Process-based graphical approach for simultaneous targeting and design of water network

• Published in: AIChE journal Vol. 57; no. 11; pp. 3085 - 3104
• Main Authors: Deng, Chun, Feng, Xiao, Ng, Denny Kok Sum, Foo, Dominic Chwan Yee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-11-2011; Wiley; American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Constraining; Exact sciences and technology; Flow rate; Freshwaters; Gain; General purification processes; Graph representations; multiple resources; Networks; pinch analysis; Pollution; Process engineering; Recycling; regeneration; Reuse; total water network; Waste water; Wastewaters; Water; water minimization; water network synthesis; Water treatment and pollution; Waterways; Design; water minimization; multiple resources; pinch analysis; regeneration; total water network; Reuse; Recycling; water network synthesis; Waste water
• ISSN: 0001-1541; 1547-5905
• DOI: 10.1002/aic.12508

A new process‐based graphical approach (PGA) is presented for the simultaneous targeting and design of water network. The PGA is extended from the limiting water profile which was developed for flow rate targeting for a water network. Via PGA procedure, apart from locating the minimum freshwater and wastewater flow rate targets, the water network that corresponds to the minimum flow rate targets is also synthesized simultaneously. The proposed approach handles both fixed load (including operations with water loss and/or gain) and fixed flow rate problems equally well. In addition, the approach can be used to synthesize direct reuse/recycle, regeneration reuse/recycling, and total water network. Furthermore, the proposed approach is applicable for water network with multiple freshwater sources. Three literature examples are presented to illustrate the proposed approach. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011