Practical energy and water management through pinch analysis for the pulp and paper industry

Abstract

In this paper we briefly describe pinch technology as a practical tool for effective energy management in the pulp and paper industry. Results indicate good steam savings. Recently pinch technology has been extended to water management. We have developed a customized methodology for the pulp and paper industry, to eliminate or reduce fresh water intake. Although the methodology is not fully developed it is a "proof of concept" that pinch principles can be applied to water related problems. The eventual combination of both thermal and water pinch will thus provide a structured and comprehensive approach for plant wide efficiency increase.

Agricultural palm oil tree residues as raw material for cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses production by ethylene glycol pulping process

“…Implied energy intense and high water demanding operations have a deep impact on environmental concerns and also represent a considerable operational cost [2]. Effective management of wastewaters is imperative as well [3,4] in order to remove the great quantity of pollutants released during the process (suspended solids, heavy metals, alkali and alkaline earth metals, phenols, cyanide, sulfides, etc.…”

Energy efficiency challenges in pulp and paper manufacturing: A tutorial review

“…Pinch analysis is a technique that can be applied to avoid unnecessary exergy losses in an industrial process (Browne et al 2001;Koufos and Retsina 2001;Wising et al 2005;Atkins et al 2012). Because pinch analysis typically considers all unit operations within the entire facility simultaneously, the term "process integration" is often applied.…”

“…Ideally, in a heat exchange process, the differences in temperature between the stream being cooled down and the stream being heated up ought to be relatively near together, throughout the system (Browne et al 2001;Koufos and Retsina 2001;Savulescu and Alva-Argaez 2008;Atkins et al 2012;Bonhivers et al 2016). This is done by modifying or replacing parts of the heat-exchange network structure and reconnecting it so that it more closely approaches an ideal system, while at the same time avoiding too many heat exchange units or excessively long distances between interacting streams.…”

Energy efficiency challenges in pulp and paper manufacturing: A tutorial review

“…8, which is based on graphics shown by Atkins et al (2012). The most notable feature in a typical graphic for a pinch analysis is a pair of composite curves, which together represent all of the streams being cooled and all of the streams being heated within the process as a whole (Koufos and Retsina 2001). Streams of materials being cooled (such as flue case, foul condensate, and exhaust from the hoods…”