Heat integration of an industrial fluid catalytic cracking plant

The fluid catalytic cracking process represents the main conversion process in a refinery. The successful operation of the FCC unit determines the position on the market of the refinery. The objective of this work is to analyze the actual heat exchanger network (HEN) of an industrial fluid catalytic cracking plant (FCC) and, using real data provided by a refinery from Romania and Pinch technique, to improve it. ASPEN Plus was used to simulate the process. ASPEN HX-Net was used to generate the retrofitted designs of the HEN. The obtained results present the possibility to improve the actual heat exchanger distribution in the heat exchanger network and to save energy. Adding heat exchangers, re-piping, and improving the performance of some heat exchangers, it is possible to save energy from the actual heat exchanger network and to improve the process operation.