A novel approach for retrofit and operations management of existing total sites

A new methodology is developed for analysis of total sites which expedites the energy retrofit and operations management. The directions for improvement of site efficiency, and their limits are first identified by conducting a utility system analysis termed as the top-level analysis. The results are represented graphically on the novel "power generation efficiency curves." These curves enhance the understanding of performance of an existing utility system, and thus enable the identification of the most promising modifications in the retrofit of process heat exchanger networks (HENs). a significant advantage of the approach is that it minimises the amount of data required, a big obstacle in total site retrofit,without compromising on the optimality of the results. The power generation efficiency curves also prove useful for optimisation of utility system operations to reduce the energy costs on a site. An industrial case study is solved for demonstration. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.