CHAPTER 7
Design of Heat Exchanger
Networks
Minimum number of units
Minimum number of units (including heaters and
coolers):
Nunits S 1
S : number of streams (including utility streams)
If the problem has a pinch:
Nunits [ Sabove pinch 1] [ Sbelow pinch 1]
HEN Representation (Grid
Diagram)
180oC 80oC
H1
130oC 40oC
H2 C
7
100oC 60oC
H C1
o 49 111
120 C 30oC
C2
100 62
HEN Grid Diagram
Thot
H1
Thot Thot
H2 C
Tcold
H C1
Tcold Tcold
C2
The pinch divides the HEN into two parts:
the left hand side (above the pinch)
the right hand side (below the pinch)
At the pinch, ALL hot streams are hotter
than ALL cold streams by Tmin.
Maximum Energy Recovery (MER)
Network Design
CP
170oC 60oC
H1 3.0
150oC 30oC 1.5
H2
135oC 20oC
C1 2.0
140oC 80oC
C2 4.0
Step 1:MER Targeting
Pinch at 90° (Hot) and 80°
(Cold)
Energy Targets:
Total Hot Utilities: 20 kW
Total Cold Utilities: 60 kW
MER Network Design
Step 2:Divide the problem at the pinch
CP
170oC 90oC 90oC 60oC
H1 3.0
o
150 C 90oC 90oC 30oC 1.5
H2
135oC 80oC 80oC 20oC
C1 2.0
140oC 80oC
C2 4.0
MER Network Design
Step 3:Design hot-end starting at the pinch
Pair up exchangers according to CP-
constraints.
Immediately above the pinch
Pair up streams such that: CPHOT CPCOLD
(This ensures that TH TC Tmin)
CP
H1 3.0
1.5
H2
Tmin
C1 2.0
C2 4.0
Meets Tmin
Violates Tminconstraint
constraint
MER Network Design
Step 3 Cont’d: Complete hot-end design, by
ticking-off streams.
CP
o
H1
170o 90
3.0
H2
150o 90o 1.5
QHmin = 20 kW
135o 80o
H C1 2.0
20 90
140o 80o
C2 4.0
240
Add heating utilities as needed (MER
target)
MER Network Design
Step 4:Design cold-end starting at the pinch
Pair up exchangers according to CP-
constraints.
Immediately below the pinch
Pair up streams such that: CPHOT CPCOLD
(This ensures that TH TC Tmin)
CP
H1 3.0
1.5 Tmin
H2
C1 2.0
Tmin
Violates
Meets T min
constraint
constraint
MER Network Design
Step 4 Cont’d: Complete cold-end design, by
ticking-off streams.
CP
H1
90o 60o 3.0
QCmin = 60 kW
C
90o 30o 1.5
H2
60
80o 35o 20o C1 2.0
90 30
Add cooling utilities as needed (MER
target)
MER Network Design
Completed Design
CP
170o 90o 60o
H1 3.0
150 o 90o 70o 30o
H2 C 1.5
60
135o 125o 80o 35o 20o
H C1 2.0
20 90 90 30
140o 80o C2 4.0
240
Note that this design meets the MER targets:
QHmin = 20 kW and QCmin = 60 kW
Steps in MER Network
Design
MER targeting: Define pinch temperatures, QHmin and
QCmin
Divide problem at the pinch
Design hot-end, starting at the pinch: Pair up
exchangers
according to CP-constraints. Immediately above the
pinch,
pair up streams such that: CPHOT CPCOLD. “Tick off”
streams
in order to minimize costs. Add heating utilities as
needed
(up to QHmin). Do not use cold utilities above the
pinch.
MER Network Design - Example
2
Step 1:MER Targeting
Pinch at 120°C (Hot) and 100°C
(Cold)
Energy Targets:
Total Hot Utilities: 15 MW
Total Cold Utilities: 26 MW
MER Network Design - Example
2
MER Network Design - Example
2
MER Network Design - Example
2
MER Network Design - Example
3
MER Network Design - Example
3
MER Network Design - Example
3
Stream splitting
Stream splitting
Stream splitting
The CP inequality criteria can also create the need
to split streams at the pinch – Above the pinch
Stream splitting
The CP inequality criteria can also create the need
to split streams at the pinch – Below the pinch
Stream splitting – Above the pinch
Stream splitting – Below the pinch
Stream splitting
Stream splitting
Stream splitting
Stream splitting
Stream splitting
