Question { 15166 }
What is Pinch Technology?
Answer
Pinch-technology is a method for analyzing and designing
the use of heat energy. It can be best applied to process
industry which uses large amounts of heat energy. Pinch-
technology is based on mass and heat balance of the
concerned process. All the process streams are analyzed.
The so-called hot composite curve consists of all the
streams, which require cooling and the cold composite curve
consists of all the streams, which require heating. With
help of these curves, all the heat transfer of the process
can be analyzed simultaneously. Optimal targets for energy
consumption can be obtained before the design of the heat-
exchanger network. These targets are based on economical
optimization. Pinch-technology can be used also when
designing heat and power cogeneration and for optimal
placing of heat pumps. Computer programs and graphs are
used when designing processes with the pinch-technology.
The composite curves and energy consumption targets can be
easily composed when using software based on pinch-
technology. The topology of the heat-exchanger network in
the early phases of design is convenient to present with
graphical grid presentation