A mathematical approach for retrofit and optimization of total site steam distribution networks

CATEGORY: STEAM DISTRIBUTION NETWORK 
A mathematical approach for retrofit and optimization of total site steam distribution networks

Type	Journal Article
Author	Cheng-Liang Chen
Author	Hui-Chu Chen
URL	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957582014001232
Volume	92
Issue	6
Pages	532-544
Publication	Process Safety and Environmental Protection
Date	November 2014
Abstract	Presents a generic mathematical model for retrofitting the steam power plants in an industrial site. The review includes a steel mill, an oil refinery, and several petrochemical plants, where only small-scale steam integration had been implemented prior to the study. Researchers established the relevant unit models in a typical steam power plant formulated the steam plant retrofit problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP). They studied feasible retrofit alternatives suggested by experienced field engineers in sequence to examine the revenue of those possible modifications. The first scenario examines operational optimization of existent plants. The second option allows installation of one new turbine and replacement of several boilers and turbines with lower efficiency. The third scenario considers using a steam ejector to upgrade the disqualified import steam in the oil refinery. The significant merits from these three retrofit alternatives show that the proposed MINLP formulation has been a great help to enhance the inter-plant steam integration in an industrial setting.