Heat Exchanger Network Retrofit by Pinch Technology on Reformer Area of Aromatics Plant

In the situation of high prices and depletion of the world energy, one way for energy management is in process integration. In Specific, pinch technology has demonstrated that good process integration pays off through simplicity of plant design and good use of energy and capital. The principle is to predict what should be achieved (targeting), and to then set out to achieve it (design). For modification of existing plants, the retrofitting is used with the same thermodynamic principles that underlie established pinch technology. This study uses the process data of Reformer area of an aromatics plant, which is reconciled, coupled with the Pinch technology for retrofitting the heat exchanger network to obtain the best design which results in high degree of energy recovery. In this area of plant, nine heat exchangers can be found. The streams that involve in this pinch analysis can be grouped in two types; hot streams and cold streams, which are twenty four hot streams and sixteen cold streams. First of all, the target of energy saving will be conducted for the specified payback period. In this step the Problem table Analysis and composite curves have been done in order to find the area and energy target. The result of these targets show the very low payback period. The retrofit procedure then can be done by constructing the grid diagram and finding the heat exchangers crossing pinch point. Eliminating these exchangers plus adding some area of heat exchangers result in energy saving about 10-20%.

کلیدواژه ها:

Pinch Analysis ، Retrofit ، Heat Exchanger Network ، Aromatics