Energy Analysis of Nitric Acid Ethylene Oxide Ethylene Glycol Process and Methanol Reactor

Abstract

Exergy analysis provides insight for improvement in the process or equipment to enhance newlineits energy efficiency by reducing the loss of exergy. Exergy analysis can also be helpful in newlineimproving an existing processes or design and developing new environmental friendly newlineprocesses. newlineTo investigate possible causes of exergy losses in actual process in the chemical industry, newlineNitric acid and Ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol production plants are selected. Overall newlineenergy and exergy analysis are carried for these processes. Apart from this, exergy analysis newlineis also used as a tool to select life of catalyst based on an economic evaluation of the newlineprocess. newlineInitially, energy balance and exergy balance of both the processes are carried out. Exergy newlinedestruction in equipments is listed for each plant. Based on the exergy destructions newlineanalysis, key parameters are identified and various options to reduce the exergy destruction newlinethrough various practically feasible solutions are proposed. An attempt has been made to newlineimprove exergy efficiency and thus energy efficiency of the nitric acid process by newlinechanging inlet temperature of oxidation air and recovering heat in the cooler condenser. newlineEnergy and exergy balance of ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol process depends upon newlinecatalyst selectivity. The performance of plant on exergy basis is evaluated at start run and newlineend run of the plant. Raw material cost and catalyst cost are the factors affecting plant newlineeconomy; hence exergoeconomic analysis based on fixed cost is evaluated. EXCEM newlinemethod is used for this analysis. This analysis will be helpful to decide catalyst selectivity newlinefor the end run. newlineIn present work, exergy analysis is also used as a tool to evaluate the performance of newlinethermally coupled reactors for the production of methanol. Exergy destruction per ton of newlinemethanol production and per ton hydrogen production is also calculated. newline