Energy Integration in Chemical Production
INTRODUCTION
Chemical plants rarely run a single, neat steam level. You’ll find Low-Pressure (LP) vapor bleeding off a distillation column, Medium-Pressure (MP) users like reboilers and dryers, and sometimes High-Pressure (HP) headers feeding turbines or large heaters.
When LP vapor vents to atmosphere, you’re throwing away purchased energy and treated water.
Enter the Jetomat: a controllable Steam Jet Ejector / Steam Thermocompressor that pulls waste vapor from one unit and Recompresses it to a useful pressure for another.
The result is simple: Saving Energy, fewer plumes, and measurable CO₂ reduction—an easy win for plant sustainability goals.
WHAT IS ENERGY INTEGRATION WITH A JETOMAT?
Energy Integration here means reusing Waste Steam from one process as a Heat Source for another—without a rotating compressor. A Jetomat uses high-pressure motive steam through a shaped Nozzle to create a high-velocity jet. That jet produces a local vacuum which entrains LP vapor (e.g., from a column overhead receiver or flash tank). In the Diffuser, velocity is converted back to pressure so the Mixed Steam can feed an MP user (reboiler, dryer, heater).
This is the classic Steam Jet Ejector Working Principle (momentum exchange).
In thermodynamics terms, it’s a compact Vapor Compressor / Steam Compressor with no moving rotors, just smart Nozzle Design and a Diffuser.
COMPONENTS OF THE INTEGRATION LOOP
Controllable Motive Nozzle (with Actuator)
Pneumatic or electric actuation moves a spindle to vary the throat area and motive mass flow (typical turndown 3:1–5:1).
Keeps discharge (mixed) pressure on setpoint even when column load or header pressure drifts.
Suction takeoff (waste vapor)
From a distillation column vent, reflux drum, or Flash Steam from a depressurized condensate pot (usually 0–0.5 bar(g), 100–105 °C).
Short, insulated line with good drainage to prevent slugging.
Mixing Chamber & Diffuser and Nozzle
The jet picks up the LP vapor; the Diffuser rebuilds pressure to the MP target (often 2–4 bar(g)).
MP user (Heat Sink)
Reboiler, dryer, or process coil bank that accepts saturated steam. A Steam Separator is rarely needed; add only if your instrument spec demands very dry steam.
Controls & Interlocks
Primary PID on Mixed-Steam Pressure (or downstream temperature).
Suction low-flow/low-temperature alarm; motive low-pressure permissive; standard PLC/DCS integration for recipes.
HOW IT WORKS—With Numbers You Can Check
Generic Chemicals Case
Waste LP Vapor available: 900 kg/h at 0.1 bar(g) (~100–102 °C) from a distillation column that used to vent.
Target MP header: 3.0 bar(g) (Tsat ≈ 152 °C) feeding a thin-film dryer and a small reboiler.
Motive Header: 10 bar(g) saturated.
Chosen operating point: entrainment ratio ≈ 0.8.
Mass Balance:
Motive ~ 900/0.8 ~125 kgh
Mixed m_discharge = 125 + 900 = 1,025 kg/h at 3.0 bar(g)
Energy Implication
Each 1 kg of recovered LP vapor displaces ~1 kg of fresh MP steam. Here, ~900 kg/h of boiler steam is avoided whenever the integration loop is on.
Annual Impact (8,000 h/y run)
Avoided MP steam ≈ 7,200 t/y.
If your steam all-in cost is ₹2500/t, that’s ≈₹200 Lacs/y saved (scale with your actual ₹/t).
CO₂ reduction depends on fuel; for natural gas at ~0.19 t CO₂/MWh, typical sites see hundreds of tonnes CO₂/y avoided for this flow range.
WHY A THERMOCOMPRESSOR Instead of a PRV or a Bigger Flash Vessel?
PRV = throttling → pressure drop without energy recovery; you still vent LP vapor somewhere.
