Batch energy integration

Energy integration in batch processes is challenging due to dynamic availability of hot and cold streams. This complicates design and control of such integrated systems. In our research, we work on both the design and operational aspects of energy-integrated batch systems.

While implementing energy integration in batch process, there are two basic alternatives. Direct integration forces hot and cold streams to co-exist (through scheduling) and treat this as pseudo-continuous system. Indirect integration employs energy storage through heat transfer medium and thus decouples design from scheduling. In our research, we combine these approaches to achieve mixed-energy integration. We have shown that this strategy results in higher energy recovery compared to the basic alternatives. Subsequently, all these approaches are also compared in terms of their operability and robustness.

As distillation is one of the most widely used separation techniques and the largest consumer of energy, we specifically focus on energy integration in batch distillation. To this end, we have proposed novel performance indices to quantify performance of such columns and have developed optimal operational framework for two energy integrated batch distillation configurations; vapor recompressed batch distillation and multi-vessel batch distillation. These ideas are being extended to other integrated configurations as well as to improve batch distillation designs.

For more details, you can refer to our published work.