Synthesis of Water Networks Involving Temperature-Based Property Operators and Thermal Effects

This paper introduces a systematic approach for water integration in industrial facilities based on properties. New property operators and mixing rules (e.g., for odor and toxicity) are proposed to enable the tracking of stream characteristics and the inclusion in an optimization model. Additionally, the dependence of the properties on temperature is accounted for. The thermal effects upon properties are also considered in the proposed water-network model by including cooling and heating. The proposed model for water integration is based on a recycle scheme that includes regeneration processes to improve the stream properties. Furthermore, temperature-adjusting property interceptors are included in the superstructure of the regeneration network to satisfy the temperature constraints in the sinks and also to improve temperature-dependent properties. The applicability of the proposed approach is shown through several case studies, where methodology comparison is made with respect to the ones previously reported in the literature.