Process Integration and Optimization of Logistical Fuels Processing for Hydrogen Production

In this work, the preliminary results of a process integration analysis of a logistical fuels processing plant is presented. A simulation model of a bench scale test bed was developed using a commercial simulator (Pro/II) and used to generate the necessary data for performing a thermal pinch analysis. The analysis shows that considerable savings can be obtained through increased thermal integration of the system. The specific application of the fuel processing system is to power a portable radar system, thus reductions in energy requirements translates into equally important reductions in equipment size. To further increase the integration potential the use of heat pipe technology has been investigated. Heat pipes allow for near isothermal heat transfer and thus significantly reduce the required temperature driving force. A simple, systematic method for identification of optimum heat pipe usage in heat exchange networks is presented in this work.