1

Optimum Heat Integration of Acrylonitrile Process by Targeting and

Simulation

Enrique Arce Medina
(a)
, Antonio de J. Huerta Belmonte and I. Patricia Flores Allier
(b)


Escuela Superior de Ingeniera Qumica e Industrias Extractivas,
Instituto Politcnico Nacional
Edif. 7, Unidad Profesional A.L.M., Col. Lindavista, Mxico D.F., 07738.
(a)
earcem@yahoo.com.mx and
(b)
ipfallier@hotmail.com

Corresponding author: Enrique Arce Medina

Abstract
A strategy that allows students to learn the energy integration pinch methodology while examining a real
process for energy improvements is presented. The main goals of the process design course are to
familiarize students with the practice of process integration fundamentals and to engage the students in
engineering analysis, synthesis and simulation of chemical processes. Supertargeting analysis was applied
to the acrylonitrile process (this process was selected as a typical case of the many design projects of
students). A model simulation of the process must be built by students using the PRO/II package
simulator. Results show that the major savings comes in the reduction of cooling duties and eliminated
completely the need of heating utilities. Advantages to students of the strategy by using a simulator to
enhance learning of energy integration by pinch technology are numerous.
Keywords: Heat integration, Pinch analysis, Supertargeting, Energy saving, Process design.

Introduction

There are three learning objectives to be addressed: (1) introduce the basics of pinch technology; (2)
examine a real process for energy improvements, and (3) investigate the use of a simulation package to
test efficiency of the improved process for the optimal heat exchanger network (HEN) design. An
important component of the course is team formation to develop a design project along the semester.
Students are required to find information about the process for making their assigned product, the safety
and environmental issues, the uses of the product and some background on the economics. The students
design projects evolved systematically using the hierarchical process design approach by Douglas, where
process synthesis is done using heuristics [1]. The Project Based Learning (PBL) approach is implemented
in the chemical process design course at the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico, as part of a strategy
that requires students to develop de conceptual design of chemical processes. At least half of the students
time invested in managing their projects is devoted to process integration and simulation. This paper
briefly summarizes how pinch analysis and simulation was applied to the acrylonitrile process (this
process was selected as a typical case of the many design projects of students).
Heat integration allows significant energy savings in chemical and petrochemical process. Pinch
technology is a design approach to optimize heat integration in a process; it has become a powerful tool in
heat and mass integration, since it was introduced by Linhoff and Flower [2, 3]. The pinch design method
of HENs was presented in 1983 [4], and is based on thermodynamic principles. Since it is desired to
synthesize a cost effective HEN, an acceptable minimum approach temperature or Tmin, must be
specified.
2

Pinch analysis predicts the theoretical minimum energy requirements (minimum hot utility, Q
h,min

and minimum cold utility, Q
c,min
), for a given process, these are known as the MER targets; the fewest
number of heat exchangers (N
min
), and the lowest total heat exchanger area (A
min
) for a given process prior
to any HEN design [5,6]. Targets can be determined using the composite curves, which is a graphical
method that uses the temperature-enthalpy diagram or the Problem Table. The pinch point is defined as
the point where the vertical distance between two composite curves comes to a point of closest approach,
which is Tmin apart.

Ahmad and Linnhoff [7] introduced the Supertargeting algorithm to determine the optimum
Tmin that leads to the minimum Total Annual Cost (TAC) for HENs using the composite curves. It is
based on the construction of a trade-off diagram to determine the optimum minimum approach
temperature, by plotting the sum of the annual capital cost of HENs and annual utilities cost to obtain the
TAC, versus Tmin. The resulting HEN will be within 5% of their cost target [7].

Process description

Supertargeting analysis was applied to the acrylonitrile process. A base case design of the acrylonitrile
process must be proposed at the beginning of the project. Process description: Acrylonitrile (CH
2
=CHCN)
is produced by amonoxidation of propylene (CH
2
=CHCH
3
) in a fluidized bed reactor containing a catalyst.
Propylene, ammonia and oxygen are fed in their respective stoichiometric ratios. The feedstocks are
preheated in separated exchangers before being mixed and fed to the reactor. Useful by-products formed
in the reactor are acetonitrile (CH
3
CN) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Among secondary reactions the
most important losses are by oxidations of propylene combustion. The reactor operates at temperatures
between 400
o
C and 500
o
C, and pressure of 2 atm. A high conversion of propylene (98%) is obtained so
there is no need for recycle. The reactions are highly exothermic, and the heat of reaction is mainly used in
several parts of the process like preheating the reactor feed stream. Main reactions are [8]:

CH
2
=CHCH
3
+ 1.5 O
2
+ NH
3
CH
2
=CHCN + 3H
2
O
CH
2
=CHCH
3
+ 1.5 O
2
+ 1.5NH
3
1.5CH
3
CN + 3H
2
O
CH
2
=CHCH
3
+ 3 O
2
+ 3NH
3
3HCN + 6H
2
O
CH
2
=CHCH
3
+ 3 O
2
3CO + 3H
2
O
2CH
2
=CHCH
3
+ 9O
2
6CO
2
+ 6H
2
O

