Page 224 - Sustainability in the Process Industry Integration and Optimization

S o f t wa r e T o o l s 201

FIGURE 9.6 Spreadsheet user interface for Pinch Analysis (Kemp Pinch
Spreadsheet, 2006).

9.4 Mass Integration Software: WATER
WATER is a software package for the design of water systems in
process industries (WATER, 2009). Water is used for a wide variety
of operations for mass transfer, washing operations, steam systems,
cooling systems, and so forth. WATER targets and designs for
minimum water consumption by identifying opportunities for
water regeneration, reuse, and recycling. The cost of effluent
treatment systems is minimized through design methods that lead
to distributed systems. Networks involving water use and effluent
treatment are designed automatically, with the designer in full
control of network complexity. This software tool is capable of
handling multiple contaminants. The six principal issues addressed
by WATER are described next.
Water minimization: WATER minimizes freshwater use by
identifying reuse opportunities. The program works using data on
the water quality constraints of each operation of the process. In
addition to constraints for multiple contaminants, constraints on
maximum and minimum flow rate and on water losses and gains
can be specified, as well as forbidden matches.
Multiple sources of freshwater: It is often the case that there are a
number of different sources of freshwater available, each featuring
different qualities and different costs. WATER is able to optimize the
use of multiple sources of freshwater.