Systematic approach for targeting interplant hydrogen networks

• Proposed a systematic method for interplant hydrogen network integration.
• Direct and purification reuse/recycle schemes are included.
• A generalized Improved Problem Table locates the optimal targets.
• The optimum feed impurity of the purifier and the pinch impurity are compared.

This study proposes a systematic method for targeting the interplant hydrogen network with direct and purification reuse/recycle schemes. The generalized Improved Problem Table is proposed to locate the flowrate targets of individual and interplant hydrogen networks. The constructed limiting composite curves and optimal hydrogen supply lines are utilized to illustrate the insights of the proposed approach. The generalized Improved Problem Table incorporated with mass balance equations is applied to determine the optimal targets (i.e. the optimal flowrates of hydrogen utility and product of the purifier, optimal feed impurity of purifier) of hydrogen network with purification reuse/recycle. Two scenarios of interplant hydrogen integration with direct reuse/recycle are investigated. The case study shows that the conservation ratio of the flowrate of hydrogen utility in Scenario 2 is greater than or equal to that in Scenario 1 and that with purification reuse/recycle scheme is increased sharply. Meanwhile the optimal feed impurity of purifier is greater than or equal to the pinch impurity with direct reuse/recycle scheme. The energy performance evaluation shows that interplant hydrogen integration offers an impressive way to reduce the equivalent energy consumption.