An approach to minimum energy plant design incorporating pinch technology and state-of-the-art equipment

Global environmental protection is now a crucial problem worldwide. The primary measure in dealing with the problem is energy conservation. The challenge is to design a minimum energy plant for the next generation. The combination of modern process/equipment design and total factory optimization using pinch technology will surely improve energy efficiency dramatically. The macroscopic approach looking at the total factor, followed by the microscopic approach, looking at individual process and equipment, is the most effective way to arrive at a minimum energy plant. Pinch technology applied to a model refinery in Japan was demonstrated as an example of total site analysis and the potential of energy conservation was investigated. In the study, only indirect heat integration of the individual units via steam system was considered. The fuel saving potential was about 5% of the total consumption or about 94% of electricity import could be reduced by increased power generation. A study of the ultimate energy efficiency refinery where there were no limitations of heat integration between the units was also carried out as a reference for future high efficient refinery. The fuel saving potential was about 23% of the total consumption or electricity export would be possible. A state-of-the-art platemore » type heat exchanger, which would be equipment to realize highly efficient heat exchange, was introduced as one of the modern equipment designs. The Packinox Heat Exchanger (PHE) has unique characteristics such as a compact size, higher heat transfer coefficient, low fouling tendency, etc. PHE has already been adopted in more than 60 services, especially the Catalytic Reforming Unit, and will be applied to many units in future, as the most promising heat exchanger.« less