Energy intensity and environmental impact metrics of the back-end separation of ethylene plant by thermodynamic analysis

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Mahdi Alhajji ; Yaşar Demirel
• 关键词：Ethylene plant ; Distillation column ; Column targeting tool ; Exergy loss profiles ; Energy intensity ; Environmental impact metrics
• 刊名：International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：March 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：7
• 期：1
• 页码：45-59
• 全文大小：1,028 KB
• 刊物主题：Renewable and Green Energy;
• 出版者：Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• ISSN：2251-6832

文摘

This study presents metrics of energy intensity and environmental impact of the back-end separation of ethylene plant consisting three interacting distillation columns by thermodynamic analysis. The objective is to explore the scope of reducing the energy for utilities and CO₂ emissions. Thermodynamic analysis is carried out using the column targeting tool (CTT) to address the sustainability metrics of ‘Energy Intensity.’ CTT is based on the ‘Practical Near-Minimum Thermodynamic Condition’ representing a close to practical reversible column operation. Environmental impact metrics are estimated from the carbon tracking options. The carbon tracking are estimated by the CO₂ emission data source of US-EPA-Rule-E9-5711 using natural gas as the primary fuel. The results show that the total reductions in exergy loss and the total hot and cold utility are around 44 and 10 %, respectively; the total reductions in carbon dioxide are around 14 %. These improvements lead to considerable reductions in the operating costs. Thermodynamic analysis helps estimating and improving the energy and environmental sustainability metrics and hence can lead to a more sustainable separation by distillation columns.