Investment Payback Period Research Articles

Technical and economic performance study on winter heating system of air source heat pump assisted solar evacuated tube water heater

Winter heating with clean energy is very important for coal substitution in rural areas of China. In Northwestern China, winter weather is usually below zero and winter heating lasts at least 5 months, which is a big expense for rural residents. It is well known that solar energy, air source heat pump and other energy-saving technologies could effectively cut down the expenditure. However, it is difficult to consider the economics and stability of winter heating with free solar energy alone, and the cost of winter heating with heat pump alone is too high for locals to afford. Therefore, the concept of air source heat pump assisted solar energy was proposed and a solar evacuated tube water heater -air source heat pump system was built in Lvhua Village, Lanzhou City. Experiment and simulation studies were carried out to discover the technical and economic performances when the system operates in three modes, namely, heating by solar water heater, air source heat pump and solar water heat pump (heat pump used hot water from solar collector as heat). Simulation results were verified and highly consistent with experimental results on December 20th, 2021. The results show that in whole heating season, air source heat pump assisted solar energy system greatly improves technical and economic performance in comparison with heating by solar water heater and air source heat pump. The average daily collector efficiency in the heating season is 45.5 %, and the average daily effective solar heat collection is 43.6 kWh. During the heating season, the effective solar heat collection is 6587.1 kWh, the electricity consumption is 5229.7 kWh, the heat supply is 16392.2 kWh, the solar fraction is about 40.2 %, the energy efficiency ratio is 3.1, the average COP of solar water heat pump is 3.5, and the average COP of air source heat pump is 3.0. The primary energy saving rate of the system is 66.4 %, the dynamic investment pay-back period is 6.5 years, and the CO2 emission reduction is 10960.7 kg. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the winter heating system of air source heat pump assisted solar evacuated tube water heater, which provides a new way for the heating of rural single buildings in cold areas.

Evaluation of economic prospects for the implementation of technology of electric centralization

The role of equipping each railway station with modern automatic and telemechanical devices is invaluable. However, there is an opinion that equipping the station with electric centralization requires huge investments and the payback period is ten years. In the course of the research, the reasons for the long-term payback of the introduction of electric centralization at the station were determined. It is revealed that according to the existing methodology for assessing the economic prospects for the introduction of a new technology of electric centralization, the number of shunting locomotives saved is not taken into account due to the acceleration of the duration of technological operations at the station. This article discusses a new methodology for assessing the economic efficiency of the introduction of an electric centralization system on the example of the development of the infrastructure of the station «Z». The procedure for determining the initial capital investments in the development of the station infrastructure and equipping it with an electric centralization system is presented. The payback period of investments, the rate of return and the annual cost savings spent within the framework of the implemented electric centralization system are shown. Key words: railway infrastructure, electrical centralization, fuels, economic efficiency, net present value, rate of return, capital investment.

Application, planning, and techno-economic analysis of the multi-renewable energy complementary system in rural economic development zones: an empirical study in China.

The multi-renewable energy complementary system (MRECS) is a good plan that can effectively support the accomplishment of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality on schedule and take full advantage of renewable resources in rural areas. This research investigates the techno-economic feasibility of MRECS in rural areas to promote its large-scale implementation. A MRECS with integrated solar, wind, and biomass energy is proposed for a rural economic development zone. First, a scientific evaluation of the potential for renewable resources in rural areas is done. Second, a case study of the Jize Economic Development Zone is applied to examine the optimal MRECS configuration. Finally, an economic evaluation model that takes environmental benefits into account was created based on life cycle costs (LCCs). For the techno-economic analysis, the net present value (NPV), dynamic investment payback period, and internal rate of return (IRR) are also employed. Findings reveal that (1) the Jize Economic Development Zone has considerable development potential due to its abundance of renewable energy resources and ability to plan for 168.42MW of renewable energy units; (2) to meet the demand for continuous power generation and realize the sensible use of renewable energy, a combination of 10MW photovoltaic power generation (PV), 25MW wind power generation (WT), 2MW biogas power generation (BG), and 1MW straw direct combustion power generation (SDC) is able to be implemented; (3) the provided renewable energy system can save indirect expenses up to 10.60 million RMB/year, with significant environmental advantages, when compared to grid extension; and (4) the NPV of the dynamic investment reaches RMB 322.44 million after accounting for the environmental advantages in the income of MRECS. The dynamic investment payback period is 6.42years, and the IRR is 21.44%. According to the findings, the MRECS is economically viable, and capitalizing on the environmental advantages can increase those advantages even more.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM MANAGEMENT OF METROLOGICAL SERVICE OF MEASURING TECHNIQUES — AS AN INFORMATION AND REFERENCE SYSTEM FOR COLLECTIVE USE

