ملخص
Abstract
Against the background due to the energy crisis in the late 1970’s, the pinch analysis has emerged as a powerful tool for the integrated design of process heat networks which include heat exchangers, distillation columns, furnaces, etc..The key strategy of this methodology is to set energy targets prior to design based on basic thermodynamic principles.The subject of this thesis in to apply this analysis to one of the Libyan Refineries, namely Ras Lanuf Refinery, to assess energy utilization of such big energy – consuming plants and to explore the potential of energy as well as capital costs savings based on the finding of applying this analysis. Based on actual operating data collected from the plant and application of the procedure of the pinch analysis to this real case study where a minimum temperature difference approach in the Ras Lanuf refinery heat exchangers design of 10 (ΔT min =10 ) the following results were obtained. Actual rate of energy consumption of the base case design of the refinery is 9MW which is provided by burning fuel oil in the furnace, while the minimum target predicted by the pinch analysis should be 8MW. This amounts to just over 11% energy savings which equivalent to $462,000 per year reduction in the operating cost of the refinery