TWO ESTABLISHED PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES CONFIRMED BY ENTROPY PRODUCTION MINIMIZATION

Authors

• Signe Kjelstrup
• Eivind Johannessen
• Audun Røsjorde

Department of Process and Energy,Department of Physical Chemistry and Molecular Thermodynamics, Technical University of Delft, N-7491 Delft, The Netherlands Real Concept ASA, Mustadsvei 1, NO- 0216 Oslo, Norway

Abstract

The method of entropy production minimization for finding energy efficient paths of operation of process equipment is first presented using an instructive example with optimal control theory. With refer-ence to the earlier investigations, the researchers present some design rules that relate to the designs’ en-tropy production. Minimum entropy production is not obtained in special cases, not generally, by equipar-tition of entropy production or of thermodynamic forces. the researchers show that two well established industrial technologies, namely the Haldor Topsøe steam reformer and the Linde technology for air sepa-ration understood in terms of the design rules. The entropy production minimization technique is thus able to predict well proven technology, technology that has developed over several decades. This gives an argument for early use of this technique in the designing phase of energy intensive processes.

Keywords

• Entropy production minimization
• energy efficient design rules

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