composite curves and process pinch

Most of the heat exchanger network (HEN) have more than one stream in each category ie hot and
cold. For such applications it is required to combine the temperature characteristics of all hot
streams into a single hot composite curve and cold streams to cold composite curve. When both
the curves are plotted in a temperature-enthalpy rate difference diagram, the process pinch can be
identified as the location with minimum temperature difference between the two curves.

Example: Let us take a system with two hot and two cold streams with the following data
stream T-in (K) T-out (K) mCp rate (kW/K)
1 hot 400 310 2.0
2 cold 300 390 1.8
3 cold 330 370 4.0
4 hot 450 350 1.0

draw the hot and cold composite curves.

Model

1 All heat transfers are completed in a counterflow heat exchanger

2 The enthalpy of each stream depends only on temperature
3 All changes of KE and PE are negligible
4 Heat transfer to surrounding is negligible
5 Average sp. heat of each stream is constant.

Analysis:

Figure shows the heating and cooling

process for each stream on a temperature-
enthalpy rate difference chart. It shows
the three temperature intervals to be
considered in drawing the curve.

For hot stream 1 and 4 the temperature

difference is 450-400=50 at the inlet.
only stream 4 exists in this interval.
The enthalpy rate difference at this interval is
mCp(delT)inlet=1.0x50=50kW.

The second T interval is T1 inlet - T4 exit = 400-350=50. Here since both streams at 1 and 4 exist
in this interval, the corresponding enthalpy rate difference is
(mCp1+mCp4) delT = (2.0+1.0)x50 = 150kW.

Similarly the 3rd T interval is T4 exit - T1 exit = 350-310 = 40K and the enthalpy rate difference is
2x40 = 80kW as stream 1 exists in this interval.
The composite curves

These data are used to draw the hot composite curve and it covers the range of T from 310K to
450K. The total heat transfer rate available from the 2 hot streams is 280 kW.

The cold composite curve is drawn from the streams 2 and 3 with the T intervals T3i-T2i = 30K and
T3e-T3i = 40K and T2e-T3e = 20K. The respective enthalpy rate differences are 1.8x30 =54 kW,
(1.8+4.0)40 = 232 kW and 1.8x20 = 36 kW.

Note: in the second interval both streams 2 and 3 exist. The curve covers the temperature range
between 300 K and 390 K. The total heat transfer rate required for heating the cold stream is 322
kW.

The procedure can be formulated as

where delH denotes the enthalpy change for the hot or cold compost curve and the subscript j
refers to all hot or cold streams that exist in the given T interval.

In the figure the hot and cold compost curves can be shifted horizontally in the diagram until a
specified min delT between the two curves is obtained. In the example the min delT is 10K which is
shown in the figure. The pinch occurs at a T of 330 K for the cold combust curve and 340 K for the
hot curve. These are denoted as
The seven delH in the figure are used to estimate the total heat transfer surface area required for
this HEN.

Conclusion:
i. The min hot utility load (Qhu,min) is determined graphically as the horizontal distance between
the high T ends of the composite curves.
i. The min cold utility load (Q cumin) is calculated as the horizontal distance between the low
T ends of the curves. At delT min = 10K, Q hu,min =48 kW as red from the curve and Q
cumin = 6 kW.
ii. These values represent the thermodynamic optimum for this system.
iii. If the hot utility supplies more energy than 48 kW, Q hu=48 + Qe, where Qe denotes the
excess heat transfer without use and is finally rejected in the cold utility, ie Qcu=6+Qe.
iv. Thus an increase in the min heating load Q human shifts the cold compost curve to the
right and results in an equal increase in the cooling load.
v. The smaller the delT, the smaller the requirements from the hot and cold utilities.
vi. For a special case, the pinch is determined by the inlet T of the cold stream 3 (330K) and
the heat capacity rates. If it is possible to change the pinch position by modifying the
parameters, the overall energetic integration of the hot and cold streams may be improved
by further reducing the required utility for the same value of delT min.