Heat Exchanger Network - Abhijit Nath
Heat Exchanger Network - Abhijit Nath
Heat Exchanger Network - Abhijit Nath
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Certificate
This is to certify that report entitled “Heat Exchanger Network”
submitted by Abhijit Nath partial fulfilments for the requirements for
the award of Bachelor of Technology Degree in Chemical Engineering
at University of Calcutta is an authentic work carried out by him
under my supervision and guidance.
Professor
Department of Chemical
Engineering
University of Calcutta
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Acknowledgement
I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude and
indebtedness to Prof. Ashim Kumar De, Department of
chemical Engineering, University of Calcutta for
introducing the present topic and for his inspiring
guidance, constructive criticism and valuable
suggestion throughout this project work.
I would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Amitava
Bandyopadhyay (Head of the Department) for his
constant support and encouragement. I'm also
thankful to all staff members of Department of
Chemical Engineering of University of Calcutta.
Date. Abhijit Nath
Roll no: T91/CE/ 186001
5th Semester
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CONTENTS PAGES
1. Introduction 05
2. Data Extraction 06
10. Conclusion 22
11. Reference 22
12.
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1. Introduction:
One of the most frequent problems in industrial plants is the excessive energy
consumption. It represents the most important contribution to the composition
of the global cost of industrialised products. Although heat recovery systems are
frequently studied in synthesis problems, great attention was drawn after the
first energetic world crisis, during the seventies. Therefore, the study of
alternatives to minimize the consumption of energy produced by burnt
combustibles has increased.
In industrial processes there are streams that need heating and streams that need
cooling, usually achieved by using hot and cold utilities, respectively. Heat
exchanger network (HEN) synthesis is a mean to obtain heating and cooling by
process streams energetic integration, by using heat streams to heat cold streams
and cold streams to cool hot streams. In this way, it is possible to reduce the
amount of hot and cold utilities. Besides the utilities consumption reduction, it
is important to use a small number of heat transfer equipment, decreasing the
fixed cost of the final network.
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energy‐efficient HEN results in a trade-off between the energy recovered and
the capital costs involved for energy recovery.
2. Data Extraction:
The starting point for a Pinch Technology analysis is to recognize in the process
of interest all the process streams that need to be heated and all those that need
to be cooled. This necessitates identifying the streams, their flow rates and
thermal properties, phase changes, and the temperature ranges through which
these must be heated or cooled. This can be performed after mass balances have
been completed and temperatures and pressures have been established for the
process streams. Energy quantities can be computed by thermodynamic
calculations.
Having obtained a reliable heat and mass balance, the next stage is to extract the
hot and cold streams in the form required for pinch analysis. Data extraction can
be the most time consuming task of a pinch analysis. It is essential that all the
heating, cooling, and phase changes in the process be identified.
The first two streams are sources of heat and another two are sinks. If heat
capacity of the streams is constant the heat content in hot and cold stream can
be determined using heat capacity flow rate which is product of mass/molar
flow rate and heat capacity. mc❑ p =Cp .
140
120
100
80
T,C
60
40
180
20 300
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
H
Figure1-Hot Streams are plotted
separately
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Fig.1 shows the position of Hot‐1 and Hot‐2 streams in the T ‐H diagram. The
construction of the hot composite curve (as shown in Figure-2) simply involves
the addition of the enthalpy changes of the streams in the respective temperature
intervals. In the temperature interval 140C to 90 C only stream 1 is present.
Therefore the CP of the composite curve equals the CP of stream 1 i.e. 2. In the
temperature interval 90C to 50C, both streams 1 and 2 are present, therefore
the CP of the hot composite equals the sum of the CP’s of the two streams i.e.
2+6=8.In the temperature interval 50ºC to 40ºC only stream 2 is present, thus
the CP of the composite is 6. Further, it can be noted that H for hot‐1 stream
from 140C to 50C is -180 kW whereas the same for Hot‐2 stream is -300 kW.
