(95d) Technology Assessment of Rejecting Process Heat

The value of an efficient heat rejection system is generally not considered in the original design. Many petrochemical plants and refineries are operating on a tight cooling water supply, which could impact the future expansion of capacity. An assessment of heat rejection in a hypothetical refinery is evaluated and various technologies for rejecting and/or utilizing the process heat are presented. They include waste heat utilization by upgrading, bottoming cycle to produce power, and heat rejection with air cooling. The status of underlying technologies for new generation of heat rejection systems is discussed, and major technical as well as economic issues are identified.