Process Design and Operation for Energy Efficiency

Abstract

There are three distinct ways in which energy savings have historically been achieved in the process industries, namely improved process design, better maintenance and housekeeping, and more efficient plant operating strategies. These continue to be key areas for energy managers. However, advances in computing (both hardware and software), together with novel design and retrofit methodologies, give today's energy manager capabilities that greatly surpass those of his predecessors. This paper describes some of the powerful energy management tools that are now available. Case study results are used to illustrate the applications of the various techniques and their success in reducing energy costs.