Simulation and Energy Conservation in Natural Gas Processing Plants

Simulation and Energy Conservation in Natural Gas Pro

Seham A. EL-Temtamy¹, Ibrahim Hamid², Eman M.Gabr¹, 

 and Abd El-Rahman Sayed³

1-Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Nasr City, Cairo Egypt

2–Chem. Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Egypt

3– Egyptian Natural Gas Company. (GASCO)

Abstract:

The present work aims at investigating opportunities for energy conservation in Western Desert Gas Complex (WDGC) through modification of the heat exchanger train.  Process simulation of the plant under winter and summer conditions was performed using Hysis steady state simulation program. This step was necessary to furnish stream property data requested for heat analysis as well as condensers and reboilers duties, a usually missing information in chemical processing plants. Minimum heating and cooling energy requirements were calculated for different values of minimum approach temperature (∆T min)   by two methods; the pinch method and the linear programming method. The aim was reaching optimum design of (HEN) achieving the least annualized total cost. Finally the heat exchanger network was designed using the Pinch Design Technology, PDT. Modifications to the existing network were proposed to reach optimum HEN with the least alterations.