ARTICLE IN PRESS

Energy 34 (2009) 254–260

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Energy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy

Integration of absorption heat pumps in a Kraft pulp process for

enhanced energy efficiency
Andrea Costa, Bahador Bakhtiari 1, Sebastian Schuster, Jean Paris 
École Polytechnique Montréal, Department of Chemical Engineering, C.P. 6076, Succ. Centre-ville Montréal (QC) Canada, H3C 3A7

a r t i c l e in f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: A preliminary feasibility study of the implementation of various absorption heat pump configurations in
Received 21 June 2007 a Kraft pulping process has been performed. Three different cases were considered: (i) integration of a
Available online 21 September 2008 double lift heat transformer into the heat recovery circuit of the wood chips digesters to produce low
Keywords: pressure steam equivalent to 25% of the steam demand of the chemical pulping plant, (ii) a double effect
Absorption heat pumps chiller installed in the bleaching chemicals making plant to chill cooling water and produce middle
Heat transformers pressure steam and, (iii) a heat pump installed on the steam extraction line of a turbine which,
Cogeneration combined with the addition of a condensing unit, increases substantially the power output. The simple
Tri-generation payback time and net present value were used to compare the three cases. Both indices are highly
Green power
dependant upon steam prices. The net present value is, in all cases, positive, which indicates that the
Heat recovery
equipment is viable using the assumed cost and efficiency data in this study. Absorption heat pumps are
GHG emissions
Kraft pulping increasingly attractive options for energy upgrading and conversion in a context of increasing energy
Economic assessment costs.
& 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction AHPs constitute an emerging approach to upgrade heat by

exploiting the effect of pressure on an absorption–desorption
The pulp and paper (P&P) industry is characterized by its very cycle to accomplish the temperature lift needed for the heat pump
large energy requirements, in the form of electricity and, as heat effect. AHPs use environmentally benign working fluids which do
for chemical pulping, paper and pulp drying, liquors evaporation not contribute to greenhouse gas accumulation. They are
and other operations. Energy can also be required for cooling to thermally driven and can be activated by combustion of low-cost
maintain critical streams below temperature limits, especially biomass or even by waste heat. They have captured an appreciable
when intensive internal reuse of water is practiced [1]. The share of the market for water chillers in large scale air
temperature of the treated effluent must also be controlled to conditioning units [6]. They are also used for deep refrigeration
ensure proper operation and not endanger sensitive species in the of food products [7]. To the knowledge of the authors there are
receptor streams [2]. Efforts have been directed at reducing only very few reports of actual implementation of AHPs in the P&P
energy costs and very significant gains have been achieved. Early industry in the scientific literature. The first reported AHP unit
measures have dealt with production vs. supply management, installed in a P&P mill has been in operation since 1993 [8]. This
equipment modifications and a range of simple process improve- 200 kW heat transformer delivers steam at 125 1C using secondary
ments to increase energy efficiency, liberate steam capacity or vapour at 85 1C from one of the liquor evaporation plants.
reduce consumption of fossil fuel. Pinch analysiss [3] has been Experimental developments and feasibility studies have also been
applied to the P&P industry to maximise internal heat recovery [4] reported [9]. A steam generating heat pump was developed and
and is now routinely used [5]. Seasonal cooling by steam ejectors tested at the National Research Council of Canada with a view to
or barometric condensers, heating directly with steam or heating upgrading waste heat for the P&P and other industries [10]. The
process streams in the 60–90 1C range could be performed by application of AHP for energy conservation in paper drying has
absorption heat pumps (AHP) with significant advantages over been evaluated but there are no reports of its implementation
other current technologies. [11]. The possibility to combine an AHP and cogeneration to
produce power, cooling and heat upgrading in a Kraft process has
been investigated [12]; the potential benefits should increase as
 Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 514 340 5121x4921.
the cost of the technology and of energy continue to evolve. The
appropriate insertion of AHPs as stand-alone devices or as
E-mail addresses: Bahador.bakhtiari@polymtl.ca (B. Bakhtiari),
jean.paris@polymtl.ca (J. Paris). components of tri-generation units is a key subject that will
1
Also to be corresponded to. require particular attentions [13].