As an assessment of the effectiveness of the dialog system of collective use, on the example of the system of automated control of metrological maintenance of measuring equipment (SACMMME), the ratio of the average reactivity of the system to the average cost per request is used. The ratio of the average reactivity of the target system to the average cost per request (C) is studied. Under the reactivity is the value inverse of the time of the request in the system. The flow of queries in the system obeys the Poisson distribution law. The method of simulation modeling is chosen for research.
 Obtained: time dependences (C) between two adjacent queries; the dependence of the cost of one request on the intensity of requests; the dependence of the cost of one request on the bandwidth of the system, etc.
 Increasing the efficiency of shared dialogue systems is possible through a fuller load of more information system power. The selected evaluation criterion shows, which margin in the system bandwidth is excessive.
 The results of calculations of economic efficiency from the introduction of SACMMME at several enterprises and research institutes are given.
 In the general case, the methods of determining the economic efficiency of ACS for different purposes differ in the composition of the elements of disorder (loss) and the degree of influence of the information used on the state of the managed system.
 The main criterion for assessing the economic efficiency of ACS development is the growth of profits of industrial enterprises, taking into account the growth of productivity of social labor, ie. mainly by reducing production costs. The annual savings from the introduction of ACS and the payback period of additional capital investments are used as a quantitative expression of the economic efficiency of ACS creation.

Импортозамещение как фактор инновационного развития экономики России

Introduction. In the modern world, the introduction of innovations is becoming one of the main ways of economic development of both organizations and states. In this regard, the process of switching Russian economy to the innovative way of development acquires special importance. Still in 2011, the Government approved the Strategy for Innovative Development of Russia until 2020: it formulates the goals of the country’s long-term development and indicators that characterize their implementation. Import substitution was identified as one of the key factors contributing to the achievement of these goals. The aim of the work is to study the impact of import substitution on the effectiveness of the implementation of the Strategy for Innovative Development of Russia. Theoretical analysis. Import substitution processes in Russian economy began in the late 1990s. The main reason at that time was the ruble devaluation, due to which the volume of imports in 1998–1999 decreased by more than 30%. Imports replacement became possible by increasing the supply of domestic producers who resumed the use of previously mothballed facilities. According to a number of Russian economists, during this period import substitution was one of the key drivers of GDP and industrial production growth in the country. In the 2000s, import substitution processes began to take on a point-by-point rather than a mass factor: they took place in those industries where Russian enterprises had clear competitive advantages. In 2014, following the implementation of economic sanctions against Russia, the Government adopted a number of measures aimed at intensifying import substitution in the country. Empirical analysis. The text of the strategy identifies import substitution as one of the key factors in the innovative development of the domestic economy. The paper considers the impact of the ongoing policy of import substitution on the achievement of the strategic goals of Russia’s innovative development. A statistical analysis of indicators characterizing the effectiveness of ongoing measures in the field of import substitution and stimulation of innovative development was carried out. Results. According to the results of data statistical analysis, a conclusion is obtained that the target indicators in the field of import substitution have not been achieved: in key sectors of the economy there is still a high dependence on supplies of foreign products. Innovative technologies used by domestic organizations are still mainly of import origin. At the same time, indicators of innovation activity in Russia remain significantly lower than in foreign countries. This situation relates mainly to such factors as lack or shortage of organizations funds, long payback period of investments in innovation, lack of qualified personnel, as well as reduction of opportunities in cooperation with other enterprises and scientific organizations.