The hot reactor effluent is cooled in an exchanger and further cooling is carried out by quenching
with water in a countercurrent absorber and any unreacted ammonia is neutralized with sulfuric acid. The
absorber off-gas is send to an incinerator; it mainly contains N
2
, CO, and CO
2
, while the liquid from the
bottom of the scrubber is send to a distillation train to separate the by-products and the acrylonitrile. Hot
and cold streams data were extracted from a simulation of the base case design. The process flowsheet is
shown in Fig. 1.
3


Figure 1. Flowsheet of acrylonitrile process.
A model simulation of the process must be built by students using the PRO/II package simulator.
A large percentage of our students come into the process design course without experience in the use of
simulation packages, so three lessons are delivered to lessen this shortcoming. Pinch analysis was applied
to the simulated process to determine the MER for Tmin values in the range of 5 to 40 C, at 5C
difference.
The Supertargeting algorithm calculates de heat exchanger cost as a function of the area, A:
() ()

Where a, b, and c are constants that vary according to materials of construction, pressure rating
and type of exchanger. The cost of hot and cold utilities are a multiple the Q
h,min
and Q
c,min
values
respectively. The area is estimated using the N vertical intervals that are assigned for all the brake points
of the hot and cold composite curves [9]. These is done by dividing the diagram of the composite curves
into enthalpy intervals at slope changes of either curve, considering only the over lapping between hot and
cold composite curves.



= = (
(

A
=
N
j
N
k k
j k
j lm
j
h
Q
T
A
1 1
,
,
1

Where:
N
j
= total number of process streams in interval j,
h
k
= heat transfer coefficients of the k stream,

j lm
T
,
A = logarithmic mean temperature difference for the j, and
j k
Q
,
= the duty contribution of stream k to each vertical interval j.
Using the Supertargeting algorithm an optimal minimum approach temperature, was found to be 35 C,
see Fig. 2
4


Figure 2. Variation of TAC with Tmin.
The performance of the simulated process was demonstrated to be capable to take into account the
predicted MER without provoking quality diminish of products. By applying the pinch analysis to the
process streams the HEN is synthesized and integrated in the simulated process flowsheet (see Fig. 3).
Results show that the major savings comes in the reduction of cooling duties and eliminated completely
the need of heating utilities.


Figure 1. Flowsheet of acrylonitrile process with integrated HEN.
Advantages to students of the strategy by using a simulator to enhance learning of energy
integration by pinch technology are numerous and include the following: help them develop an
understanding of concepts and procedures of pinch technology while working with a real process, gain
experience of using a simulator through numerical experimentation with the process model in a computer,
learn collaboratively while developing their projects in teams, give them the opportunity to stress their
verbal communication ability and the skill to get along with others.
1,120,000
1,125,000
1,130,000
1,135,000
1,140,000
1,145,000
1,150,000
1,155,000
0 10 20 30 40 50
T
A
C

(
$
)

tmin (C)
5

Conclusion
The educational approach described in this paper applies the project-based learning instructional technique
in a process design course at the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico. Team working in a project
provides students the opportunity to stress their verbal communication ability and the ability to get along
with others. This paper demonstrates how helpful can be the use of a commercial simulator for efficiently
performing design tasks of chemical process. The acrylonitrile production process was used as a case
study where energy integration was applied using the Pinch technology. Most courses in our institution
follow the teacher-led approach of teaching, a passive style of learning. However, students demonstrated
that they were able to take a more pro-active role in their learning when they work on teams on real
projects, gaining valuable insight into engineering design.

References
[1] Douglas, J. M. A Hierarchical Decision Procedure for Process Synthesis, AICHE J. 1985, 31(3): 353-
362.
[2] Linnhoff, B. and J. R. Flower. Synthesis of heat exchanger networks I. Systematic generation of
energy optimal networks, AIChE J., 1978, 24(4): 633-642.
[3] Linnhoff, B. and J. R. Flower. Synthesis of heat exchanger networks II. Evolutionary of Networks
with Various Criteria of Optimality, AIChE J., 1978, 24(4): 642-654
[4] Linnhoff, B., Hindmarsh, E. The pinch design method for heat exchanger networks, Chem. Eng. Sci.,
1983, 38(5):745-763.
[5] Furman, K.C., Sahinidis, N.V. A critical review and annotated bibliography for heat exchanger
network synthesis in the 20th Century, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2002, 41: 2335-
2370.
[6] Smith, R. Chemical Process Design and Integration. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., England, 2005.
[7] Ahmad, S. and Linnhoff, B. "Supertargeting: Optimum synthesis of energy management systems",
ASME J. Energy Resources Tech., 1989, 111(3): 121-130.
[8] Dutta, S. and R. Gualy. General reactor model improves HPI applications. Hydrocarbon Processing,
July, 1999: 45-53.
[9] Townsend, D. W. and Linnhoff, B. Surface area targets for heat exchangers networks, Inst. of Chem.
Eng. Annual Meeting, Bath, 1984.