In a Refinery, huge quantum of low level energy is wasted in cooling water. Other than exchanging heat of Crude overhead column vapour with cold crude oil feed, what are the technological developments to minimise such energy loss?
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24/04/2011
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J Rout, B. Tech, routjhr@gmail.com
The best way is to recover heat by heat exchange with crude oil. You may also think of heat exchange with some cold streams of near by units. Air cooling is also an alternative.
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18/04/2008
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Amarjit Bakshi, Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC, abakshi@rhtgulfcoast.com
In continuation to the response before, it is mind boggling that energy conservation has not been the option when oil/energy prices going up and now are approaching at 115$/bbl, and analyst are talking about 150 to 200$/bbl.
It is the same situation like car industry the European and Far Eastern much more efficient than American Auto industry, and in last 40 years not much more has been done to come closer to efficient cars like Japanese and European.
The industry situation is more complex, Licensors have been able to sell to Europeans and also to major USA European company, it seems nobody is looking at objective answers and savings and energy conservation. In some cases the cost of the contraption used is much more expensive and cumbersome but one is able to operate it.
Similar situation can be seen in the industry as regards Safety audits, there are much more soul searching questions have to be asked if what this thing goes wrong and one needs to be inventive and ingeneous to come up the solutions. As regards to old plants, plants' weak points have to looked for failure and wall thickness whereas new plants should have corrosion coupons to find what is happening in the units.
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17/04/2008
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Amarjit Bakshi, Refining Hydrocarbon Technologies LLC, abakshi@rhtgulfcoast.com
This is a very pertinent question in today's market. In 1978 to 1981 Exxon had an energy conservation project for Baton Rouge refinery and Petrochemical complex. Obviously the project was cancelled around 1981/1982 due to market forces i.e. oil prices. These energy conservation projects were being in design phase in USA and in Venezuela. These projects were based on Crude price getting to about 90$/bbl by 1990.
It seems the lessons learned as regards to energy conservation have been lost and are not being practiced, some of the reason are most of operators are not looking at efficiencies due to market forces.
It is surprising to see this happening when some of the licensors and other units where the processes with gas streams at 450 F are being cooled by air-cooling, this is both sensible and latent heat being thrown into the atmosphere.
One has to go to some innovative companies/designers who are concerned about heat wastage rather than lowest possible cost of the unit and look at how to use these streams to extract most of heat energy economically with reasonable payout. The obvious Pinch analysis is not the only answer one might have become more inventive and socially responsible.
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