0360-5442/$ - see front matter & 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.energy.2008.07.019
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

A. Costa et al. / Energy 34 (2009) 254–260 255

AHPs are amenable to a broad range of operating conditions released from the blow tanks contains wood volatiles and other
(operational temperature range and temperature lifts) in single or contaminants and cannot be reused directly. Its heat content is
multi-stage configurations. Although they require a significantly recovered before the condensate is treated. The fibres are
higher initial investment than conventional vapour recompression separated from the residual digesting liquor (black liquor, BL) in
heat pumps (VRHP), they could be competitive with those devices a series of counter current washers. The clean pulp from the
when abundant sources of free heat are available. washing unit is bleached, dried, cut in sheets, baled and shipped.
The work presented here illustrates the potential use of AHPs The chlorine dioxide used to bleach the pulp is prepared on site.
for heat upgrading in the P&P industry. Three examples have been The BL exiting the washing unit is rich in organic components
chosen that represent a broad spectrum of machine configura- (degraded lignin, hemicellulose and other wood organics) and
tions, mode of operation and integration context. The first contains the residual chemicals from the digesting operation. It is
example is a double lift heat transformer used to produce a concentrated in two parallel series of multi-effect evaporators and
significant amount of low pressure (LP) steam; the second one is a burnt in two recovery boilers where steam is produced. The
double effect chiller used to cool unstable bleaching agents while mineral components of the BL consisting primarily of reduced
also producing middle pressure (MP) steam; the third example sulphur compounds are collected at the bottom of the recovery
concerns the coupling of an AHP with a cogeneration unit. The boilers as a smelt. The smelt is redisolved, purified, and
data utilized in the three case studies were taken from the same recaustified by reaction with live lime produced on site. The
kraft pulp manufacturing mill currently in operation. The mill is recaustified liquor (white liquor, WL) is returned to the digesters
located in the Canadian province of Quebec. Before the three as active delignifying agent. The average steam consumption on
examples are developed, the specific Kraft process on which they the mill site is 188 MW which is produced by four boilers, the two
are based will be described and the principles of AHPs briefly recovery boilers which jointly produce 64% of the steam
reviewed. consumption by the mill, a biomass boiler using wood residue
which produce 27% and, a back-up bunker oil boiler (9%). High-
pressure steam (HP) is produced in the boilers at 3034 kPa
(DH ¼ 3160 kJ/kg, T ¼ 371 1C). About 25% of it is used directly, 25%
2. The Kraft pulping process is throttled down to medium pressure (MP) at 965 kPa (2779 kJ/
kg, 178 1C) and 50% to LP at 345 kPa (2743 kJ/kg, 144 1C).
Pulp is a key intermediate product in the sequence of The addition of two stand-alone AHPs in the process has been
operations transforming a source of ligno-cellulosic material considered. One, the double lift heat transformer, is used to
(wood chips in this work) into a finished paper product. The mill upgrade the heat content of the contaminated steam from the
on which this study is based produces high-grade bleached Kraft blow tanks and produces LP steam. The second one, the double
pulp sold to manufacturers of special paper products. It is a small- effect chiller is used in the bleaching chemicals making plant to
size mill producing about 750 t of dried pulp (12% moisture) per produce cooled water. The third heat pump is not directly
day. integrated into the process; it is used as a component of a tri-
The pulping process consists in reducing fragments of wood generation unit inserted in the steam distribution network.
such as chips into individual cellulosic fibres. In the Kraft process
chemical attack is employed to degrade and solubilise the lignin
which binds together the fibres in wood in chemical reactors
called digesters. The Kraft delignifying agent is a mixture of 3. Absorption heat pumps
strongly alkaline caustic soda and sodium sulphide. Fig. 1 presents
a simplified process diagram of the mill. The washed wood chips 3.1. Review of principles
are delignified in eight batch digesters operating in a staggered
schedule. The discharge from the digesters is depressurised in The heat upgrading process performed by a heat pump
three blow tanks operating also in a batch mode. The vapour essentially consists of a closed loop in which a heat carrying
fluid, commonly called the refrigerant, is circulated between an
PULP LINE evaporator (E) and a condenser (C), as shown in Fig. 2a. In the
RECOVERY LOOP evaporator, a quantity of heat Qe, available at low potential and
STEAM often of zero cost (waste or ambient heat) is transferred to the
CHEMICALS refrigerant which is at temperature Te and pressure Pe.
In the condenser, a quantity of heat Qc, the upgraded or useful
CONTAMINATED RAW
ClO2 MAKING
STEAM MATERIALS

