Overall Process Integration

Reference: Chapter 8, Conceptual Design of Chemical Process

Chapter 6,7,8,12,13,14,15,16, Chemical Process Design, R.Smith
Chapter 10,12,18,Systematic Methods of Chemical Process Design
 Integrating an Exothermic Reactor
(a) QHmin - QREACT (b) QHmin
T* T*

QREACT
Exothermic
Reactor

PINCH PINCH

QREACT
Exothermic
Reactor

QCmin Qcmin + QREACT

Which one is an appropriate placement?

Figure 13.3,”Chemical Process Design”
 Integrating an Endothermic Reactor
(a) QHmin + QREACT (b) QHmin
T* T*

QREACT
Endothermic
Rector

PINCH PINCH

QREACT
Endothermic
Reactor

QCmin Qcmin - QREACT

Which one is an appropriate placement?

Figure 13.4,”Chemical Process Design”
 Integrating a Distillation Column
QHmin + QREB - QCOND
T* QREB
QHmin + QREB QHmin
T* T*
QCOND
QREB

Distillation
Column QREB

QCOND
QCmin
QCOND
QCmin + QCOND (b)
QCmin + QCOND - QREB

(a) (c)
Which one is an appropriate placement?
 Inappropriate Placing a Column

T* T*

Reboiler
Reboiler Distillation
Column
Distillation
Column Condenser

Condenser

H H
(a) (b)
By increasing Pressure
 Appropriated Placing a Column

T* T*

Distillation
Column

Distillation
Column

H H
(a) (b)
 How can we improve?

T*

Reboiler

Distillation
Column

Condenser

If large pressure shifted is not allowed

 Double-effect Distillation
T*

Low
C1
Pressure

C2

C2 High C1
Pressure

H
If moving up or down are not suitable!
T*

Reboiler

Condenser

H
 Distillation Column with Intermediate Condenser

T*

C Intermediate Reboiler
Condenser
A+B

Intermediate
B Condenser
Condenser

R
H
 What can we do?

T* T*

Reboiler

Condenser

H H

If the pressure of this column cannot be changed

 Answer: We should try to use a heat pump
(ie. Vapor Recompression)

T*

FEED
W
DISTILLATE
Compressor
Reboiler

Condenser
Liquid

Vapor

BOTTOMS H
 * Evolving Evaporator Design to Improve Heat Integration
CW
T* Steam

Feed
Steam

CW
Concentrate H
(a) Single effect evaporator

Steam
T*

1 1
2
3 2
3
CW
Feed H

Concentrate
(b) Multiple effects evaporator
 Placing Evaporators into a Process
by Adjusting their pressures

T* T* Increasing Pressure

H H
Evaporators are not
appropriate placed
 Other Alternative Placements

(a) Increase the (b) Three Stages above (a) Or, changing heat
number of effects and three stages below flow.
the Pinch
T* T* T*

H H H
Case Studies
(After Process Modifications)
 A Case Study
ACETONE FEED VAPORISER
FEED
ACETIC
(LIQUID)
ACID FEED

Reactor
ACETONE
RECYCLE Section ACETICANHYDRID
RECOVERY
(COLUMN 1) E RECOVERY
(COLUMN 2)

(a) PART OF THE FLOWSHEET

T FV - Feed Vaporiser
C1 - Condenser Column 1
R1 - Reboiler Column 1
C2 - Condenser Column 2
R2 - Reboiler Column 2
PINCH
R1 R2
C2 FV
C1

H
(b) COMPOSITE CURVES

What would you suggest?

Ref: Chemical Process Design p352
 Answer could be...
ACETONE
FEED
ACETIC
(LIQUID)
ACID FEED

Reactor
ACETONE
RECYCLE Section ANHYDRIDE
RECOVERY
(COLUMN 1) RECOVERY
(COLUMN 2)

T FV - Feed Vaporiser
C1 - Condenser Column 1
R1 - Reboiler Column 1
C2 - Condenser Column 2
R2 - Reboiler Column 2
C2 PINCH

R1 R2
C1 FV

Increase column 2’s pressure so that heat from C2’s condenser can be used for feed
vaporization. BUT, can we do better?
 Answer 2: Process Modification

C2
R1 R2
C1
FV

H
PROCESS MODIFICATION

VAPOR
T ACETIC
ACID FEED

ACETONE Reactor
FEED Section
RECYCLE ANHYDRIDE
(LIQUID)
RECOVERY
R2 (COLUMN 2)
C2 R1
C1

COMPOSITE
CURVES MODIFIED FLOWSHEET
 Answer 3: Process Modification + Column Pressure Change
T

R2
C2 R1
C1

PROCESS MODIFICATION

VAPOR
T
Process Process

ACETONE Reactor
FEED Section
RECYCLE ANHYDRIDE
(LIQUID)
RECOVERY
C2 R2 (COLUMN 2)
C1
R1

MODIFIED FLOWSHEET
 A Case Study
CONDENSER

EFFLUENT EFFLUENT EVAPORATION

LOW CONC. CONCENTRATE

FEED

LOW
PRESSURE
FLASH STEAM (LP)
DRUM

LP
LP

AIR AIR
HIGH CONC. DRIER 1 DRIER 2 PRODUCT TO
FEED PELLETIZER
CONDENSATE CONDENSATE
CENTRIFUGE
A plant for the production of animal feed
Smith and Linnhoff, Trans. IChemE, ChERD, 66: 195, 1988; Smith, R., P360, Chemical Process Design
Process Grand Composite Curve

LP(level)

T*
Evaporators
Condensers

Dryers

CW
(Level)
H

What is Wrong in the existing design?

Answer: Current Operation
Heating below the Pinch
LP
LP

T*
Evaporators
Condensers

Dryers

CW
H

How to Correct?
 Current Operation

LP

T*
Evaporators
Condensers

Dryers

CW
H
 Modify 1: Heat Integration
CONDENSER

EFFLUENT EFFLUENT EVAPORATION

LOW CONC. CONCENTRATE

FEED

LOW
PRESSURE
FLASH STEAM (LP)
DRUM

AIR AIR
HIGH CONC. DRIER 1 DRIER 2 PRODUCT TO
FEED PELLETIZER
CONDENSATE CONDENSATE
CENTRIFUGE

Integrating the evaporators with the dryers

Integrating with a Heat Pump

LP
T*
Evaporators
Condensers

HEAT
PUMP
Dryers

H
Modify 2: Integrating with a Heat Pump
COMPRESSOR
EFFLUENT EFFLUENT EVAPORATION

LOW CONC.
FEED

CONCENTRATE

FLASH
DRUM

LOW PRESSURE STEAM LOW PRESSURE STEAM

AIR AIR
HIGH CONC. DRIER 1 DRIER 2 PRODUCT TO
FEED PELLETIZER
CONDENSATE CONDENSATE
CENTRIFUGE
Heat Integration + Heat Pump

LP
T*

HEAT
PUMP

Reduce Energy Requirement for the Heat Pump

Modify 3: Heat Integration with a Heat Pump

EFFLUENT EFFLUENT EVAPORATION

LOW CONC.
FEED

LP
FLASH
DRUM
CONCENTRATE

AIR AIR
HIGH CONC. DRIER 1 DRIER 2 PRODUCT TO
FEED PELLETIZER
CONDENSATE CONDENSATE
CENTRIFUGE

Integrating the evaporators with the dryers