Abstract:
This study focuses on optimizing the crude preheat train within a petroleum refinery's crude
distillation unit (CDU) through the integration of Exergy Analysis, Pinch Analysis (PA),
and Economic Analysis for the developed model in Aspen HYSYS. Exergy Analysis is
employed to identify energy inefficiencies within the CDU. Initially, the steady-state
exergy analysis was carried out using an Aspen HYSYS model to quantify the exergy
destructions and exergy efficiencies of all the individual heat exchangers and the overall
Heat Exchanger Network. The overall exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of the HEN
was 17611.21 kW and 63.34%, respectively. Exergy Analysis reveals that the energy
efficiency can be improved for some of the heat exchangers in the network as they
contribute 56 % to the overall exergy destruction of HEN. PA, facilitated by Aspen Energy
Analyzer (AEA), for pinch analysis of the existing preheat trains of crude distillation unit.
The optimized case is also developed for more energy integrated and efficient design of
crude preheat train and distillation unit. The optimized case achieved the same energy
requirements as of base case with two fewer heat exchangers, reducing the overall capital
cost of the crude distillation unit by $ 95716.08 despite the increase in heating and cooling
utility costs. Finally, a payback period of 1.18 years has been calculated through an
economic analysis for being a crude distillation unit operational.