PULPING
QC
WOOD BLOW
DIGESTERS TANK WASHING BLEACHING P2, T2 C
CHIPS
C vapour Press. T vapor
BLACK device
CO3Ca HP Energy
LIQUOR
WHITE
DRYING P E liquid
LIQUOR LP
LIME CONCENTR.
KILN
vapour
CaO E P1, T1
PULP
SMELT P
REC.
WASTES RECAUSTIF. STEAM QE
BOILERS

Fig. 2. Two pressure level principle of heat pumping; (a): Flow diagram; (b): T vs P
Fig. 1. Simplified diagram of the Kraft process. diagram.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

256 A. Costa et al. / Energy 34 (2009) 254–260

heat, is released by the refrigerant at temperature Tc and pressure AHP, it is:

Pc such that,
COP ¼ ðQ c þ Q a Þ=ðQ g Þ (2)
T c 4T e and P c 4P e (1)
The temperature differential, TcTe, is the temperature lift of the
heat pump; it is created by a pressure raising device (PRD)
inserted in the refrigerant loop between the evaporator (E) outlet 3.2. AHP configurations
and the condenser (C) inlet. As the pressure of the refrigerant is
raised, so is its saturation temperature; Fig. 2b shows the relative A particularity of AHPs is that they can be implemented in a
position of E and C on the refrigerant vapour pressure curve. The variety of arrangements which differ from the simple heat
PRD consumes a quantity of energy E, the heat pump driving pumping loop of Fig. 3b. Of interest to this work are three other
energy. configurations, the heat transformer, the double lift and double
In a VRHP the PRD is a compressor driven by an electrical effect heat pumps.
motor or a turbine. In an AHP, the PRD is replaced by an In an absorption heat transformer (AHT), the high pressure
absorption–desorption loop operating at two pressure levels (HP) and low pressure (LP) zones of the machine are inverted
(Fig. 3a). A two component solution is circulated between the (Fig. 4a). The evaporator and absorber operate at the higher
desorber operating at the same pressure as the condenser and pressure and the condenser and generator at the lower pressure
the absorber (A) which is at the same pressure as the evaporator. [9]. This also changes the temperature levels of the various heat
The refrigerant is the lighter component of the solution; the less exchangers so that the driving heat is now supplied to the
volatile is the solvent; in the frequently used H2O/LiBr working evaporator-generator pair at the intermediate temperature level
pair, the water is the refrigerant and the LiBr-water solution is the while the useful heat is released by the evaporator at high
solvent. Heat is supplied to the desorber to partially volatilize the temperature and by the condenser at low temperature. A very
refrigerant which is sent to the condenser. The desorber is often schematic representation of the configuration of AHPs base on the
called the generator (G). The sorbent strong solution is depres- phase-equilibrium diagram is often used; Fig. 4b is such a
surised to the lower pressure level of the heat pump and sent to symbolic representation of an AHT. The absorption heat transfor-
the absorber where it is mixed with refrigerant vapour returning mer offers interesting possibilities in a process integration context
from the evaporator. The absorption step releases additional heat, Qa. when there is a simultaneous need for low temperature heat
The sorbent weak solution is pumped back to the generator. (for example, to pre-heat fresh water) and high temperature heat
The combined refrigerant and solution loops are represented (for example, to produce vapour).
in the vapour–liquid equilibrium space for solutions of various The temperature lift and efficiency (COP) of an absorption heat
concentrations on Fig. 3b. It will be noted that condenser and pump are limited by the properties of the refrigerant–sorbent pair.
absorber are approximately at the same temperature to facilitate This can be circumvented by joining two cycles through
the release of all useful heat (Qc and Qa) to a single carrier fluid a common branch to produce either a double effect pump
and simplify the equipment design. Normally a fifth heat
exchanger, the solution heat exchanger (SHX) is added to the
four mandatory components to recover heat from the strong
solution to pre-heat the weak solution returning to the generator
200
(Fig. 3a).
E A
The driving energy of an AHP is made of two parts, the 100 E
A
G
pressure [kPa]

mechanical energy supplied by the weak solution recirculating

pump and the thermal energy, Qg, supplied to the generator. The
mechanical energy is negligible compared to the thermal energy;
an AHP is essentially thermally driven. The efficiency of a heat 10 E
C C G
pump, or coefficient of performance (COP), is the ratio of the G
A
energy released by the machine to the energy received; for an
1
0 20 40 60 80 100 150 200
Temperature [°C]

QG Fig. 4. AHT representations; (a) In H2O/LiBr phase diagram, (b) Schematic of AHT.

