H2TT – A pinch analysis software tool for refinery hydrogen network management(Book Chapter)

Hydrogen management practices in the petroleum industry aim at maximising refining gross margins while addressing environmental and production planning issues. A novel pinch analysis software tool – H2TT – establishes targets for the minimum hydrogen utility consumption prior to detailed network design. H2TT is an interactive spreadsheet-based software programmed in Visual Basic for Applications that analyses the potential for reusing hydrogen across the refinery based on pinch analysis principles. This software identifies the existence of bottlenecks in the hydrogen distribution system and gives valuable insights into the appropriate placement of additional purification units within the hydrogen network. Moreover, it can be used to assess the availability of hydrogen at different purity levels. One example is provided to illustrate the applicability of H2TT for the integration hydrogen resources in refineries and petrochemical plants. This work was carried out within an industrial research project in close collaboration with Galp Energia and is focused on a Petrogal refinery located near Sines, Portugal. © 2016 Elsevier B.V.