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Applying the Heat Integration in Order to Environmental Pollutants Minimization in Distillation Columns

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Applying the Heat Integration in Order to Environmental Pollutants Minimization in Distillation Columns Iran. J. Environ. Health. Sci. Eng., 2006, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 273-284 APPLYING THE HEAT INTEGRATION IN ORDER TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS MINIMIZATION IN DISTILLATION COLUMNS *1A. H. Javid, 2A. Emamzadeh, 3A. A. Hamidi, 1A. Arjmandzadeh 1Graduate School of Environment and Energy, The Science and Research Campus, Islamic Azad University 2Faculty of Management and Graduate School, Oil Industry University, Tehran 3Faculty of Engineering, Tehran University Received 1 July 2006; revised 10 August 2006; accepted 26 September 2006 ABSTRACT Due to the close relationship between the energy and environmental problems, recovering technology and optimizing energy consumption have a major role in environment protection by minimization the atmospheric pollutants such as SOX, COX, NOX. This minimization may decrease the greenhouse effect, and the ozone layer destruction. On the other hand, optimization of Energy consumption and its recovering may minimize the water and hot oil consumption at the heat exchangers (reboilers and condensers) in petroleum distillation columns, specially. The present research has been performed about the kerosene pre-fractionation unit of one of the country's oil refineries. This system includes two distillation columns with a simple arrangement. Considering that the distillation section consumes a great deal of energy in the chemical and petroleum industries, hence studying the ways in which we may decrease this consumption is of great importance. One of these retrofit solutions is the heat integration, which is going to be presented in this research with a different idea from the other previous methods. This method makes it possible to add a shell and tube heat exchanger for performing a part of condensation and evaporation operation which can decrease the heat duties of reboilers and one of the condensers. To this end , the distillation columns were studied in the process and then the proposed model of columns arrangement were simulated by heat integration with all input and output streams using the Aspen Plus software, version 11.1 and the Rad Frac model in this software. The result has showed itself as a save of 14.26%, 10.86% and 14.26% in energy, water and hot oil consumption, respectively. On the other hand this system will decrease emission of SO2 and CO2 to atmosphere, 28 kg/h and 837 kg/h, respectively. Key words: Heat integration, distillation columns, refinery, water, energy INTRODUCTION Pinch technology indicates the possibility of heat networks. Today, it has for wider scope and recovery in the process in a way that, through this touches every area of process design (Smith, method, heat exchange of hot streams that should 2005). The dominant heating and cooling duties become cold and cold streams that should become associated with a distillation column are the hot are possible. The pinch design method and heat reboiler and condenser duties. In general, how integration technology developed earlier followed ever, There will be other duties associated with several rules and guidelines to allow design for heating and cooling of feed and product streams. minimum utility (or maximum energy recovery) in These sensible heat duties usually will be small in the minimum number of units. Occasionally, it comparison with the latent heat changes in appears not to be possible to create the appropriate reboilers and condensers. There are two possible matches because one or other of the design criteria ways in which the column can be heat integrated cannot be satisfied. Heat integration is more than with the rest of the process. The reboilers and just pinch technology and heat exchanger condensers can be integrated either across, or not *Corresponding author-Email: [email protected] across the heat recovery pinch (Linnhoff, et al., Tel: +98 21 4480 4160, Fax: +98 21 4480 4165 1983; Umeda, et al.,1979). 273 A.Iran. H. J.Javid, Environ. et al., Health. APPLYING Sci. Eng., THE 2006,HEAT Vol.INTEGRATION 3, No. 4, pp. IN... 273-284 If both the reboiler and condenser are integrated consumption, and to protect the national energy with the process, this can make the column difficult resources, the energy recovery by the new to start up and control. However, when the methods and scientific manners should be integration is considered more closely, it becomes considered. In fact performance of energy clear that both the reboiler and condenser do not recovery projects and optimizing consumption need to be integrated. Above the pinch the reboiler methods, prevent energy losses and will also save can be serviced directly from the hot utility with the environmental resources. Overall strategy for the condenser integrated above the pinch. Below chemical and petroleum processes design and heat the pinch, the condenser can be serviced directly integration can describe these processes that by cold utility with the reboiler integrated below should be designed as part of a