Process Optimization across the Water-Energy Nexus

To give an order of magnitude, food production currently accounts for 90% of global consumption of fresh water and 30% of global energy consumption and much of this water and energy is wasted [1]. Moreover, a common feature of industrial processes is their use of fossil fuels as the primary source of energy, where a large part of that energy consumption is spent on the production of utilities. The scientific world makes a significant effort to find alternative sources of energy. However, even by the most optimistic assessments, these alternatives are long-term solutions and many projections show that in the near future, fossil fuels will remain the primary sources of energy, in particular for the process industries. So practical process optimization tools are critical for chemical engineers to understand the connection between water and energy, and then to eliminate both water and energy waste in their plants.

Pinch analysis [2] is a well-known methodology to optimize process energy consumption. It allows the determination of the process minimum utilities requirement. Simulis Pinch, software used directly in Microsoft^® Excel, has been developed to perform energy integration calculations with the pinch method, while also systematically considering real-world engineering constraints. As part of the MINIMEAU project funded by the French ANR [3], Simulis Pinch has been extended to the Water Pinch Analysis (WPA) and the design of efficient water networks. It has been successfully applied for the optimization of water resources of various processes in the food industry. Used in connection with ProSimPlus, steady state processes simulation software, Simulis Pinch allows to optimize the processes across the water-energy nexus.

[1] Izabela Balicka, “The Food-Energy-Water Nexus: A Complex Balance”, CEP, 2020

[2] Bodo Linnhoff, PhD thesis “Thermodynamic Analysis in the Design of Process Networks”, Leeds University, 1979

[3] https://minimeau.fr/