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Retrofit and Exergy Analysis of Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit Using Heat Recovery Approach Temperature as Decision Criterion

  • Research Article - Chemical Engineering
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Abstract

Optimum and economic operation of any process plant depends on the right selection of ΔT min. The estimated optimum ΔT min for the investigated fluid catalytic cracking unit was 20 °C instead of the prevailing 109 °C. The pinch point was also found to be 127–107 °C. There was a reduction in the process stream exergy loss from 9.11 MW in existing network to 3.83 MW in the proposed network. Energy cost saving of $2,189,041.60 was achieved by the proposed network. The economic implications of heat recovery improvement were modifications to the cold crude feed from tank inlet to the main fractionator, removal of split in the boiler feed water from deaerator stream and proper positioning of 17 barg steam generator. The capital cost for plant modification was $3,220,238.11 with payback period of 1.5 years.

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Abbreviations

A :

Fixed cost of installation independent of area

AF:

Annualization factor (/year)

B :

Exchanger cost per unit area

C u :

Utility cost

F :

Correction factor accounting for non-countercurrent flow

h :

Heat transfer coefficient

MCp :

Heat capacity flow rate (kW/°C)

Q j :

Enthalpy change of the jth stream

Q u :

Total utility (kW)

Q C :

Cooling utility demand (kW)

Q H :

Heating utility demand (kW)

ΔEx:

Exergy change (kW)

ΔT min :

Minimum temperature difference

ΔT lmtd :

Logarithmic mean temperature difference for the interval

ΔQ :

Heat change (kW)

σ T o :

Total exergy loss (kW)

i :

Denotes to the i th enthalpy interval

j :

Denotes to the jth stream

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia

    Eid M. Al-Mutairi

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  1. Eid M. Al-Mutairi
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Al-Mutairi, E.M. Retrofit and Exergy Analysis of Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit Using Heat Recovery Approach Temperature as Decision Criterion. Arab J Sci Eng 39, 3403–3414 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-014-0964-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-014-0964-3

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