sustainable industrial the pinch. The reboiler and condensers duties are activity that retains the capacity of ecosystems to on opposite sides of the heat recovery pinch and support both industrial activity and life into the the column does not fit (Umeda et al.,1979). future. Sustainable industrial activity must meet Although the reboiler and condenser duties are the needs of the present without compromising both above the pinch the heat duties prevent a fit the needs of future generations. For chemical and part of the duties can be accommodated, and if petroleum processes design, this means that heat integrated that would be a saving, but less processes should use raw materials as efficiently than the full reboiler and condenser duties. If an as is economic and practicable, both to prevent inappropriately placed distillation column is shifted the production of waste that can be above the heat recovery pinch by changing its environmentally harmful and to preserve the pressure, The condensing stream, which is a hot reserves of raw materials as much as possible. stream is shifted from below to above the pinch. Processes should use as little energy as economic The reboiling stream which is a cold stream, stays and practicable, both to prevent the buildup of above the Pinch if the inappropriately placed carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the distillation column is shifted below the pinch. atmosphere from burning fossil fuels and to Then the reboiling stream, which is a cold stream preserve reserves of fossil fuels. Water must also is shifted from above to below the pinch. The be consumed is sustainable quantities that do not condensing stream stays below the pinch, thus cause deterioration in the quality of the water appropriate placement is a particular case of source and the long-term quantity of reserves. shifting streams across the pinch. If a distillation Aqueous and atmospheric emissions must not be column is inappropriately placed across, the pinch, environmentally harmful, and solid waste to landfill it may be possible to change its pressure to achieve must be avoided. The major emissions from the appropriate placement (Smith and Linnhoff, 1998). combustion of fuel are CO2, SOx, NOx and If the distillation column will not fit either above or particulates. The products of combustion are best below the pinch , then other design options can be minimized by making the process efficient in its considered one possibility is double-effect use of energy through efficient heat recovery and distillation (Smith and Linnhoff,1988). Another avoiding unnecessary thermal oxidation of waste design options that can be considered if a column through minimization of process waste. Flue gas will not fit is the use of an intermediate condenser, emissions can be minimized at source by increased because the intermediate condenser changes the energy efficiency at the point of use (better heat heat flow through the column with some of the integration) (Smith, 2005). In the chemical and heat being rejected at a higher temperature in the petroleum processes, there are cold and hot intermediate condenser. For intermediate reboilers, streams beside the distillation columns which part of the reboiler heat is supplied at an makes it possible to heat exchanging between intermediate point in the column at a temperature these streams. Therefore this research aims at lower than the reboiler temperature (Dhole and finding a way to heat exchanging between these Linnhoff, 1993; Flower and Jackson,1964; Kayihan streams in order to optimize energy consumption, 1980). In order to avoid the uncontrolled energy decrease in cooling water and hot oil consumption 274 Iran. J. Environ. Health. Sci. Eng., 2006, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 273-284 and minimize environmental pollutants. One of m ,m = Mass flow rates of the hot and cold these retrofit solutions is heat integration. When H c distillation columns are heat integrated, energy stream (kg mol) consumption will be decreased to almost a great CP,H ,CP,c = Specific heat capacity of the hot and extent and it has been showed that there is a cold streams (J/ (kg mol) (k)) considerable difference between integrated and non-integrated distillation columns regarding to energy consumption. By considering this fact that TH ,in TH ,out = Hot stream inlet and outlet fractions of petroleum components may release temperature (k) in heat process; according to their boiling point, T ,T = Cold stream inlet and outlet Aspen Plus software demonstrates each stream C,in c,out fractions as Pseudo Component (PC) which refers temperature (k) to the criteria of American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). The process which is the Q kerosene pre-fractionation unit of a refinery A = (3) UΔT consists of two simple continuous distillation LM columns, i.e. at first the light product is separating by the first column and the middle and heavy Where: products are separated by the second column. In A= Heat transfer area (m2) this research the feed to the first column is first Q= Heat transferred per unit time (J/s=w) converted to the top-light product (Light) and its U= Overall heat transfer coefficient (J/s.m2.k) bottom-heavy product (Stream).
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