Study on stability and economic evaluation of two-well-vertical salt cavern energy storage

In order to take advantage of the special layered salt rock in China, the idea of using two-well-vertical (TWV) to construct cavern was put forward, and it has been applied in some salt mines. However, at present, there is still a lack of in-depth research on the two factors that greatly affect the stability of the TWV cavern: the roof shape and working conditions. In addition, there is still a lack of targeted research on the economic rationality of constructing caverns by TWV. Therefore, in this study, based on the cavern shape of the TWV method, salt cavern underground gas storage (UGS) model with buried depth of 1130 m was established, and numerical simulation research was conducted under different roof shapes and injection-production (IP) frequency. The simulation results show that the roof bulge will produce large deformation and is a potential unstable area. When the IP frequency increases, the risk of instability will increase to some extent. In addition, the design under different working conditions is optimized and the IP frequency and the minimum operation internal pressure (Pmin) suitable for different well spacing are put forward. Then, based on the discounted cash flow (DCF) method, the economic analysis of the proposed TWV salt cavern construction project was carried out. The internal rate of return (IRR), financial net present value, investment payback period and storage and transfer fee are evaluated, and the break-even point of the project was analyzed. Comprehensive research shows that it is feasible to use the TWV method to construct salt cavern in China.

A novel mathematical multi-criteria decision-making model for optimizing life cycle energy and cost in construction projects planning

ABSTRACT Today, energy management systems are usually assessed as key to sustainable development goals. One of the best criteria for energy management systems in construction projects is Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA). This research is a quantitative-qualitative study based on a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model. This research involves four stages: library study, statistical survey, descriptive study, and case study. The review of previous studies showed that the LCEA and MCDM alone could not provide a comprehensive energy consumption management assessment model, due to inherent uncertainty and the existence of various analysis parameters; however, when are used in an integrated framework; the LCEA & MCDM hybrid approach serves as the best instruments to assess energy management systems. This research has proposed a newly developed hybrid multi-objective mathematical decision-making model to select appropriate and optimum options for all building shell components to optimize and manage the Cost and Energy of the Building Life Cycle. The life cycle energy analysis of an educational building in a case study showed that optimization using the proposed model saves about 16% of energy during the lifetime of the building. In addition, the investment payback period for this optimization is less than seven months in the first year of operation.

Evaluation of efficiency of the automated control system of metrological maintenance of measuring instruments - as informatic information

As an assessment of the effectiveness of the dialog system of collective use, on the example of the system of automated control of metrological maintenance of measuring equipment (SACMMME), the ratio of the average reactivity of the system to the average cost per request is used. The ratio of the average reactivity of the target system to the average cost per request (C) is studied. Under the reactivity is the value inverse of the time of the request in the system. The flow of queries in the system obeys the Poisson distribution law. The method of simulation modeling is chosen for research. Obtained: time dependences (C) between two adjacent queries; the dependence of the cost of one request on the intensity of requests; the dependence of the cost of one request on the bandwidth of the system, etc. Increasing the efficiency of shared dialogue systems is possible through a fuller load of more information system power. The selected evaluation criterion shows which margin in the system bandwidth is excessive. The results of calculations of economic efficiency from the introduction of SACMMME at several enterprises and research institutes are given. In the general case, the methods of determining the economic efficiency of ACS for different purposes differ in the composition of the elements of disorder (loss) and the degree of influence of the information used on the state of the managed system. The main criterion for assessing the economic efficiency of ACS development is the growth of profits of industrial enterprises, taking into account the growth of productivity of social labor, ie. mainly by reducing production costs. The annual savings from the introduction of ACS and the payback period of additional capital investments are used as a quantitative expression of the economic efficiency of ACS creation.

Energy Saving and Thermal Comfort Performance of Passive Retrofitting Measures for Traditional Rammed Earth House in Lingnan, China

The traditional rammed earth houses sharing similar patterns in the Lingnan region, south China, and distributed in rectangular arrays, are gradually losing their vitality and becoming uninhabited under modern living conditions. This research examined a typical pattern called the “Four-point gold” house and analyzed the suitability of different retrofitting technologies by field measurements and building simulation. To optimize energy consumption, indoor thermal comfort, and the corresponding economic performance of the retrofitting measures for the prototypical house, five measures, including wall insulation, reflective roof coating, carpet, sunshade, and natural ventilation, are proposed after considering the status quo of the building envelope. It is found that the best performance in energy-saving, dynamic investment payback period, and annual indoor thermal comfort are 2192.27 kWh/a, 9.17 years, and 1766 h, respectively. Different parameters are included to be clustered by K means clustering technique, and the comprehensively optimized scheme consists of a regime of 30 mm XPS 30 mm, ZS-221 white coating, carpet, 0.5 m sunshade width, and turning off windows (doors). The proposed retrofitting strategy can be promoted to a wide range of traditional rammed earth houses in the Lingnan region in China and holds a conspicuous energy-saving potential for the suburban and rural residential sectors in the region.

