PART 1

PINCH AND MINIMUM

UTILITY USAGE
 TEMPERATURE-ENTHALPY
(T-H) DIAGRAMS
• Assume one heat exchanger. These are
T
alternative representations
H,in

TC,in TC,out T TH,in

Q
TC,out
TH, out
TH, out Slopes are the
TH,in TH, out TC,in inverse of F*Cp.
(Recall that Q=F Cp ΔT)

TC,out TC,in ΔH
Q
Q
 T-H DIAGRAMS
• Assume one heat exchanger and a heater
TH,in

TC,in TC,out T TH,in

Q QH
TC,out

TH, out
TH, out
TH,in TH, out TC,in

TC,out ΔH
TC,in
H Q QH
QH Q
 T-H DIAGRAMS
• Assume one heat exchanger and a cooler
TH,in

TC,in TC,out
Q
T TH,in

TC,out
QC
TH, out TH, out
TH,in TH, out TC,in
C
QC
TC,out ΔH
TC,in QC Q

Q
 T-H DIAGRAMS
• Two hot-one cold stream
TH1,in TH2,in

T TH2,in
TC,in TC,out
Q1 Q2 TH1,in
TC,out
TH2,out TH2,out TH2,out

TH1,in TH1,out TH1,out

TH2,in TH2, out TC,in

TC,out ΔH
TC,in
Q1 Q2
Q2 Q1
Notice the vertical arrangement of heat transfer
 Streams under phase change

Phase
T change
T

Slope
change

Liquid We say this stream

has “variable Cp”

ΔH ΔH
Single component Multicomponent
 Piece-wise linear representation

T T

ΔH ΔH
 Composite Curves
(T-H DIAGRAMS)
Obtained by lumping all the heat from different streams that are
at the same interval of temperature.

T T

ΔH ΔH
Remark: By constructing the composite curve we loose information on
the vertical arrangement of heat transfer between streams
 Composite Curves
(T-H DIAGRAMS)
• Moving composite curves horizontally
T T

Cooling

Heating

ΔH ΔH
Smallest ΔT Smallest ΔT
TH1,in TH2,in
TH1,in TH2,in TC,in
TC,in Q1 Q2 QH TC,out
Q1 Q2
TC,out TH2,out
QC
TH1,out TH2,out TH1,out
 Composite Curves
(T-H DIAGRAMS)
T Moving the cold composite
stream to the right
Cooling
• Increases heating and cooling BY
EXACTLY THE SAME
AMOUNT
Heating
• Increases the smallest ΔT
• Decreases the area needed
Smallest ΔH A=Q/(U* ΔT )
ΔT TH1,in TH2,in
TC,in Notice that for this simple
Q1 Q2 QH TC,out
example the smallest ΔT
takes place in the end of the
QC TH2,out
cold stream
TH1,out
 Composite Curves
(T-H DIAGRAMS)

T • In general, the smallest ΔT

Cooling can take place anywhere.
Heating
• We call the temperature at
which this takes place THE
PINCH.
ΔH
 Composite Curves
(T-H DIAGRAMS)
• From the energy point
T
of view it is then
convenient to move the
Cooling cold stream to the left.
• However, the area may
become too large.
Heating
• To limit the area, we
ΔH introduce a minimum
approach ΔTmin

ΔTmin is also known as HRAT (Heat Recovery Approximation Temperature)

 GRAPHICAL PROCEDURE
• Fix ΔTmin (HRAT)
• Draw the hot composite curve and leave it fixed
• Draw the cold composite curve in such a way that
the smallest temperature difference is equal to ΔTmin
• The temperature at which ΔT=ΔTmin is the PINCH
• The non-overlap on the right is the Minimum
Heating Utility and the non-overlap on the left is the
Minimum Cooling Utility
 EXAMPLE
ΔH=27 MW ΔH=-30 MW

REACTOR 2
T=140 0C T=230 0C T=80 0C
T=200 0C

ΔH=32 MW ΔH=-31.5 MW

REACTOR 1
T=20 0C T=40 0C
T=180 0C T=250 0C

Stream Type Supply T Target T ΔH F*Cp

(oC) (oC) (MW) (MW oC-1)
Reactor 1 feed Cold 20 180 32.0 0.2
Reactor 1 product Hot 250 40 -31.5 0.15
Reactor 2 feed Cold 140 230 27.0 0.3
Reactor 2 product Hot 200 80 -30.0 0.25

ΔTmin=10 oC
 Hot Composite Curve

250 250
200 200
FCp=0.15

80 80
40 40 FCp=0.15

31.5 30 ΔH 6 48 7.5 ΔH
 Cold Composite Curve

230 230

180 180
140 140

20 20
ΔH ΔH
32 27 24 20 15
 Pinch Diagram
250
230
200
180
Pinch ΔT= ΔTmin
140
The pinch is defined either as
- The cold temperature (140 o) 80
- The corresponding hot
temp (140 o+ΔTmin=150 o) 40
- The average (145 o) 20
ΔH
10 51.5 7.5

Observation: The pinch is at the beginning of a cold stream or at the

beginning of a hot stream
 UTILITY COST vs. ΔTmin

COST

ΔH
Utility
TOTAL OVERLAP

ΔTmin ΔH

PARTIAL OVERLAP

Note: There is a particular overlap that requires only cooling utility

 Special Overlap Cases
• Overlap leads only to cooling utility
T

ΔH

• Different instances where the cold stream overlaps totally the

hot stream. Case where only heating utility
T T T

ΔH ΔH ΔH

TOTAL PARTIAL
OVERLAP We prefer this arrangement OVERLAP
even if ΔT>ΔTmin
 SUMMARY
• The pinch point is a temperature.
• Typically, it divides the temperature range
into two regions.
• Heating utility can be used only above the
pinch and cooling utility only below it.
 PROBLEM TABLE
Composite curves are inconvenient. Thus
a method based on tables was developed.

