New insights on optimal integration of heat pumps in industrial sites

Abstract Many industrial complexes are total sites consisting of processes and the facilities that supply these processes with the required quantities of heat and power. Any meaningful heat pump integration procedure should, therefore, be based on a clear understanding of the site thermodynamics and economics, especially the utility system-process interactions. Pinch technology provides an excellent framework for systematic analysis of such interactions. In this paper, options for appropriate placement of heat pumps in total sites are clearly delineated. A general equation for maximum economic lift is presented. Application of this equation to different heat pump types provides novel insights on the roles and characteristics of heat pumps in industrial sites. An expression for maximum theoretical economic lift is also derived. This expression can be used to define, a priori, the region in temperature space within which the optimum heat pump lift must lie.