Pinch point determination and Multi-Objective optimization for working parameters of an ORC by using numerical analyses optimization method

In parallel with Kyoto, Paris and the green production agreements, the nowadays crucial subject is minimising energy consumption, increasing renewable energy usage and recovering waste heat. When it comes to waste heat, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology comes fore. However, although the presence of many studies on the ORC in the literature, there is still an intense gap related to information on ORC working conditions, pinch point detection and numerical design and analysis methods. In this respect, the present paper suggests a multi-objective optimization model for an ORC by considering many parameters that affect the performance of the ORC like fluid type, thermodynamic properties of the organic fluids, pinch point temperature etc. For the analyses, experimentally recorded exhaust gas parameters for a reheat furnace located in the iron and steel plant were used. By considering all these, all performance-affecting parameters were included through the development of the multi-objective model. For the analyses, two wet types (ethanol, methanol), two isentropic (acetone, butene), and two dry types (cyclohexane, benzene) working fluids were selected to develop the multi-objective design and optimising method. After comprehensive analyses, it was seen that the developed mathematical model was valid for the designing and analysing of the ORC. In addition, it was observed that the system performance increases as the pinch point temperature difference decreases. In addition, it was seen that isentropic fluids have low efficiency in medium-temperature heat sources. Considering the system performance, initial investment cost and payback periods, it was seen that a waste heat recovery plant using Benzene, Methanol and Ethanol as working fluids is more feasible.

Energy reliability enhancement of a data center/wind hybrid DC network using superconducting magnetic energy storage

The progressive penetrations of sensitive renewables and DC loads have presented a formidable challenge to the DC energy reliability. This paper proposes a new solution using series-connected interline superconducting magnetic energy storage (SCI-SMES) to implement the simultaneous transient energy management and load protection of DC doubly-fed induction generator (DC-DFIG)/internet data center (IDC) composited medium-voltage direct-current (MVDC) network. The SCI-SMES mainly consists of two current source converters (CSCs) sharing a common SMES link. It can implement the transient energy conversion and interaction between sensitive sources and loads in two individual DC feeders, even they are with different voltage and current levels. To prove the above-mentioned functions, a kW-class experimental SCI-SMES prototype is established. For actual renewable energy scenarios, six different cases of power flow and energy interaction between DC-DFIG and IDC are presented in this paper, and a MW-class with SCI-SMES-integrated hybrid DC network is built in simulation for verification. A techno-economic assessment, considering capital investment, operating cost, and financial losses of voltage sags, shows that the total investment payback period is in the range of 5.44–18.41 years, which proves the SCI-SMES has both economic and technical advantages in large-scale data centers and renewable generation sectors.

ANALISIS USAHA PUKAT CINCIN (PURSE SEINE) PADA KM. DOA RESTU-01 DI PERAIRAN GORONTALO UTARA, GORONTALO

This research took place from July 2019 to June 2020 at the Gentuma Fish Landing Port, North Gorontalo and MV. Doa Restu-01. The study of financial analysis of new boats within one year provides information to the government and the community as an effort to increase fishermen's income. This study aims to determine the feasibility analysis of purse seine vessels in the waters of North Gorontalo. The data taken in the form of primary and secondary data. The data in the analysis uses descriptive analysis and quantitative analysis as well as financial analysis in the form of Profit-Loss (Income Statement), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR), Break Even Point (BEP), Payback Period (PP) and Return Of Investment (ROI). The results show that the ring trawling effort at Gentuma meets the requirements and deserves to be continued. The results of the calculation of business feasibility in the purse seine fishing business of MV. Doa Restu-01 based on the projected profit and loss (R/L) the profit earned for 1 year is Rp. 113.856.050,-, the cost benefit ratio (B/C ratio) 1.10, Payback Period (PP) 9.61 years, income on investment (ROI) 10.40%, Break Even Point (BEP) unit 68,385 kg and Break Even Point (BEP) price Rp.965,499,137,-

