Abdelwahab Aroussi and Farid Benyahia (Editors), Proceedings of the 3rd International Gas

Processing Symposium, March 5 - 7 2012 , Qatar.

© 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cost reduction of the NGL plant by integrating

different heat pump systems
Zeinab Hamidzadeha,b, Sourena Sattarib, Hamidreza zanjanib
a
Iranian fuel conservation company,# 23, East Daneshvar St., North Shiraz St.,
Molasadra St., Vanak Sqr.,Tehran P.O.Box. 19395-1477, Iran.
b
Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi
Ave.,Tehran PO Box: 11365-11155, Iran.

Abstract
An NGL plant was selected to analyze several distillation assisted heat pump processes
when compared to conventional distillation. The depropanizer column which is the third
column of the NGL plant was suitable for retrofitting by heat pump systems. This
conventional process, along with top vapour recompression, bottom flashing and
absorption heat pumps, were simulated using the Aspen Plus software, in order to
determine economically the best alternative. Distillation with both top vapor
recompression and bottom flashing heat pumps allows reduction of operation (energy)
costs by 83.3% and 84%, respectively. This improves the economic potential
(incorporating capital costs) by 53% and 54%, respectively.
Keywords: distillation; heat pump; NGL plant, Energy savings, Process Simulation.

1. Introduction
Distillation is one of the most important separation methods both in chemical and
petrochemical industries. However, this process involves large energy consumption
due to the heat to be supplied to the bottom reboiler, and the heat to be removed
from the top condenser. Mix et al. [1] found that 60% of energy used by chemical
industry was for distillation. For this reason, any way of reducing this energy
consumption would provide a great benefit.
Although there are other alternatives [2], the introduction of a heat pump cycle to a
distillation column has significant potential because with this system, the energy of the
cold top stream is employed as energy supply for boiling the hot bottom stream.The
most popular heat pump systems are the mechanical and absorption heat pumps. In the
former, instead of using a separate condenser and reboiler, the top product can be
compressed to a higher pressure and used to heat the bottom product, or the bottom
product can be flashed in a valve and used to cool the top product. In absorption heat
pumps, a separate closed loop fluid system (ammonia/water or lithium bromide/water are
the most commonly employed) is used to transfer the heat up the temperature scale by
means of heat of mixing. In these systems, the salt is used as the refrigerant and water as
the absorbent.
1.1. Objective
The objective of this work is to simulate the depropanizer distillation column of the
NGL plant to compare the costs of the conventional distillation with the cost of a heat
pump distillation system. Using the column grand composite curves (CGCC) of the
depropanizer distillation column, the depropanizer column is suitable for retrofitting by
210 Z. Hamidzadeh et al.

heat pump systems. Three different configurations are considered (vapour

recompression, bottom flashing and absorption heat pump) to determine the best
alternative to the conventional distillation. All the simulations were undertaken with the
Aspen Plus model version 2006.2.
2. Aspen Plus simulation of the distillation column systems
2.1. Property method for Aspen Plus
To develop this analysis, the Peng Robinson property method was used. This equation
of state model is adequate to predict the equilibrium of hydrocarbon mixtures as in the
case of this work.
Concerning the ammonia/water system used for the absorption case, in the literature
there are several studies [3,4] of thermodynamic equilibrium of this mixture with Peng-
Robinson model. They show that the Peng Robinson property method is suitable for this
system.
2.2. Conventional column
The flow diagram of the conventional scheme is shown in Fig. 1. In an NGL plant
which is working in Iran, 1552 kmol/h of mixture of C3/C3+ is fed to the column.
The inlet stream is supplied as a saturated liquid at 22.8 bar pressure; the mole fraction
of C3 in the top product is specified as 0.97. The column has 32 real trays with a total
condensor and a kettle reboiler. The operating specifications are reflux ratio and boilup
ratio with the amount of 2.64 and 4, respectively. temperature and pressure of the main
streams of the process are shown in table 1, for the case of the conventional column.
Table 1. Conditions of the main streams of the conventional distillation process
Stream Temperature(oc) Pressure(bar)
Top product outlet stream 60.8 21.6
Bottom product outlet stream 133.3 22.6

