STREAM SPLITTING

HEAT EXCHANGER NETWORK DESIGN FOR MAXIMUM ENERGY RECOVERY

BY SITI SHAWALLIAH IDRIS, AMIChemE

RECAP

 The pinch design method developed earlier followed several rules and guidelines
to allow design for minimum utility (or maximum energy recovery) in the
minimum number of units.
 Occasionally, it appears not to be possible to create the appropriate matches
because one or other of the design criteria cannot be satisfied.
GRID DIAGRAM – ABOVE PINCH

• Cold utility must not be used above the pinch, Pinch

which means that all hot streams must be CP
100 oC
cooled to pinch temperature by heat 12 1
recovery. 20
100 oC
2
• There are three hot streams and two cold 100 oC
streams 7 3

• Thus, regardless of the CP values of the

streams, one of the hot streams cannot be 90 oC
15 T>90oC
cooled to pinch temperature without some 4
violation of the DTmin constraint.
T>90oC 90 oC
30 5

What do we do?
STREAM SPLITTING
STREAM SPLITTING

 Split a cold stream into two parallel Pinch

CP
branches 100 oC
12 1
 Now each hot stream has a cold partner 100 oC
20 2
with which to match, capable of
cooling it to pinch temperature. 7 3
100 oC

 Split ratio for stream 5: 90 oC

15 4
as such CPC cannot be lower than 20
90 oC
[CP inequalities for above pinch (CPH≤CPC)] 30 5
SPLITTING CRITERIA

In addition to CP inequalities criteria introduced earlier:

ABOVE PINCH: NH≤NC

 NH = Number of hot streams

 NC = number of cold streams
GRID DIAGRAM – BELOW PINCH
Pinch
 Hot utility must not be used, which means
CP
that all cold streams must be heated to pinch
100 oC T<100oC 35
temperature by heat recovery. 1
100 oC T<100oC
2 60
 There are two hot streams and three cold
streams
90 oC
3 24
• Thus, regardless of the CP values of the
streams, one of the cold streams cannot be 90 oC
30
4
heated to pinch temperature without some
violation of the DTmin constraint. 90 oC
5 20

What do we do?
STREAM SPLITTING –BELOW PINCH
Pinch
 Split a hot stream into two parallel
CP
branches
1
100 oC T<100oC 35
 Now each cold stream has a hot partner
100 oC T<100oC
with which to match, capable of 2 60
heating it to pinch temperature.

90 oC
3 24
 Split with stream with bigger CP value
90 oC
 Split ratio depends on the CP inequality 4 30
criteria (CPH≥CPC)
90 oC
5 20
SPLITTING CRITERIA

In addition to CP inequalities criteria introduced earlier:

BELOW PINCH: NH≥NC

 NH = Number of hot streams

 NC = number of cold streams
STREAM SPLITTING - EXAMPLE

Pinch
CP CPH≥CPC
100 oC 30oC NH≥NC
1 5
100 oC 40oC 5 7
2 4
4
 Based on the CP inequalities – no feasible match!
90 oC 15oC
3 7
STREAM SPLITTING - EXAMPLE

Pinch  One solution

CP
100 oC 40oC 30oC
1 C 5 SPLIT COLD STREAM 3
100 oC 43.8oC 40oC
2 C 4
CPH≥CPC
NH≥NC
90 oC 15oC
3 7
5 4 7
4 3
STREAM SPLITTING – SPLIT OPTIONS

 What about other split options?

(i) (ii) (iii)

CPH≥CPC CPH≥CPC CPH≥CPC

NH≥NC NH≥NC NH≥NC

5 3.5 7 or 5 4.5 7 or 5 3.8 7

4 3.5 4 2.5 4 3.2
STREAM SPLITTING – SPLIT OPTIONS

Save one unit by ticking off two streams at once:

Pinch
CP
100 oC 43oC 30oC
1 C 5
100 oC 40oC 40oC
2 C 4
S

90 oC 15oC
3 3.8

S 3.2
In general:

 Branch flow rates = degree of freedom in design

 Finding best choice = optimization problem
SUMMARY
Stream data
Above Pinch at pinch

Yes CPH≤CPC Yes Is

for Pinch NH≤NC
Matches? ?
No
No Split cold
stream

Split hot
stream
Place
matches
 Stream data
Below Pinch at pinch

Yes CPH≥CPC Yes Is

for Pinch NH≥NC
Matches? ?
No
No Split cold
stream

Split hot
stream
Place
matches
WORKING SESSION
STREAM SPLITTING
STREAM DATA

Stream Type Supply Target Heat capacity

temperature, oC temperature, oC flowarate (CP),
kW/oC
1 Hot 750 350 45
2 Hot 550 250 40
3 Cold 300 900 43
4 Cold 200 550 20
DTmin = 50oC

QHmin = 9200 kW
QCmin = 6400 kW

Design a network for maximum energy recovery

GRID DIAGRAM

Pinch
CP
45 750 oC 550 oC 350 oC
1
550 oC 250 oC
40 2

900 oC 500 oC 300 oC

43 3

550 oC 500 oC 200 oC

20 4