Fuzzy Payback Period of Investment into Modernization of Production Network

The difference between the result of managerial calculations and reality can be largely attributed to uncertainty. In the case of discounted payback period (DPP), it concerns uncertain capital expenditures, positive cash flows, and discount rates. To resolve this problem the intervals of possible values instead of uncertain point values should be regarded. This idea is projected in defining the significant points of the input parameters for the DPP calculation from which the significant points of the fuzzy payback period (FPP) in the sense of triangular fuzzy numbers (TFN) are derived. For the TFN ranking, the weighted method is used. The FPP numerical formula thus becomes flexible in terms of the possibility of expressing faith in the incidence rate of the input data. The existing literature omits to regard negative weights for positive and/or negative cash flows in the FPP calculation. In the application, the relations are applied to the quantification of the FPP interval of possible values, by means of which the investment plan for the modernization of the lignite power plant is evaluated.

Optimal Sizing Considering Power Uncertainty and Power Supply Reliability Based on LSTM and MOPSO for SWPBMs

For independent islands with poor grid and traffic facilities, the stand-alone photovoltaic/wind/battery microgrid (SWPBM) is an effective way to solve its power supply poser via integrating its local renewable energy sources. This article proposes a size planning scheme based on power prediction to ensure the economy, reliability, and environmental-friendly of SWPBMs. A new objective function covering the dynamic investment payback period and excess energy is designed to achieve the tradeoff between the economy and the utilization rate of RE in SWPBMs. Strict uninterrupted power supply and state of charge range of battery are taken as constraints of optimal problem to improve the reliability of power supply of the system. Moreover, a long short-term memory based power prediction method with prediction error correction is proposed to capture the uncertainty of PV, wind turbine, and load power, which is conducive to making a reliable size planning decision. A nested multiobjective particle swarm optimization algorithm, whose computational complexity is greatly reduced by grouping the net load, is implemented to solve the multiobjective optimal sizing problem. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed size planning method for SWPBM is verified by the simulation results.

Modeling and dynamic response analysis of a submersible floating offshore wind turbine integrated with an aquaculture cage

To reduce the investment payback period of offshore wind farms, an offshore wind turbine can be combined with an aquaculture cage. This paper proposes a new concept of a floating offshore wind turbine integrated with a steel aquaculture cage named the FOWT-AC. The structural properties of the proposed integrated system are described in detail. The NREL 5-MW offshore baseline wind turbine is selected as a representative, and a steel aquaculture cage is designed to match the wind turbine. The performance of the integrated FOWT-AC system is examined by a fully coupled aero-hydro-elastic-servo-mooring model, which is established using the FAST and AQWA software. The simulation results obtained under combined turbulent wind and irregular wave conditions show that the designed pitch-torque control system can adjust the electrical power output well, ensuring that the integrated system operates normally. Finally, this study provides an idea of conceptual design, modeling, and simulation analysis for the integrated FOWT-AC system.

Barriers of Green Building Technology Adoption in Malaysia: Contractors’ Perspective

Green building technology, sometimes referred to as eco-friendly building materials are used in building constructions with minimal negative influence on the surrounding natural environment such as using renewable resources rather than relying on depletable fossil fuels. The problem statement of this research is the high cost of the green building material; lack of awareness of adopting green building practices among construction players; and lack of availability of technology. The aim of the research is to identify the factors contributing to the lack of adoption of green building technology among contractors and find a way to increase its use in the future. Therefore, this research has set the objectives of determining the factors contributing to low adoption of green building technology and recommending ways to increase the adoption of green building technology. This research adopts a quantitative method by using a questionnaire survey. A total of 341 Grade 7 contractors registered with Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) were selected as the respondents of this study. According to the findings, the majority of respondents identified a high initial investment and long payback period as significant barriers to implementing green building technology in construction. Besides, lack of awareness and financial resources were also found to be major contributors to the low implementation.

Simulation and techno-economical analysis on the pyrolysis process of waste tire

Waste tires are more and more produced with the fast development of the auto industry and transportation and the traditional disposal method of landfill and dumping has been forbidden by many countries. It is important to choose effective disposal methods for a circular economy and sustainable development strategy. In this paper, we reviewed the different disposal ways of waste tires, analyzed their advantages and disadvantages, and thought pyrolysis is the most promising method. To evaluate the techno-economical performance of the pyrolysis process, the simulation model was built based on the pyrolysis process kinetics, and the further processing of pyrolysis oil and carbon was also considered in the simulation model. Different waste tires processing capacities were simulated and the results showed that under the low processing capacity of 20,000 ton/a, the profit of waste tire pyrolysis treatment is very low and the investment payback period is as long as about 76 years, whereas when the processing capacity reaches 50,000 tons per year, it will have a good profit and the investment payback period is shortened to 3.6 years. Further increasing the processing capacity will result in an approximately linear increase in revenue, but only a slow investment payback period.