When the load of both the stream is integrated in the above temperature interval
these will provide 480kW (180+300). Integration of loads of Hot‐1 &2 in the
temperature levels 50C to 90C is shown in Fig.2
The construction of the cold composite curve is similar to that of the hot
composite curve involving the combination of the cold stream T-H curves for
the process.
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Figure3: Composite cold Stream
Once Hot and cold composite curves are created these can be put together to
extract useful information regarding energy change and external utility demand.
In Fig.4 the hot and cold composites are plotted on the same T‐H axes keeping
intact the temperature of both hot and cold composite curves. Hot composite
curve contains temperature level of 140C, 90C, 50C and 40 C (marked by
solid lines) and the temperature levels for cold composite curves are 150C,
125C, and 70C and 30C (shown by dotted lines except 30C as it matches
with axis). The cold composite curve is then moved from position “c”(original
position) to position “a” where the shortest vertical distance between hot and
cold composite curves is 10C which is the Tmin in this case. Due to the
“kinked” nature of composite curves the point of Tmin can occur anywhere in
the region of internal heat exchange and not just at one end of any composite
curve. The temperature‐enthalpy values associated with any composite stream
can’t be changed; however, the relative position of composite streams can be
changed by moving them horizontally (parallel to H axis) relative to reach
other. This is possible as the reference enthalpy for the cold composite stream
can be changed independently from the reference enthalpy for the hot composite
streams. For a given value of Tmin the cold and hot utilities computed are the
minimum required values to keep the system in thermal balance.
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Figure-4
Main points regarding combined Hot and cold composite curves are:
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Figure-5
Once Hot and cold composite curves are known, one can estimate with ease the
minimum amount of external heating ( Hot utility) and external cooling(Cold
utility) required for the process through energy targeting procedure. The overlap
between the hot and cold composite curves represents the maximum amount of
heat that can be recovered within the process. The “overshoot” of the hot
composite represents the minimum amount of external cooling required in the
process and the “overshoot” of the cold composite represents the minimum
amount of external heating required in the process. This concept is based on
vertical heat transfer in the internal heat exchange area as well as at utility areas
as shown in figure 6.
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Figure-6 Vertical
heat transfer
Because of the kinked nature of the hot and cold composite curves, they
approach most closely at one point which is called the “Pinch”. Pinch is not a
point unless both the curves touch each other at a point. In fact, for heat to flow
one has to maintain a value of T at pinch which is called Tmin. Thus at pinch
there exists two points out of which one is called Hot pinch point and the other
cold pinch point as shown in Fig.5. From Fig.5 it can be seen that hot utility
demand is 175 kW, cold utility demand is 250 kW and internal heat exchange is
230 kW. The hot pinch point is at 90C and cold pinch point is at 80C. This is
for TminC equal to 10C. If one changes the Tmin value from 10C to a new
value then the requirements of cold and hot utility will change and so the
internal heat exchange.
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The most appropriate value of Tmin or in other words the relative positions of
the hot and cold composite curves is determined by an economic trade ‐off
between energy and capital. Once the correct economic value of Tmin is
known then the energy targets in terms of the values of hot and cold utilities are
automatically fixed. The Tmin in general appears at one location between hot
and cold composite curves called “heat recovery pinch”. As pinch point is
related to Tmin, it has special significance in the design.
We can see in Fig.5 the heat exchange system separated at pinch. The section
above the pinch works as a heat sink as it accepts heat from external heating
sources (heat utility). The amount of heat required is exactly equal to Q HOT MIN.
The required heat which is necessary to strike heat balance of this section after
hot composite curve transfers the heat to cold composite curve is Q HOT MIN. As
this section takes heat from outside it is termed as heat sink. With the external
heating equal to Q HOT MIN the section is in heat balance, i.e. heat required by the
cold stream is satisfied by heat transferred from the hot composite stream and
the Q HOT MIN from external hot utility.
