Mathematical Programming Combined with Cascade Analysis in Refinery Hydrogen Networks Including a Purifier

Abstract

Efficient research method represents the primary content of hydrogen networks optimization. In the view of methodology, as pinch analysis is not specialized in precisely matching a network and mathematical programming is likely to induce convergence difficulties, a combination of both is liable to avoid their shortcomings. This paper introduces a detailed process, combining cascade analysis and mathematical programming method, to optimize a refinery hydrogen network with a purifier. A hydrogen cascade analysis instead of traditional pinch-point methods is deduced to rapidly obtain pinch-point purity without tedious iterative. On this basis, the location of the purifier could be pinpointed and a concise superstructure with pinch point and the purifier is constructed. Then a superstructure-based mathematical programming model is presented. A case study is finally carried out to examine the applicability and advantages of the proposed combination approach. The calculation result verifies the optimization of the method as well.