Reduction in Utility Consumption in a Biorefinery Using Energy Integration Through Heat Exchanger Networks

The present work aims to propose the implementation of a heat exchanger network in a second-generation ethanol production plant from sugarcane bagasse, with the aim of reducing environmental impacts and production costs, such as water and energy. Six cases with different configurations of heat exchangers were proposed and the mass balance of each case was calculated to quantify the consumption of steam and water in each equipment. With the results obtained through the energy balance calculations, it was possible to evaluate the best case, that is, the scenario that presented lower second-generation ethanol production costs. By using the proper heat exchanger network, there was a reduction in the consumption of hot utility by 26.27% and cold utility by 44.70%, making the second generation ethanol production process more economical and favorable for implementation.