Similarly Fig.5 also shows that the section below the pinch works as Heat
source as it rejects heat to the external cold utility. The amount of heat rejected
to cold utility is Q COLD MIN .In this section, hot composite curve has excess heat
(Q COLD MIN) available with it even after transferring heat to cold composite
curve. Once Q COLD MIN is transferred to external cold utility this section is also in
heat balance.
As upper pinch region is a net sink no cold utility should be used here. If a cold
utility of amount say Xcold is used in this region then the hot utility demand has
to be increased to QHmin + Xcold to satisfy the heat balance of this region. Thus it
will increase the hot utility demand. At the same time total consumption of cold
utility will also increase to QCmin+ Xcold. Thus both cold and hot utilities will
increase from their minimum value by an amount X cold. So the penalty will be
double in terms of the increased cost of utility as well as heat transfer area
required to transfer the heat associated with increased amount of utility.
Similarly as lower pinch area is a net heat source and hot utility should not be
used here. If a hot utility of amount say X hot is used in this region then the cold
utility demand has to be increased to Q Cmin + Xhot to satisfy the heat balance of
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this region. Thus it will increase the total cold utility demand. At the same time
total consumption of hot utility will also increase to Q Hmin+ Xhot. Thus both cold
and hot utilities will increase from their minimum value by an amount Xhot .So
the penalty will be double in terms of the increased cost of utility as well as heat
transfer area required to transfer the heat associated with extra amount of utility.
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Figure-7
Step-1: Set up shifted temperature intervals using the stream supply and target
T min T
temperatures by subtracting from hot streams and adding min to the cold
2 2
streams. The genesis of the above process is shown in Fig7
Δ H i =[ ∑ C pc −∑ Cp❑H ] ❑i ΔT
Where Hi is the heat balance for the temperature interval i and Ti is the
temperature difference in interval i. Cpc and CpH are cumulative Cp of all the
cold streams present in the interval i and cumulative Cp of all the hot streams
present in this interval respectively. If the heat required by the cold streams in
this interval is more than the heat available with hot streams then H is positive
which means that this temperature interval has heat deficiency. If the reverse is
true then H is negative meaning that heat is surplus in this temperature interval
and can be transferred to a temperature interval which is lower in temperature
than the present interval. The present sign convention is similar to the
convention of thermodynamics. The heat balance between each shifted
temperature interval allows maximum heat recovery within the interval.
However, heat recovery should also be allowed amongst temperature intervals
keeping in mind that heat can flow from higher to lower temperature levels.
Step-3: Cascade any surplus heat available down the temperature scale from
one interval to other. This is possible as any surplus heat available from hot
streams in an interval is hot enough to be supplied to the next interval down
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where there is a heat deficit due to the heat requirement of cold streams. It
should be remembered that heat cannot be transferred up the temperature scale.
During this process one can find that heat flows from some intervals are
negative which shows an infeasible heat transfer. Thus to make the cascade
feasible, sufficient heat must be transferred from hot utility down the cascade so
that the values of heat flows at least become zero.
This basic approach can be developed into a algorithm know as Problem Table
Algorithm (PTA). This algorithm and remaining steps of it is explained using an
example.
For example, let us consider the four stream problem given below: ‐
Table-2: Four stream problem for PTA for Tmin equal to 10C.
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Fig-8: Schematic representation of stream population on a vertical temperature
scale with interval boundaries superimposed
T1 = 165
1 165‐145 = 0‐3 = ‐3 ‐60 Surplus
20
T2 = 145
2 145‐140 = 4.25‐2‐3 ‐3.75 Surplus
5 = 0.75
T3 = 140
3 140‐85= 4.25+2.25‐ 82.5 Deficit
55 2‐3= 1.5
T4 = 85
4 85‐55 = 30 2.25‐2‐3 ‐82.5 Surplus
= 2.75
T5 =55
5 55‐25 = 30 2.25‐2 = 7.5 Deficit
0.25
T6 = 25
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After constructing the Problem table and defining intervals with surplus and
deficit of heat, the next step is to develop a heat cascade based on key feature of
problem table that any heat available in interval i is hot enough to supply any
duty in interval i+1. Now, the interval 1 has a surplus of 60 kW which can be
transferred to the 2nd interval as the hot streams in interval 1 are at least Tmin
higher in temperature scale( Fig.9) than cold stream at interval 2. However,
reverse of it which means natural transfer of heat from Ti interval to Ti‐1 interval
is not feasible as per second law of thermodynamics. First assume no heat is
supplied to the first interval from hot utility. In this, way a heat cascade can be
set up as shown in the figure below.
