Flexible heat exchanger network design for low‐temperature heat utilization in oil refinery

Abstract

AbstractOil refinery is an energy‐intensive industry. To reduce the utility cost, there is an increasing need to utilize low‐temperature heat available in the system. The use of heat exchanger network (HEN) can facilitate this low‐temperature heat utilization. Normally, in a refinery, a good design of low‐temperature HEN can reduce the energy cost by 10–15%. During the operation, process conditions may alter at different periods. To ensure feasible operation and avoid deprivation of the system's economics, a flexible HEN design is essential. However, flexibility consideration to handle process parameter deviations has not yet been discussed for the low‐temperature HEN design. In this study, a systematic approach considering both process flexibility and system economics is proposed and demonstrated through a case study. Copyright © 2010 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.