Selection of Optimum ΔTmin and Area Targeting of Heat Exchanger Network Design by Classical Pinch Method

This project contains two Jupyter Notebooks for design of a Heat Exchanger Network.
The first Jupyter Notebook provides relevant data to the user to choose optimum Minimum Temperature Difference by considering the trade-off between Heat Exchanger Area and Utility Requirement.
Based on the data and costing information, the user selects a ΔTmin and a corresponding Heat Exchanger Network is designed with Minimum Possible Area in the second Jupyter Notebook by the Classical Pinch Method.

Input for finding Optimum Minimum Temperature Difference:

An Excel file containing:

• Stream Information
• Supply Temperature (°C)
• Target Temperature (°C)
• Heat Load (kW)

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (W/m2.K) prompted by the Jupyter Notebook

Output to choose Minimum Temperature Difference:

• Graph of Minimum Area vs Minimum Hot Utility Required
• Graph of Minimum Area vs ΔTmin
• Graph of Minimum Utility vs ΔTmin

An Excel file of 100 rows containing:

• ΔTmin (°C)
• Pinch Temperature (°C)
• Ideal Minimum Hot Utility Required (kW)
• Ideal Minimum Cooling Utility Required (kW)
• Ideal Minimum Area Required (m^2)

If the user has costing information, he/she can make a sound decision to choose optimum ΔTmin.

Input for Heat Exchanger Network Design:

An Excel file containing:

• Stream Information
• Supply Temperature (°C)
• Target Temperature (°C)
• Heat Load (kW)

ΔTmin (°C) prompted by the Jupyter Notebook

Output for Heat Exchanger Network Design:

• Combined Composite Curve
• Grand Composite Curve
• Pinch in the Grid Representation
• Temperature Interval Diagram

An Excel file containing:

• Problem Table algorithm for Pinch Analysis
• Table to generate Hot Composite Curve
• Table to generate Cold Composite Curve
• Table for Area Targeting of Heat Exchanger Network Design

Limitations

• It is assumed that the Heat Capacity Flow Rate (FCp) of all the streams are constant from the Supply Temperature to the Target Temperature.
• It is assumed that the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U) is constant regardless of the stream matches.
• It is assumed that the pressure drop a stream experiences while going through a heat exchanger is within its permissible limit and no extra compressor is required.
• It is assumed that all the streams in heat exchanger undergo pure countercurrent flow.
• The number of units required to achieve minimum overall surface area isn't specified.

References

• The Pinch Design Method for Heat Exchanger Networks- B. Linnhoff and E.Hindmarsh Chemical Engineering Science Vol.38, No. 5, pp. 745-763, 1983


• Cost Optimum Heat Exchanger Networks-I. Minimum Energy and Capital Using Simple Models for Capital Cost- B. Linnhoff and S. Ahmad Computers Chem. Eng. Vol. 14, No. 7, pp.729-750, 1990

About the Author:

This Github repository is made by Abhishek Kundu, currently a final year student pursuing Bachelor of Chemical Engineering course at Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. He can be contacted on his LinkedIn profile here for feedback and criticism.