(596f) Energy Saving in a Crude Distillation Unit By a Retrofit Design of Heat Exchanger Networks

Pinch technology is a complete methodology derived from simple scientific principles by which it is possible to design new plants with reduced energy and capital costs as well as determining where the existing processes require modification to improve performance. In this paper, by using Pinch technology, the preheating section of Shiraz refinery distillation unit energy consumption has been studied to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and create minimal changes to existing heat exchanger network to reach this goal.This includes simulation of the unit by a Aspen software, extracting the required information, information processing by a Aspen software and finally correcting heat exchanger network. This study domonstrates, through making changes in the network of heat exchangers, by adding a cooler and a shell& tube heat exchanger with $ 921,800 investment,$ 1.611*10⁶ energy saving will be achieved annually and the investment return period is equal to 7 month (0.57 year).