Ref. to
G 200
200
condenser
pressure [kPa]

100
100
C
C G
G
pressure [kPa]

SHX C
C2 G2 G
Strong sol.
Weak sol.

HP 10
10
E
LP A
C1 E2
11 G1 A2
Ref. from
A 0 20 40 60 80 100 150 200
evaporator
Temperature [°C]
QA
E A E1 A1
Fig. 3. AHP; (a): Thermal compressor; (b): Complete cycle in P–T diagram for
H2O/LiBr system. Fig. 5. Configurations in P vs T representation; (a): Double effect and (b): Double lift.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

A. Costa et al. / Energy 34 (2009) 254–260 257

(Fig. 5a) or a double lift pump (Fig. 5b) [14]. Double cycle is the first year energy saving, PWF the present worth factor, IC
configurations also incorporate internal transfer of the driving the initial investment cost, e the yearly escalation rate for fuel
heat to increase the energy output of the machine. price, i is the discount rate and n is the time span for the
investment which was set at 15 years. For this analysis, the
discount rate of 7%, which is usual for energy projects, and a
4. Basis for design and economic evaluation yearly escalation rate of 4% for fuel price have been used [22].

This preliminary feasibility follows the principles of the NPV ¼ FYES  PWF  IC (4)
conventional pre-engineering process design and cost estimation
method presented in a number of engineering design manuals 1  ð1 þ e=1 þ iÞn
PWF ¼ (5)
such as [15,16]. For the dimensioning and costing of AHPs which is ie
not treated in those manuals, specific empirical correlations were
used. The data that were necessary for each AHP considered are,
(i) functional parameters such as temperatures, pressures and 5. Case studies
heat loads, (ii) estimates of the installed and operating costs of the
machine and, (iii) an estimate of the value of the energy saved. 5.1. Case I: heat recovery from blow down tanks
The following stepwise procedure was followed:
The current process configuration of case I is shown in Fig. 6.
 Potential heat sources and heat sinks were identified by The digesters consume 52 t/h of MP steam and additional LP
examination of the process flow diagram and the appropriate steam is supplied to the pulping plant at a rate of 13 t/h for other
type of AHP was selected. uses. Contaminated steam (46 t/h) from the blow tanks is released
 The thermal capacity and operating conditions of the AHP slightly below atmospheric pressure (96 1C) and used in a direct
components receiving heat from the process were computed condenser and recirculation loop to pre-heat fresh water to 60 1C.
from the temperature and flow rates of the corresponding heat A double lift AHT working with the H2O/LiBr pair could be driven
sources. by this contaminated steam (Fig. 7) with a COP of 0.35 and
 A COP for the full load operation of the double-lift and double- produce 17 t/h of LP steam. A double lift configuration is required
effect absorption cycles (AHP and AHT) envisaged in the three to match the large temperature difference between contaminated
cases was determined by the fast estimation method proposed and LP steam (48 1C). The sensible heat of the condensate at 96 1C
by Ziegler & Alefeld [14]. The method is claimed to yield COP can be further used to heat other process streams. The heat
values with an accuracy of 10% in most cases, which is released at the condenser can be used to pre-heat 373 t/h of fresh
sufficient for the purpose of this study. The capacity of the water to a temperature of 60 1C.
components releasing heat to the process was subsequently
computed by means of Eq. (2). Boiler HP
Fuel
 Once the capacities of evaporator, condenser, absorber and
Make up MP
generator were thus fixed, initial cost of the machine was
52 t/h

estimated on the basis of unit costs ($/kW) suggested from LP

actual data compiled by Berntsson & Frank [17] and indexed.2
The initial cost includes an installation cost equal to 40% of the 13 t/h in
Digesters
total investment. The annual operating time of mill equipment Water the dept.
was 8000 h per year which is the usual operating time of the 95°C
mill, except when noted otherwise. Maintenance and other 90°C
Steam 96°C Direct Process
operating costs were neglected. Blow
46t/h condenser stream
 The initial investment for a turbine which includes purchase tanks
and installation costs estimated on the basis of unit costs Water
utilised in preliminary energy projects was taken at 1000 $/kW Pulp 55°C
[18–20]. The values quoted in the professional literature cover Treatment
a very broad range; this very conservative value was purpose-
Fig. 6. Flow diagram of current heat recovery from blow tank.
fully selected.
 The value of steam and hot water were based on published
averages for fuel prices. Steam values range from $12/t [17] to
the current price of 20$/t [21]. The cost of pre-heated fresh Fuel Boiler HP
water was taken as 1$/m3 [17]. MP
Make up
 The simple pay back time (SPB) was computed as follows:
LP
52t/h

