Process Plants: Energy Efficiency in Design and Operation
Process plants are used to produce and refine various products, such as oil and gas, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Companies strive to achieve the best safety, health, and environmental compliance; maximize production and quality; minimize product loss; and reduce energy consumption. In recent years, new objectives have emerged, including minimizing fuel consumption, reducing energy intensity, and maximizing power export. As such, energy efficiency in design and operation has become a major focus of process plants.
Energy assessment is the process of collecting and analyzing energy-related data to establish the “big picture” of a facility’s energy requirements. This approach can help identify component-based energy efficiency optimization opportunities from the operating cost and capital cost perspectives. Energy assessment studies are typically conducted for existing plants, but can also be beneficial for new plants. For new plants, energy assessments are often conducted in the early stages, after preliminary process flow diagrams, mass and heat balances, and fuel and power consumption estimates are complete.
To ensure the success of energy assessment studies, it is important to understand the scope of work. This includes understanding the objectives of the study, gathering data from the plant and its surrounding environment, analyzing the data, and making recommendations for energy efficiency optimization.
Objectives of the Study
The primary objective of an energy assessment study is to identify opportunities to optimize energy efficiency in the design and operation of a process plant. Other objectives may include:
• Minimizing fuel and energy consumption
• Minimizing energy intensity
• Maximizing power export
• Designing for capacity
• Controlling to specifications
• Improving reliability and reducing maintenance requirements
• Integrating energy production and use on-site
• Optimizing the design and operation of equipment
• Developing strategies for healthy aging and retrofitting
Data Collection
The success of an energy assessment study depends on the accuracy and completeness of the data collected. Data should be collected from the plant itself and its surrounding environment, including local climate, fuel availability, and electricity grid characteristics. Data should also be collected from the plant’s equipment, including type and size, operating parameters, and maintenance records.
Analysis and Recommendations
Once the data has been collected, it should be analyzed to identify opportunities for energy efficiency optimization. This could include changing operating parameters, upgrading or replacing equipment, or increasing process integration. The analysis should also consider the capital costs and operating costs of any proposed changes.
Finally, the results of the analysis should be used to make recommendations for energy efficiency optimization. These recommendations should consider the objectives of the study, the cost-benefit analysis, and any potential risks or safety concerns.
Energy assessment studies are an important tool for optimizing energy efficiency in process plants. By understanding the objectives of the study, collecting accurate data, and analyzing the data to identify energy efficiency opportunities, companies can maximize the efficiency of their process plants and reduce their environmental footprint.
Energy Efficiency Optimization Problem Description
With the ever-increasing cost of energy resources, energy efficiency optimization is becoming a priority for many businesses. By optimizing the energy efficiency of their plants, businesses can reduce their energy costs, improve the reliability of their systems, and reduce their carbon footprints. In this article, we will discuss the various techniques and strategies used in energy efficiency optimization and how they can help businesses achieve near-optimal designs while minimizing energy consumption.
What is Energy Efficiency Optimization?
Energy efficiency optimization is the process of specifying the near-optimal design that minimizes the energy consumption of a new plant at zero/minimum deficiency in energy supply of the utility systems to the plant’s process at minimum capital cost. This includes identifying all related engineering activities in a minimum possible time using design data and without any interruption to the overall project schedule.
The Components of Energy Systems
Energy systems consist of three components: generation, distribution, and utilization. To optimize energy efficiency, businesses must continuously upgrade the efficiency of these components. The utilization component has a unique feature where the room for improvement in this component can have a tangible impact on the process capital cost in addition to the energy utility system cost.
Technical Approaches to Energy Efficiency Optimization
For the sake of simplicity and timely results, an acceptable technical approach to energy efficiency optimization can involve the decomposition of the energy efficiency optimization problem and the use of thermodynamics methods combined with some heuristics such as pinch technology. Pinch analysis/technology can be adapted in lieu of mathematical programming/optimization techniques. However, the utilization of the latter will always be beneficial in automating some of the synthesis tasks.
Utilizing Design Data to Facilitate Energy Review
For grassroots applications, businesses should fully utilize the project design data base to facilitate the energy review process and ensure desired results. The plant’s energy utility needs should be defined with a reasonable level of flexibility, and the energy utility system (electricity, fuel, steam, and other energy-related utilities) should be defined one by one to find the near-optimal consumption of such utilities that guarantee minimum/zero deficiency in the utility supply to plant processes subject to controlled minimum capital cost. The company reliability figures should also be considered while seeking energy system cost minimization.
Conclusion
Energy efficiency optimization is an important part of any business’s operations. By optimizing the energy efficiency of their plants, businesses can reduce their energy costs, improve the reliability of their systems, and reduce their carbon footprints. By utilizing the decomposition of the energy efficiency optimization problem, thermodynamics methods, heuristics, and design data, businesses can achieve near-optimal designs while minimizing energy consumption.