• STEPS:
1. Divide the temperature range into intervals and
shift the cold temperature scale
2. Make a heat balance in each interval
3. Cascade the heat surplus/deficit through the
intervals.
4. Add heat so that no deficit is cascaded
 PROBLEM TABLE
• We now explain each step in detail using
our example

Stream Type Supply T Target T ΔH F*Cp

(oC) (oC) (MW) (MW oC-1)
Reactor 1 feed Cold 20 180 32.0 0.2
Reactor 1 product Hot 250 40 -31.5 0.15
Reactor 2 feed Cold 140 230 27.0 0.3
Reactor 2 product Hot 200 80 -30.0 0.25

ΔTmin=10 oC
 PROBLEM TABLE
1. Divide the temperature range into intervals and shift the
cold temperature scale
250 250
240
230

200 200
190
180

150
140

80 80

40 40
30
20

Hot Cold Hot Cold

streams streams streams streams

Now one can make heat balances in each interval. Heat transfer within each interval is feasible.
 PROBLEM TABLE
2. Make a heat balance in each interval.

ΔTinterval ΔHinterval Surplus/Deficit

F Cp=0.15
250
240 10 1.5 Surplus
F Cp=0.25
200 40 - 6.0 Deficit
190
10 1.0 Surplus
150
F Cp=0.3 40 -4.0 Deficit

70 14.0 Surplus
80
40 -2.0 Deficit
F Cp=0.2
40 10 - 2.0 Deficit
30

Hot Cold
streams streams
 PROBLEM TABLE
3. Cascade the heat surplus through the intervals. That is,
we transfer to the intervals below every surplus/deficit.
250
1.5 1.5
240 This interval has a 1.5 The largest deficit
- 6.0
surplus. It should transferred is -7.5.
- 6.0
200
transfer 1.5 to
interval 2. -4.5 Thus, 7.5 MW of
1.0 1.0 heat need to be
190 This interval has a added on top to
-3.5
deficit. After using prevent any deficit
-4.0 -4.0
the 1.5 cascaded it to be transferred to
150
transfers –4.5 to -7.5 lower intervals
14.0 interval 3. 14.0
80
6.5
- 2.0 -2.0
40
4.5
-2.0 - 2.0
30
2.5
 PROBLEM TABLE
4. Add heat so that no deficit is cascaded.
7.5
250 250
1.5 1.5 This is the
240
1.5
240 9.0 minimum heating
- 6.0 - 6.0 utility
200 200 3.0
-4.5

1.0 1.0 This is the

190
-3.5
190 4.0 position of the
-4.0
pinch
-4.0
150 150
-7.5 0.0

14.0 14.0
80 80
This is the
14.0
6.5 minimum cooling
-2.0 -2.0 utility
40 40
4.5 12.0

-2.0 -2.0
30 30
2.5 10.0
 PROBLEM TABLE
If the heating utility is increased beyond 7.5 MW the cooling utility will
increase by the same amount
7.5 7.5 + λ
250
1.5 1.5 Heating utility is
240 9.0 9.0 + λ larger than the
- 6.0 - 6.0 minimum
200 3.0 3. 0 + λ
1.0 1.0 Heat is
190 4.0 4. 0 + λ
transferred
-4.0 across the pinch
-4.0
150 0.0 0. 0 + λ
14.0 14.0
80
Cooling utility is
14.0 14. 0 + λ larger by the
-2.0 -2.0 same amount
40 12.0 12. 0 + λ
-2.0 -2.0
30
10.0 10. 0 + λ
 IMPORTANT CONCLUSION
7.5 + λ

DO NOT TRANSFER 1.5 Heating utility is

HEAT ACROSS THE 9.0 + λ
larger than the
minimum
PINCH - 6.0

3. 0 + λ
THIS IS A GOLDEN RULE OF PINCH 1.0 Heat is
TECHNOLOGY. transferred
4. 0 + λ
•WHEN THIS HAPPENS IN BADLY -4.0
across the pinch
INTEGRATED PLANTS THERE ARE
0. 0 + λ
HEAT EXCHANGERS WHERE SUCH
TRANSFER ACROSS THE PINCH 14.0
Cooling utility is
TAKES PLACE 14. 0 + λ larger by the same
-2.0 amount
12. 0 + λ

-2.0

10. 0 + λ
 Multiple Utilities
Heating utility at
0.0 the largest
7.5
temperature is
1.5
1.5 now zero.
1.5 + 4.5
9.0
- 6.0
- 6.0
0.0
3.0

1.0
1.0 These are the
1.0 + 3.0 minimum values
4.0
-4.0
of heating utility
-4.0
needed at each
0.0
0.0 temperature
14.0
14.0 level.
14.0
14.0
-2.0
-2.0
12.0
12.0
-2.0
-2.0
10.0
10.0