4t/h

SPB ¼ Investment=Yearly Savings (3)

17t/h 13t/h in
Digesters
Digesters the dept.
 Finally, the life-cycle cost analyses of the case studies E2
A
examined were compared using the net present value Process
Steam 96°C E1 2
approach (NPV). The initial investment cost and the yearly A1 stream
Blow 46t/h
energy savings were estimated over the life-cycle. The yearly C
tanks HX
energy savings were back calculated to the unit start-up time G Cond.96°C Treatment
by taking into account the expected interest rate and energy
cost escalation. The following equations were used, where FYES Fresh
Pulp water 60°C 90°C
2
All costs in this paper are given in 2005 Canadian dollars. Fig. 7. Installation of a double lift AHT in the blow tank heat recovery circuit.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

258 A. Costa et al. / Energy 34 (2009) 254–260

E2 A2 Boiler HP
Fuel
200 MP
100 Make up
E1 LP
A1
er
at Br 2.1t/h 3.9t/h
Pressure [kPa]

e
w Li Cond.
r % 945 kPa 345 kPa
Pu 55
C G r 271 t/h Barometric
LiB 256 t/h 589 t/h Abs. chiller
%
70 29°C condenser 33°C 29/36°C single effect
10
Chilled Chilled
line Cooling
tion water water
water
talliza
Crys 17 t/h filtered water 7°C 95 t/h filtered water 20/7°C
1 Fig. 10. Flow diagram of current chilled water production in the chemicals making
50 90 120 150 180 plant.

Temperature [°C]
Fuel Boiler HP
Fig. 8. Representation of the double lift AHT in H2O/LiBr diagram.

Makeup MP
0.45 t/h LP
2
90 945 kPa
3.9t/h
1 C2 Cond.
Cond. 345 kPa
G2
Net present value [M$]

0 C1 589 t/h
60 G1 Abs. chiller
-1 168 t/h 29/36 °C single effect
E
Chilled A 29/33 °C Cooling water Chilled
30 -2
0 1 2 3 4 water water
17 t/h filtered water 29/7 °C 95 t/h filtered water 20/7 °C

0 Fig. 11. Implementation of a double effect AHP to produce chilled water.

Case I
Case II
Case III
-30 C2 G2 r
0 3 6 9 12 15 100 LiB
%
Years 60
Pressure [kPa]

C1 G1 LiBr
Fig. 9. NPV for the three case studies for a steam price of 20 $/t. a ter 70%
10 rew
Pu
The double lift cycle is depicted in the pressure vs. temperature E A
1 ne
diagram of Fig. 8 in which the design temperatures are also ionli
tallizat
indicated. The AHT provides the 13 t/h of LP steam required by the Crys
pulping plant and an additional 4 t/h of steam which is fed to the 0.01
LP manifold. The investment cost for the installed unit is
50 100 150
estimated at 7.6 M$. The minimum price of 12 $/t for steam
production leads to a SPB time of 4.7 years. With the current price Temperature [°C]
of 20$/t the pay back time is reduced to 2.8 years. If the savings on Fig. 12. Representation of the double effect AHP in the H2O/LiBr diagram.
fresh water pre-heating are taken into account the pay back time
is further reduced 1.6 years. The heating value of the contami-
nated steam presently used as a heat source would also affect the commercial single effect absorption chiller requiring 3.9 t/h of
pay back time. The value of this source of heat which is no longer LP steam and, by a barometric condenser (BC), which is operated
available for its anterior utilization constitutes lost revenue which with MP steam supplied at a rate of 2.1 t/h. The total chilled water
would increase to some extent the overall pay back time but has production is 112 t/h. For cooling the two units, 845 t/h of cooling
not been taken into account in this exploratory work. Fig. 9 shows water are required and must be regenerated in cooling towers.
the evolution of the NPV over 15 years; the abscissa gives the time A double effect absorption chiller driven by MP steam and using
elapsed from the date of investment and the intersection with the the H2O/LiBr working pair could easily replace the BC, as shown in
nil value line indicates the time required for the projects to Fig. 11. With a cooling COP of 1.25 the chiller would require only
become cost-effective. For this case it is 3.1 years for the current 0.45 t/h of MP steam (349 kW) for the same chilled water
steam price. production.
Because of the high cycle-efficiency of the chiller, the need for
cooling water would decrease from 845 to 757 t/h, thus saving 10%
5.2. Case II: chilled water production in the chemicals making plant of cooling tower capacity. The required design temperatures of the
double effect chiller are given in Fig. 12. Chilled water is produced
The second example deals with the production of chilled water at the evaporator. Absorber and condenser 1 release heat to the
at 7 1C in the ClO2 making plant. In the current process cooling tower. The whole process is driven from generator 2. The
configuration, shown in Fig. 10, this is accomplished by a investment for the installed unit amounts to 236 k$. The savings
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

