 
Introduced in the mid-1980s, pinch analysis provides a systematic approach to analyze energy networks and improve the energy performance of industrial processes. Pinch technology uses graphical representations of the energy flows in the process and utility streams to determine the minimum energy consumption a process should use to meet its specific production requirements.
Initial application of pinch yielded excellent results, with energy consumption reduced by 15 to 25% with good economic paybacks. By the early 1990s, the process industries embraced pinch technology as a valuable and necessary tool—both for new and retrofit process designs. In just a few years, the pinch methodology had been expanded to include the analysis of entire industrial sites.
Today, pinch technology has matured and been successfully applied to thousands of projects worldwide. It should be applied whenever capital investment is considered, as it results in process designs with lower energy use, reduced capital investment, and better integration into the entire site energy system.
Basic Principles of Pinch Analysis—Pinch uses enthalpy diagrams to characterize hot and cold streams in a process and determine the target pinch temperature. Learn more>>
Veritech—Putting Pinch to Work
Veritech’s world-class pinch expertise, practical engineering experience, and proprietary tools help customers achieve capital and operating cost savings for a wide range of projects. Our experience cuts across many process industry sectors—oil refining, chemicals, petrochemicals, pulp and paper, and food—and addresses a broad range of management issues, including:
- Scoping and targeting studies for process units
- Detailed designs for process units
- Comprehensive site-wide analyses
- Integrated utility system evaluations, including large- and small-scale co-generation
- Fuel systems optimization
- Water system optimization
Whether you need to develop a site-wide energy cost reduction strategy, minimize capital in a crude unit revamp, or develop a plan for NOx compliance, Veritech can help you develop cost-effective solutions.
Experience, Knowledge, and Tools for Success
While pinch technology experience is important to the success of a project, there are several other factors that make the difference between saving money and having just another interesting study:
- Process understanding
- Knowledge of equipment design and operation
- Relevant analytical tools and software
Veritech has developed the team and tools required for success. And we offer that combination of pinch technology and complementary engineering services that best fits each project.
Experience. The Veritech staff has over 50 staff-years of industrial experience in the development and application of pinch technology principles and methodologies. In addition our technical staff’s experience covers a wide range of industrial processes and process systems.
Knowledge. While Veritech has pinch technology expertise, we are more than just a “pinch technology” company. Veritech offers a unique and unbiased perspective of when, where, and how to apply pinch technology to real-world industrial situations for maximum results.
Tools. The application of pinch technology requires software – but it requires more than just “pinch software.” Accordingly, Veritech has developed additional software tools to complement our pinch software. Our tools facilitate development of the information required to perform pinch analysis effectively, and they permit the accurate simulation and confirmation of the projects and savings that such analyses identify.
Basic Principles of Pinch Analysis
The pinch technique uses temperature-enthalpy diagrams to characterize the hot and cold streams available for heat transfer. The sum of the hot streams and cold streams in a process are drawn on a diagram from which we determine the "pinch" temperature.
A simple set of composite curves (below) shows the energy flow within a process unit. The upper curve, termed the Hot Composite Curve, is the sum of all the heat available from the process unit. The heat can be used to heat another process stream or it can be heat rejected to a cold utility, such as cooling water. The lower curve is the Cold Composite Curve, which represents the sum of all the heat required by the process unit. These streams can be heated by another process stream in a heat exchanger or they can be heated with hot utility (using a furnace, for example).
From this single plot, three useful pieces of information can be determined:
- Amount of process heat recovery possible
- Hot utility requirement (target)
- Cold utility requirement (target)
The targets are the absolute minimum amount of energy the process requires for a given separation of the curves, or minimum approach temperature. The point of closest approach between the curves is called the "Process Pinch." Recognizing the location of the Process Pinch is critical to achieving an optimal design for both energy cost and capital cost.
|
Veritech®