СИСТЕМА УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЙ УСТАНОВКОЙ ЭЛЕКТРОФИЗИЧЕСКОГО ВОЗДЕЙСТВИЯ НА ЗЕРНО

Currently, the development of effective control systems for technological equipment is still actual problem. This project aims to develop and manufacture a learning control system that can implement control according to specified drying criteria and operating on the basis of changes in the moisture content of the processed material. This article presents the results of the development of a control system for a laboratory setup of electrophysical effects on grain. During this work elements of experimental planning, elements of statistical processing, computer modeling by using applied software for electrodynamic modeling, development of SCADA systems and programming of control equipment were used. The experiments were carried out using certified measuring equipment. The value of the research results lies in determining energy-efficient operating modes of grain processing equipment using a microwave field. The scientific novelty of the research consists in determining the grain wetness by the relative decrease voltage of the electromagnetic field in the layer of processed grain. Main provisions: the application of the developed humidity level control system allows you to determine the wetness content of the grain layer during processing by a microwave field; the implementation of one setup of combined microwave-convective drying of grain with a capacity of 5 tons per hour, operating under the control of the developed system and designed for productivity, allows you to get an income of 5231.2 thousand rubles for eight years of project implementation, while the simple payback period of capital investments will be 3.6 years. Conclusions: the using of the developed system by the experimental installation of microwave effecting on grain makes it possible to implement control according to relevant control criteria, while the average energy consumption of wheat drying from 20 to 14% stands at 3.7 MJ per kg of evaporated moisture; the implementation of the control system for the technological process of electrophysical exposure with further improvement allows for the accumulation of statistical information and the developing of operating modes of equipment according to more complete data.

A thermodynamic system of coal-fired power unit coupled S–CO2 energy-storage cycle

An S–CO2 energy-storage cycle system is added to a 660 MW coal-fired power unit to increase operational flexibility. With a round-trip efficiency (RTE) of 56.14%, a thermodynamic system for coal-fired units (with an additional S–CO2 energy-storage cycle) is built. Turbine extraction steam was used as energy source for the energy-storage system. An analysis of the impact of different factors on the thermodynamic system-performance reveals that both the S–CO2 flow rate and the compressor/turbine pressure ratio have a significant impact. For example, a 5 kg/s increase in S–CO2 mass flow rate improves the RTE by roughly 5%. Furthermore, the system RTE increases by about 10% when the S–CO2 turbine pressure ratio was increased by 1.0. The higher the steam temperature of the energy-storage source, the lower the RTE. Moreover, the effect of both S–CO2 flow rate and turbine pressure ratio on the system investment cost and payback period is determined based on a technical and economic analysis. This study provides a reference that can be used to improve the operational flexibility of coal-fired power units.

Optimization of energy-saving distillation system of absorption heat pump based on intermediate heat exchange

Deepening the energy-saving potential of the distillation process by waste heat recovery is an essential direction in the petrochemical industry. This paper proposes a distillation system of absorption heat pumps based on intermediate heat exchange through waste heat recovery and cascade energy consumption to improve energy efficiency significantly. Firstly, a mathematical model was developed using the numerical simulation software Aspen Plus for the example of a depropanizing column in a gas fractionation system with an annual capacity of 180,000 ton. Secondly, the optimization of critical parameters, including the material parameters of the intermediate-reboiler and intermediate-condenser and the operational performance of the AHP, is further investigated. The numerical simulation results show that the steam consumption can be decreased by 25% when the pressure in the distillation column is 1.3 MPa, and the heating temperature of the heat pump is 76 ℃. Finally, a complete energy-saving distillation system involving a three-column process has been designed. The effects are significant: 92,000 ton of steam can be saved annually, corresponding to a reduction of 38.8%; 33,300 ton of softened water can be saved annually, which equals to a reduction of 42.5%; an economic profit of 5,429,000 CNY can be achieved annually, and the fixed investment payback period is only 3 years.