HEAT INTEGRATION Synthesis 11.

Minimum network

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

11. Minimum network 1

Outline
Network design overview Grid diagram Pinch topology: feasibility criteria Pinch topology: stream population Pinch topology: adequacy of thermal inertia Sizing heat exchangers Auxiliary criterion Remanent problem algorithm Multiple pinches Threshold problems Retrofitting

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

11. Minimum network 2

Network design overview

Two general steps:
First design a minimum energy requirement (MER) network
Pinch design method rules&guides will be followed strictly

Network development (evolution) towards the optimum

No rule to respect, except the best operating, economic network

MER design steps (for each semi-problem):

First design the topology at the pinch:
what streams will match among those that start or end at the pinch minimum temperature difference between matching streams this is to start designing at the pinch (going from hardest to easiest)

Then solve the rest:

matching streams as wanted (using utility included) ... proceeding from inside outwards (widening driving force)

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

11. Minimum network 3

Grid diagram
Symbolic network representation. Best tool for design understanding Hot streams run from right to left* in the top (including heating) Cold streams run from left to right* in the bottom (including cooling) Symbolic diagram: scale is not take into account Heat exchangers link together hot and cold streams

[* unlike in the literature, for consistency with the composite curve diagram]
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 4

Grid diagram
With design purposes information concerning the pinch and stream data can be included

This is just one of the possible network configurations ...

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 5

Grid diagram
... but basic (problem) data are immutable for a concrete Tmin:

So the grid diagram is an excellent tool for network design On this grid network will be woven
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 6

Grid diagram
Note the symbolic not to scale nature of the diagram:

At least one stream must start or end at the pinch (to make it)
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 7

Pinch topology: feasibility criteria

To solve the matchings at one side of a pinch two design criteria must be met:
Feasibility (I): stream population Feasibility (II): adequacy of thermal inertia

Meeting these two criteria is compulsory to achieve a MER design Stream population at the pinch:
'The number of streams leaving this side of the pinch must be greater than or equal to the number of streams that reach it'

Adequacy of thermal inertia in pinch matchings:

'The thermal inertia of each stream that leaves this side of the pinch must be lesser than or equal to that of the stream that matches' 'The slope of each stream that leaves this side of the pinch must be greater than or equal to that of the stream that matches'

Ensuring that both criteria are met matchings can be freely chosen (on start-up, operating, safety, proximity... considerations)
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 8

Pinch topology: stream population

Stream population at the pinch:
'The number of streams leaving this side of the pinch must be greater than or equal to the number of streams that reach it'

We have not enough hot streams to carry every cold stream to the pinch, and we can't use heating
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

We have not enough cold streams to carry every hot stream to the pinch, and we can't use cooling
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Pinch topology: stream population

In this cases some streams must be splitted to meet the criterion: We have now enough temperature to carry every cold stream to the pinch The thermal inertia of the splitted stream is distributed so that:
m C P = m C P a m C P b

This distribution is our will, but must meet the 'adequacy of thermal inertia' criterion It will be one of the parameters to optimize during the network development (evolution) stage

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

11. Minimum network 10

Pinch topology: adequacy of thermal inertia

Adequacy of thermal inertia in pinch matchings:
'The thermal inertia of each stream that leaves this side of the pinch must be greater than or equal to that of the stream that matches' 'The slope of each stream that leaves this side of the pinch must be lesser than or equal to that of the stream that matches'

... or the temperature difference decreases as we move away from the pinch, becoming less than the minimum We can match stream 2 with stream 5, but not with 1... ...and stream 3 with stream 6, but not with 4 Looking at the thermal inertia of streams arriving and leaving the pinch we can say what are the allowed partners (at the pinch)
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 11

Pinch topology: adequacy of thermal inertia

In some cases some streams must be splitted to meet this criterion:

Both hot and cold streams can be splitted

After splitting streams for this reason should be checked that the population criterion (in the pinch) still met
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 12

Sizing heat exchangers

In dimensioning (sizing) heat exchangers stream elimination heuristics should be followed:
'For the network to be formed by the minimum number of units each new pairing must remove, at least, the requirements of one stream (or part of one stream)'

This is in accordance with Euler's Theorem in Graph theory: ( Nmin= [NA-1] + [NB-1] ) In the case of large temperature variations for one or both streams this rule may lead to excessively large exchange areas:
Large areas are often divided into several shields to avoid temperature cross (or cross-over)

One heat exchanger can eliminate the requirements of the two streams if their duties are equal. The minimum number is then less than the expected
Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 13

Auxiliary criterion: mCp difference

This is a non-mandatory criterion you may find useful in the case of many streams in the pinch, when there is little guidance for choosing. It helps selecting those matches that will enable future matches in the rest of the problem.
Individual (for a pinch HX) mCp difference:
C P i = m C P OUTGOING m C P INCOMING 0 m always

Global (all streams) mCp difference:

C P G = m C P i m C P i one m
i i N outg N inc

for each semi problem

'Every match in the pinch must meet:

C P i m C P G m

because otherwise the match may be feasible, but some of the missing can not be done because it will not be available global mCp difference'

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

11. Minimum network 14

Auxiliary criterion: mCp difference

A very simple example:

Feasible

Impossible: The other match cant' be done

Of course, it is more useful when the number of streams is large

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis 11. Minimum network 15

Remanent Problem Algorithm

You can calculate the impact of a design choice (choosing a match, sizing one duty) without designing by applying recursively the Problem Table Algorithm and Minimum Exchange Area Estimation procedure to the problem that remains after that option

Note that, according to setting the duty of the HX, the set of remaining streams changes

Heat Integration UVa | Synthesis

11. Minimum network 16