing
the stream will reduce the mass ow rates in each leg and hence the heat capacities. This is il-
lustrated in Fig. 4 with stream 2 which is split.
Fig. 4 shows the proposed heat exchanger network after the synthesis above and below the
pinch. The network features nine hot streams, 38, 10, 12 and 16 (running from left to right at the
top) and seven cold streams, 1, 2, 9, 11 and 1315 (running from right to left at the bottom). A
loop exists between exchanger 3 and 5 but with dierent heat transferred. Exchanger E111 is not
Fig. 3. Network design below pinch.
L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484 481
satisfactory, exchangers E109 (streams 3, 4 and 5) and E114 (streams 6, 7 and 8) needs less area.
Exchanger E116 is cancelled.
3. Results
New heat exchangers should be added using the nitrous gas for vaporization of ammonia and
overheating (exchanger 9 10 on the Fig. 4) for preheating of ammonia (exchanger 8) and nally
for preheating waste gases (part of exchanger 5). Capital cost estimated for heat exchangers is
based on the purchase cost. Table 4 shows areas and the price of heat exchangers. The purchase
cost and capital cost are estimated using correlations by the authors Sinnot and Ulrich:
Capital cost is 152058 2:84 431845 $:
Fig. 4. The proposed heat exchanger network, DT
min
38 C.
482 L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484
The results of changes will inuence streams of ash vessel D101. Table 5 shows streams data of
D101 before and after the changes. There will be a decrease in the usage of cooling water si-
multaneously with the changes in the process. Table 6 shows the nal results of the changes.
Summary of annual cost:
Exchangers amortized over ten years: 431845=10 43184:5 $=year:
Utilities: 357120 $=year:
4. Conclusion
This paper shows how the application of pinch technology makes it possible to reduce the
demand for cooling water and medium pressure steam. With the problem table algorithm, data
were quickly extracted from the owsheet and were analyzed for energy saving.
From the thermodynamic point of view the process requires only cooling utilities and does not
need any heating utilities. This case study corresponds to that of a threshold case where only cold
utility is needed. The nitrous gas stream is used for heat transfer with ammonia without any
additional heating stream.
Table 6
Utilities cost after changing
Cost
Increase consumption energy
LP steam 1380 703 677 kg/h 7.0 $/h
Boiler feedwater 6350 3431 2919 kg/h 1.9 $/h
Decrease consumption energy
MP steam 4800 0 4800 kg/h 52.2 $/h
Cooling water 2247 2075 172 m
3
/h 3.2 $/h
Dierence: (52:2 3:2) (7:0 1:9) 46.5 $/h 7680 h/y 357 120 $/y
Table 5
The inlet and outlet streams of vessel D101
Streams T (C) Mass ow (kg/h)
Before exchange After exchange
In
LP steam 156 703 1380
Boiler feedwater 95 3431 6350
Condensate MP steam 187 3500
Turbine condensate 70 15 361 15 361
Out
Feedwater 105 22 845 22 835
Saturated steam 105 150 256
L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484 483
The total number of exchangers is one less than in the original case and three of them had to be
redesigned. The nal result is reduction of energy costs with the payback time of 14.5 months.
Reference
[1] B. Linnho et al., Users Guide on Process Integration for the Ecient Use of Energy, IChemE, London, 1994.
484 L. Matijassevi, H. Otmaeei / Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 477484