A. Costa et al. / Energy 34 (2009) 254–260 259

6. Conclusions
Boiler HP

The implementation of absorption heat pumps in a Kraft

Turbine
Turbine
Power pulping process has been illustrated by three exploratory case
studies. The flexible technology can be adapted to different
process environments, taking advantage either of high-efficiency
cycles (double effect) or increased temperature lift (double lift). It
MP has also been shown that a reversed AHP cycle, the absorption
AHP DL
heat transformer, can be used to upgrade heat for the production
COP 1.3
B of process steam. Simple pay back times in the range of 1.6–4.7
70-90 °C C G
years have been estimated for the three cases considered. The
process waste heat initial investment for case II is attractive as it produces the
E LP
A A shortest SPB. However, the two other examples which produce
high yearly revenue perform best in the long term, even if the
E A initial investment is higher. After 3 years, case I and case III
Cond. become more advantageous than case II. Case III has an initial
revenue (FYES) which is 3.6 times of case I (M$ 9.7 against M$ 2.7)
Fig. 13. Implementation of cogeneration unit with double lift AHP.
for a comparable ratio of investment burdens (M$ 24.9 against M$
7.6). This results in a very attractive performance in the long term.
It should be mentioned that the costs associated to green house
of 1.65 t/h of MP steam at 12 $/t would lead to a SPB of 2.6 years. gas emissions were not taken into account in this study. It would
At 20 $/t the pay back time would decrease to 1.6 years. It must be make them even more attractive economically as government
noted that the production of chilled water was considered as incentives based on carbon footprints are put in effect. It is
required only during 4600 h/a, and the reduced load on the expected that the implementation of AHPs in P&P processes will
cooling tower capacity (10%) was not taken into account become very attractive from an economic stand point as the cost
since the unit is already constructed an in operation. An increased of energy continues to increase. Furthermore AHPs have sig-
operational time to meet additional chilled water needs nificant advantages over other conversion technologies from an
would further reduce the pay back time. Fig. 9 shows the NPV environmental standpoint. Their generalised use would facilitate
over the operational time and it demonstrates that the project compliance to the Kyoto protocol.
would become cost-effective in 1.7 years at the current steam It should be noted however, that the contribution of the AHPs
price. considered in the three case studies, to the overall energy balance
of the plant should be verified by a mill-wide thermal analysis
based on the Pinch Analysiss as it has been shown that a local
5.3. Case III: cogeneration combined with AHP improvement does not necessarily translate into a comparable
gain at the complete site level [24]. Also this work has clearly
The last example concerns the integration of a cogeneration shown that there is a need for more rigorous model-based tools
unit coupled to an AHP. Steam turbines are already in use in some for the dimensioning and cost estimating of AHPs and tri-
P&P mills for onsite power production [23]. The turbine is generation units.
normally actuated by HP steam and releases MP and LP steam
at two extraction stages. The overall electric efficiency of the cycle
is about 10% of the input steam energy. A double lift AHP could be Acknowledgements
used for the production of 38 MW of LP steam (49 t/h); it would be
driven by 35 t/h of MP steam (27 MW) released by the turbine and This work was supported by the R&D Cooperative Programme
11 MW of supplementary heat could be taken in from several of the National Science and Engineering Research Council of
warm water process streams (931 t/h) in a temperature range of
Canada. Mr Sebastian Schuster as a research intern from the
70–90 1C. The relatively low temperature of these streams makes University of Dresden at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal received
the choice of a double lift cycle unavoidable. For comparison a
a scholarship from the P&P association of Germany.
single effect cycle would require the low temperature heat source
to be at least at 110–115 1C. Fig. 13 represents the proposed
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