HEN Design for

Maximum Energy Recovery

ENGM071 - Process and Energy Integration
 Key steps of Pinch Technology
There are four key steps of pinch analysis in the design of
heat recovery systems for both new and existing processes:

1. Data Extraction from a PFD, which involves collecting

✓ data for the process and the utility system

2. Targeting, which establishes targets for design in terms

✓ of energy, number of units, area, etc. for best
performance

3. Design, where an initial Heat Exchanger Network is

established

4. Optimization, where the initial design is simplified and

Will be considered later
improved economically
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Outline
• Heat Exchanger Network (HEN) Representation
• The Grid Diagram – an Introduction
• Using the Grid Diagram
• The Pinch Design Principle
• Essential Matches, Pinch Design Rules, CP Tables
• Completing the Design
• Summary

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What to do with multiple streams?
T
55

TPA

6 Feed
Residue
1 LP steam
MPA HGO BPA
KERO
6 MPA
LGO TPA
1 LP steam KERO
BPA
LGO Overheads
6

1 LP steam

HGO DH
7 • Many different ways of coupling the
6 hot and cold streams
• Is there an optimal way of exchanging
Residue heat?
4
Heat Exchanger Network Representation

5
Conventional Process Flowsheet

Simple questions:
1. Where is the Pinch?
2. What is the degree
of heat recovery?
3. How much utilities
are used?

It is not easy to find

answers in a flowsheet!

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HEN representations
A little better:
• Only heat transfer operations
• Simple representation
− Cold streams horizontal
− Hot streams vertical
BUT
• The Pinch is possible to mark
but still difficult to see
• Problem with sequencing
heat exchangers
• Temperature representation
unclear 7
HEN representations
Swapping the positions of E3 and E4

H H

1 E1 E2 C 1 E1 E2 C

2 E3 E4 2 E4 E3

3 4 3 4

Streams are intertwined again!

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The Grid Diagram
A typical Grid Diagram
HOT 1

HOT 2 C

COLD 1

COLD 2

• The diagram is much clearer

• Only heat transfer operations
Advantages:
• The temperature decreases from left to right: intuitive
• (Re-)Sequencing heat exchangers is easy
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The Grid Diagram: a variation
Utilities can also be represented as Hot/Cold streams

MP Steam

HOT 1

HOT 2 C

COLD 1

COLD 2

CW

Alternatively, cold utilities can appear at the top and hot utilities at the bottom
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Constructing a Grid Diagram
• Hot streams run left to right

• Cold streams run right to left

• Hot streams on top, cold streams at bottom

• Hot utility(ies) can be added at the top/bottom

• Cold utility(ies) can be added at the bottom/top

• Heat exchangers are ‘connections’ between streams

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Showing the Pinch

HOT 1

HOT 2 C

COLD 1

COLD 2

PINCH

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 Pinch Implications
Allowed Not allowed

Implications of pinch violations on heat transfer are easily identified

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 Moving Heat Exchangers
Conventional HEN flowsheet The Grid Diagram

1 E1 E2 C

2 E3 E4

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Rules for HEN Design
Rules so far:

• No heat exchanger has a temperature difference < Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛

• No process-to-process heat transfer across the pinch

• No inappropriate use of utilities

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HEN Design Procedure

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 A four-stream heat recovery problem
Stream data

Supply temp. Target temp.

Stream Type Δ𝐻/kW CP / (kW/°C)
𝑇𝑆 /°C 𝑇𝑇 /°C

Reactor 1 Feed Cold 20 180 3200 20

Reactor 1 Product Hot 250 40 -3150 15

Reactor 2 Feed Cold 140 230 2700 30

Reactor 2 Product Hot 200 80 -3000 25

Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 10°C

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A four-stream heat recovery problem
The Grid Diagram
CP
kW/°C
250° 40°
2 15

200° 80°
4 25

180° 20°
1 20

230° 140°
3 30

𝑄𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 750 kW 𝑄𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 1000 kW

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Hot and Cold Composite Curves
Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 10°C
280

240

200
Pinch
Temperature (°C)

160

120 Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 10°C

80

40
𝑄𝑟𝑒𝑐 = 5150 kW
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000
Heat Flow (kW)
𝑄𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 1000 kW 𝑄𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 750 kW

𝑇C,pinch = 140°C 𝑇H,pinch = 150°C

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A four-stream heat recovery problem
The Grid Diagram
CP
kW/°C
250° 40°
2 15

200° 80°
4 25

180° 20°
1 20

230° 140°
3 30

𝑄𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 750 kW 𝑄𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 1000 kW

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Divide at the Pinch
The Grid Diagram
CP
PINCH
kW/°C
250° 150° 40°
2 15

200° 150° 80°

4 25

180° 140° 20°

1 20

230° 140°
3 30

𝑄𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 750 kW 𝑄𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 1000 kW

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Pinch Design Principle
𝑇

PINCH

Start at the Pinch and Move Away (!)