The first interval has a surplus heat of 60 kW, which is cascaded to the next
interval. The second interval has a surplus of 3.75 kW, which leaves the heat
cascaded from this interval to be 63.75 kW. In the third interval the process has
a heat deficit of 82.5 kW, which leaves ‐18.75 kW to be cascaded to next
interval. The Fourth interval has a heat surplus of 82.5 kW, which leaves 63.75
kW to be cascaded to next interval. The fifth and the last interval have a heat
deficit of 7.5 kW which leaves 56.25 kW to be transferred to cold utility. From
this cascade, we can see that from interval 3 to 4, ‐18.75 kW of heat is being
transferred which is not thermodynamically feasible as, heat cannot be
transferred up the temperature scale, to satisfy the heat demand.
Thus, to make the heat cascade feasible one has to transfer heat from hot utility
to the first interval. The smallest amount of heat that is required to be added
from hot utility is the largest negative heat flow (in the present case ‐18.75 kW)
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from the cascade (figure-9). By doing so all the heat flows of the cascade will
positive or at least zero which is the sign of feasible cascade. Thus 18.75 kW of
heat is being supplied from the hot utility to the first temperature interval which
changes the heat balance within each temperature interval and increases heat
flow from all temperature interval by an amount 18.75 kW, making heat flow
zero at a shifted interval temperature of 85C. This gives the pinch point for the
system. Further, amount of heat flowing from lowest shifted interval
temperature (25C) is 75 kW. This heat goes to the cold utility. Thus minimum
cold utility demand is 75 kW. The pinch temperature reported above is shifted
temperature and this needs to be converted to actual temperature. While
converting actual temperature to shifted temperature, Tmin/2 was added to cold
stream temperatures and Tmin/2 was deducted from hot stream temperatures.
Hence, this process has to be reversed to get actual temperature from shifted
temperature.
Figure 10: (a) Infeasible design for above pinch region (b) Stream
splitting at above pinch region to get a feasible design
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When this incompatibility occurs the streams at the pinch need “correcting” by
stream splitting. 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 Tmin constraint. So here we
satisfy inequality NH≤ NC by stream splitting.
Similarly if it is not possible to create matches fulfilling Cp inequalities then it
is necessary to change one or more Cps of streams by stream splitting.
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Figure-11: Sequences for designing HEN above pinch
(a) and below pinch (b)
10. Conclusion:
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the operating cost and the initial cost. And one can also decide regarding the
pinch temperature. So, the pinch solution gives minimum hot utility, minimum
cold utility, and then minimum number of heat exchangers with minimum hot
and cold utilities, stream matching for every heat exchanger, terminal
temperatures and capacity of each of the heat exchangers. This brings us to the
complete solution of the heat exchanger network.
11. Reference:
Linnhoff, B. and Hindmarsh, E., 1983, “The pinch design method of heat
exchanger networks”, Chem Eng Sci, 38(5): 745-763.
Step by Step for Designing an Optimum Heat Exchanger Network, July 2018
International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research Authors: Eman
M. Gabr, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute.
B. Linnhoff, Introduction to Pinch Technology , Linnhoff March, ,Copyright
1998
Heat exchanger network synthesis and optimisation using genetic algorithm
M.A.S.S. Ravagnani , A.P. Silva, P.A. Arroyo, A.A. Constantino
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