Fundamentals of Heat Integration

Abstract

This chapter helps to build a strong foundation in the understanding of heat transfer between process streams by introducing basic concepts that are central to heat integration such as minimum approach temperature, the use of external utility duties, as well as correlations between heat source and sink in an overall process system. This chapter also provides an overview of key terms and design equations encountered in design applications for heat exchanger units and introduces practice problems that guide the reader through analytical calculations that arrive at design parameters, which will achieve maximum energy recovery objectives. Heat integration is achieved by integrating an optimally designed heat exchanger network (HEN) into a process system and is hence crucial to the recovery of thermal energy and minimization of waste heat. This chapter provides good grounding for more in-depth topics in HEN design, which will be further built upon in the later chapters of this book.