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 Design Above the Pinch
If at the pinch CPH > CPC …

PINCH 𝑇 PINCH
CP
kW/°C 4
250° 150°
2 15

Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛
200° 150°
4 25
1
HEAT EXCHANGER MATCH
180° 140°
1 20 𝐻

230° 140° Temperature difference < Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛

3 30
INFEASIBLE!

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 Design Above the Pinch (contd.)
However, if at the pinch CPH ≤ CPC …

PINCH 𝑇 PINCH
CP
kW/°C 4
250° 150°
2 15

Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛
200° 150°
4 25
3
HEAT EXCHANGER MATCH
180° 140°
1 20 𝐻

230° 140° The match is now

3 30
FEASIBLE

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Design Below the Pinch
If at the pinch CPH < CPC …

PINCH 𝑇 PINCH
CP
kW/°C 2
150° 40° Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛
2 15 1

150° 80°
4 25

140° 20°
1 20 𝐻

The match is
INFEASIBLE!

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Design Below the Pinch (contd.)
However, if at the pinch CPH ≥ CPC …

PINCH 𝑇 PINCH
CP
kW/°C 4
150° 40° Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛
2 15 1

150° 80°
4 25

140° 20°
1 20

The match is now

FEASIBLE

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 CP Tables. Essential matches at Pinch
A) Above the Pinch B) Below the Pinch

CPH ≤ CPC CPs in CPH ≥ CPC

4 25 30 3
descending 4 25 20 1
order 2 15
2 15 20 1

CP CP
PINCH PINCH
kW/°C kW/°C
250° 150° 150° 40°
15 2 2 15

200° 150° 150° 80°

25 4 4 25

180° 140° 140° 20°

20 1 1 20

230° 140°
30 3 27
Sizing the Matches
CP
PINCH
kW/°C
250° 150°
15 2

200° 150°
25 4

180° 140°
20 1

230° ? 140°
30 3

?
Having identified feasible matches,
how big should we make them?
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Tick-off Heuristic (Above the Pinch)
CP 𝑄𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀
PINCH
kW/°C kW
250° 203.3° 150°
15 2 1500 700

25 4
200° ✓ 150°
1250 0

20
180° ✓ 140°
1 800 0
800 kW
230° 181.7° 140°
30 3 2700 1450

1250 kW

1. Maximise loads to "tick off" streams starting from the pinch and
moving away (keeps capital costs down)
2. Update temperatures of unsatisfied streams
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Fill in the Rest
CP Place non-essential matches 𝑄𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀
PINCH
kW/°C kW
15 2
250° ✓ 203.3° 150°
1500 700 0

25 4
200° ✓ 150°
1250 0

20
180° ✓ 140°
1 800 0
800 kW
30
✓ 230°
H
205° 181.7° 140°
3 2700 1450 750 0

750 kW 700 kW 1250 kW

3. Maximise amount of heat exchanged in each new heat exchanger

(HEX) while ensuring feasible heat transfer (Δ𝑇 ≥ Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛 )
4. When process-to-process heat transfer is no longer possible, place
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utilities
Below the Pinch
CPH ≥ CPC
4 25 20 1
2 15 CP 𝑄𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀
PINCH
kW/°C kW

2
150° 106.7°
C
✓ 40°
15 1650 1000 0

1000 kW
4
150° ✓ 80°
25 1750 0

140° 52.5° ✓ 20°

1 20 2400 650 0

1750 kW 650 kW
1. Maximise loads to "tick off" streams starting from the pinch and
moving away (keeps capital costs down)
2. Update temperatures of unsatisfied streams
3. Process-to-process heat transfer is no longer possible, place utilities
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Below the Pinch
CPH ≥ CPC Note: this match violates CP rules!

CP 𝑄𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀
PINCH
kW/°C kW

2
150° 106.7°
C
✓ 40°
15 1650

1000 kW
4
150° ✓ 80°
25 1750

140° 52.5° ✓ 20°

1 20 2400

1750 kW 650 kW

But it is away from the pinch and is feasible

Must check the temperature driving forces against Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛 though!
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Completed design
PINCH

250° 203.3° 150° 106.7° 40°

2 C
1000 kW
200° 150° 80°
4

180° 140° 52.5° 20°

1
800 kW 1750 kW 650 kW
230° 205° 181.7° 140°
H 3
750 kW 700 kW 1250 kW

Check the energy consumption against the energy targets!

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Summary
Pinch Design Method:
• The Grid Diagram: an efficient and intuitive HEN representation
• Divide at the pinch
• Start at the pinch and move away
• CP table identify essential matches. CP rules:
− Above pinch CPH ≤ CPC
− Below pinch CPH ≥ CPC
• Use the “tick-off” heuristic to maximise loads
• Then fill in the rest while respecting thermodynamics and Δ𝑇𝑚𝑖𝑛

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