Heat-exchanger network synthesis distillation

The eadiest use of heat-exchange network synthesis was in the analysis of cmde distillation (qv) units (1). The cmde stream entering a distillation unit is a convenient single stream to heat while the various side draws from the column are candidate streams to be cooled in a network. So-called pumparounds present additional opportunities for heating the cmde. The successful synthesis of cmde distillation units was accompHshed long before the development of modem network-synthesis techniques. However, the techniques now available ensure rapid and accurate development of good cmde unit heat-exchange networks. 

Early work in process synthesis focused on the solution of specific problems, such as the best sequence of distillation columns to perform separation of components in feedstreams into product streams. Another early problem was the synthesis of heat-exchanger networks. 

Daichendt.. M. M.. and Grossmann. I. E. "Preliminary Screening for the MINLP Synthesis of Process Systems, II. Heat Exchanger Networks," Comput. Chem. Eng. 18, 679 (1994b). Dhole. V. R., and Linnhoff. B. "Distillation Column Targets," Proc. Eur. Symp. Comput. Aided Process Design (Escape-1) (1992). 

In the subsequent sections, we will explain the approach in detail illustrated by examples. To learn it properly, it is important that the reader goes through all the steps. Because of the complexity of the overall synthesis problem, some issues regarding the synthesis of subsystems, as chemical reactors, azeotropic distillations, or heat exchangers networks, will be presented in separate chapters. 

Process simulation, synthesis of distillation trains and heat-exchanger networks... 

Synthesis of subsystems. The main objective of this approach so far has been the reduction and optimization of energy, including thermal pinch, distillation sequences, and mass and heat exchange networks, which will be described in a Httle more detail later in the chapter (In addition, see chapter 4). 

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