2.3. Distillation column with top vapour recompression heat pump

The flow diagram of the top vapour recompression scheme is shown in Fig. 2. The top
column outlet stream is compressed with compressor to raise its temperature and
promoting its energy content to be more usable. When the top column pressure is 21.6
bar, the temperature is increased from 81 to 139.9 oC and also the pressure is increased
from 21.6 to 52.6 bar. The compressor polytropic efficiency was assumed to be 70%.
After the compressor, the heat exchanger allows transfer of the energy of this stream to
boil up the bottom column outlet stream. With the same top column pressure and reflux
ratio as before, the compressor outlet stream is condensed and cooled to 109.2 oC, while
the bottom column outlet stream is partially boiled.
In spite of exchanging heat, the top column outlet stream must be further cooled before
being recycled to the column. With the same top column pressure and reflux ratio as
before, the top column outlet steam is air-cooled to 70 oC. This stream is then divided in
Cost reduction of the NGL plant by integrating different heat pump systems 211

Fig. 1. Aspen Plus flow diagram for the conventional column.

Fig. 2. Aspen Plus flow diagram for the vapour recompression heat pump.

two in SPLT. One outlet stream is the final top product and the other one is recycled
back to the column. After the heat exchanger, the bottom column outlet stream is
divided in flash drum. The vapour outlet stream is recycled back to the column, and the
liquid outlet is the final bottom product stream.
Note that ‘direct’ heat exchange between the top and bottom streams is more
thermodynamically efficient than via a separate heat pump fluid. Table 2 shows stream
temperatures and pressure for the case when the top column pressure is 21.6 bar.
2.4. Distillation column with bottom flashing heat pump
The flow diagram of the bottom flashing scheme is shown in Fig. 3. The bottom column
outlet stream is expanded in VLV valve to decrease its temperature and allow heat
exchange with the top stream in the heat exchanger. When top column pressure is 21.6
bar, the temperatures and pressures of this stream is decreased from 131.5 to 29.3 oC
and the pressure
is decreased from 22.6 to 1.5 bar.
Table 2. Conditions of the main streams of the top vapour recompression heat pump case.

Stream Temperature(oc) Pressure(bar)

Top column outlet stream 81 21.6
Bottom column outlet stream 94.7 22.6
Compressor outlet stream 139.9 52.6
Top product outlet stream 69.2 21.6
Bottom product outlet stream 104.2 22.6

Heat exchanger enables boiling the bottom column outlet stream and top column outlet
stream condensation. After the heat exchanger, the bottom stream must be recompressed
to the column pressure in the compressor. Hence its temperature is increased to 166 oC,
and it must be slightly air-cooled before being recycled to the column (AC block).
212 Z. Hamidzadeh et al.

Table 3 shows stream temperatures and pressures for the case when top column pressure
is maintained at 21.6 bar.
Table 3. Conditions of the main streams of the bottom flashing heat pump case.

Stream Temperature(c) Pressure(bar)

Top column outlet stream 69.1 21.6
Bottom column outlet stream 131.4 22.6
Valve outlet stream 29.5 1.5
Top product outlet stream 67.6 21.6
Bottom product outlet stream 140 22.6

2.5. Distillation column with absorption heat pump

The flow diagram of the absorption scheme is shown in Fig. 4. An ammonia/water
refrigeration cycle is used both to boil up the bottom column outlet stream and to
condense the top column outlet stream.
The regenerator separates the ammonia and water so the top product is almost pure
ammonia, which acts as refrigerant, and the bottom product is an ammonia/water
mixture which is recycled to the absorber. The regenerator has been simulated with a
distillation column model so the duty taken out of the column condenser is used as a
heat source in COND ensuring there is sufficient temperature difference. The energy is
supplied to the regenerator as saturated steam.