Bigger Flash Vessel → organizes flashing but doesn’t re-use vapor across pressure levels.
Jetomat → Reuses vapor by recompressing to MP; no rotor, bearings, or lube system; just a robust Venturi with an adjustable nozzle.
And because it’s Controllable, it stays stable when column throughput or boiler pressure changes—maintaining suction and preventing Over-Compression or loss of entrainment that fixed devices suffer.
WHERE IT FITS IN A CHEMICAL PLANT
Distillation → Reboiler/Dryer cross-link
Column overhead vent or reflux drum vapor becomes heat for another unit.
Great for solvents, aromatics, light ends—anywhere vents were “normal.”
Flash Steam Recovery from Condensate Systems
Ejector pulls flash from open receivers and lifts it to the LP/MP header or deaerator—classic Flash Steam Recovery System / Heat Recovery System.
Multi-level Steam Sites
Plants with HP, MP, LP headers benefit most; the Jetomat stitches pressure levels together without a mechanical compressor.
BENEFITS
Fuel Savings & Steam Economy
Recovered vapor Reduces Boiler firing directly; many facilities measure 5–15% steam reduction on the linked area, and several percent (e.g., 3–8%) site-wide when multiple links are installed.
Lower Emissions & Thermal Plumes
Roof vents go quiet; visible steam clouds shrink; CO₂ falls with fuel use.
Process Stability
±0.05 bar mixed-pressure stability is typical; reboilers and dryers run at flatter temperatures, improving product moisture and consistency.
Maintenance Light
No rotating machinery; fewer small traps (in some integrations you can reduce trap counts on the tied users); standard actuator/positioner upkeep only.
Water & Chemicals
More Steam and Condensate stay in-loop → less make-up water and lower chemical dosing.
Mini Case Study
Before:
Distillation column vented ~1.0 t/h LP steam; MP reboiler consumed ~4.0 t/h fresh steam.
Frequent venting “just to be safe” and seasonal header swings causing control oscillations.
After (Jetomat installed):
Suction: column vent 1.0 t/h; Motive: ~1.2 t/h at 10 bar(g); Mixed: ~2.2 t/h at 3.0 bar(g) shared by a reboiler/dryer.
Fresh MP steam to those users dropped ~1.0 t/h.
Boiler logs showed ~7–9% fuel cut on that production train; vent temperature/flow alarms now quiet.
Payback: <12 months at moderate steam prices; shorter if steam cost is high.
(Exact savings depend on pressures, Thermocompressor Design, suction piping losses, and time-at-load.)
PRACTICAL DESIGN NOTES
Data pack: motive header P/T; suction P/T and flow; target mixed pressure; allowable Δp to the user; run-hour profile.
Piping: keep suction short, insulated, pocket-free; place drains at low points; use large-radius bends.
Controls: start with mixed-pressure control; consider temperature cascade for critical reboilers; add ambient or column-load feed-forward if swings are fast.
Turndown: specify 3:1–5:1 motive turndown for nights/weekends and grade changes.
Safeguards: non-return on motive; slow-opening valve to avoid water hammer; add a small Steam Separator upstream if the motive line is wet.
Metering: install flow/pressure trends to document fuel, steam, and CO₂ savings for ESG reporting.
CONCLUSION
Cross-process Energy Integration with a Jetomat Steam Jet Thermocompressor turns “waste” into useful heat. By recompressing LP vapor from one unit to feed an MP user elsewhere, chemical plants cut fuel, shrink emissions, and stabilize operations—often with several percent site-wide energy recovery when deployed across multiple links.
How to begin
List continuous vents and flash sources (kg/h, temperature, pressure).
Match each source to a nearby MP sink (reboiler, dryer) and note setpoints.
Request a Thermocompressor Design check (entrainment ratio, compression ratio, Diffuser and Nozzle geometry, actuator choice).
Pilot one link; trend steam, fuel, and product KPIs for 2–4 weeks.
Scale to additional links and formalize a plant-wide Heat Recovery System strategy.