3. Economic evaluation of all alternatives

3.1. Economic analysis-procedure
The economic evaluation of each system was carried out by estimating the economic
potential (EP), in terms of a combination of capital and operational costs:
EP = Cv + Cf + (ir + im).FC (1)
where Cv is the process variable costs, in this case, related to utility consumption per
year; Cf is the annual fixed costs; FC is the fixed capital investment; i r is fixed capital
recovery rate applied to FC, and im is the minimum acceptable rate of return on FC.
Cost reduction of the NGL plant by integrating different heat pump systems 213

Fig. 3. Aspen Plus flow diagram for the bottom flashing heat pump.
In this work, Cf was assumed to 10% of FC, and ir + im was assumed to be 25% of FC
[5]; hence Eq. (1) can be rewritten:
EP = Cv + (0.35).FC (2)
All of the economic data for the analysis was obtained from Seider [6] and Matches
webpage [7]. All monetary values are given in 2010 US dollars.
Operational costs were calculated by determining electrical power consumption of
the pumps, compressors and fans, and the steam required for heating. Table 4 shows the
economic potential for all systems.
3.2. Conventional distillation
By refering to the column datasheets, column height is about 93.33 ft and column
diameter is equal to 12.33 ft, from Seider equation 16.66 and by actualizing prices to
2010, the final tray cost is $381,590.
From Seider figure 16.33 and actualizing prices to 2010, the vessel cost is estimated as
$724,312. The total column bare module cost is estimated as $4,600,555.
From Aspen Plus program, the reboiler duty is equal to 36,553,878.92 kj/hr and the area
of the reboiler is equal to 2190.4 ft2. Finally, from Seider figure 16.10, the heat
exchanger price is estimated, as a function of its area, as $ 189,749.
From the reboiler duty and the heat of vaporization of steam (2148 kJ/kg), steam
consumption is 17.24 tonne/h. By considering the price of low pressure steam as 10
$/tonne, the annual steam consumption involves $ 1,510,434.
3.3. Heat pump cases
In the VRHP case, capital costs are higher than in the conventional distillation column
because of additional items, namely an expensive compressor and an air-cooler.
Nevertheless, the operation costs are lower in this heat pump case primarily because of
the reduction in steam usage as expected. The economic potential is lower in the
conventional case and the heat pump provides an annual energy saving of 83.3%.
Simple Payback Period can be calculated as additional capital costs divided by savings
per year. In VRHP case this value is 0.41 year.
214 Z. Hamidzadeh et al.

Fig. 4. Aspen Plus flow diagram for the absorption heat pump.
In the case of BFHP, an energy saving up of 84% can be achieved as well as reducing
the economic potential by 10%. In this case, the Simple Payback Period is 0.35 year.
About the AHP case although the capital costs were close to the conventional ditillation
ones, the operational costs were higher when compared to conventional case, due to the
large steam consumption. Table 5 shows the capital and operational costs of absorption
heat pump system, when compared with conventional distillation system.
Table 4. Capital ($) and operational ($/year) costs for conventional and heat pump systems

Conventional distillation VRHP BFHP

Column 4600555.502 4600555.502 4600555.502
Condensor 612646.1976 - -
Reboiler 189748.6034 - -
Compressor - 2189255.4 2028765.9
Heat Exchanger - 72482.17 67452.8
Cooler - 125870.2 106876.9
Flash - 100464 9870
Steam 1510433.865 - -
Electricity 3377505.6 815771.7 795882.8
Economic Potential 6778972.071 3296791.297 3180615.186
SPB(year) 0.41 0.35

4. Conclusion
This study describes the simulation of a conventional C3/C3+ distillation process and
then with three heat pumps systems incorporated, using the Aspen Plus computer
software. The simulations are employed to assess the economics. Potential energy
Cost reduction of the NGL plant by integrating different heat pump systems 215

savings are shown by incorporating heat pumps for distillation of mixtures. For the case
studied, with a top vapour recompression heat pump, the capital costs are almost the
same as in the conventional distillation process, but the energy costs can be reduced by
about 83.3%. This involves an economic potential reduction of 53% and a Simple
Payback Period of 0.41year. With a bottom flashing heat pump, the capital costs are
very close to the conventional distillation ones, but energy costs are reduced by 84%. In
this case, the economic potential is reduced by 54% and the Simple Payback Period is
0.35year.
An absorption heat pump is not suitable for this system.
Table 5. shows the results of the economic analysis of this system.
Capital ($) and operational ($/year) costs for the absorption system, when compared with
conventional distillation systems
Capital costs Operational costs Economic potential
Conventional dist. 5402950.303 4887939.465 6778972.071
AHP 5653476.201 5107648.954 7086365.624

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