Pinch Analysis
Worked Example — Complete Step-by-Step Solution
PROBLEM STATEMENT
A chemical plant has four process streams. Steam is available at 250°C and cooling water at 15°C.
Find: (1) Minimum hot utility Q_Hmin (2) Minimum cold utility Q_Cmin (3) Pinch temperatures
Assume DT_min = 10 degC (shell-and-tube heat exchangers, liquid-liquid service)
STEP 1 | Extract Stream Data
Read the flowsheet and classify every stream. Hot streams release heat (must be cooled); cold streams
absorb heat (must be heated). Record supply temp T_S, target temp T_T, enthalpy change DH, and heat
capacity flowrate CP = DH / |T_S - T_T|.
Stream Name Type T_S (°C) T_T (°C) DH (MW) CP (MW/°C)
1 Reactor 1 feed COLD 20 180 +32.0 0.200
2 Reactor 1 product HOT 250 40 -31.5 0.150
3 Reactor 2 feed COLD 140 230 +27.0 0.300
4 Reactor 2 product HOT 200 80 -30.0 0.250
Verification: CP = DH / |T_S - T_T| e.g. Stream 1: CP = 32.0 / (180-20) = 32/160 = 0.200 MW/°C ✓
STEP 2 | Choose DT_min
The minimum temperature difference sets the energy-capital trade-off. A smaller DT_min gives more heat
recovery but requires larger, more expensive exchangers. For standard shell-and-tube exchangers in
liquid-liquid service, 10°C is the widely accepted default.
For this problem: DT_min = 10°C
STEP 3 | Calculate Shifted Temperatures T*
Shifting embeds the DT_min feasibility constraint directly into the temperature scale. This lets us treat hot
and cold streams on the same axis and perform straightforward heat balances.
Shifting rule:
Hot streams: T* = T_actual - DT_min / 2 = T_actual - 5°C
Cold streams: T* = T_actual + DT_min / 2 = T_actual + 5°C
Stream Type T_S (°C) T_T (°C) Shift T*_S (°C) T*_T (°C)
1 Cold 20 180 +5 25 185
2 Hot 250 40 -5 245 35
3 Cold 140 230 +5 145 235
4 Hot 200 80 -5 195 75
All unique T* values (sorted descending): 245, 235, 195, 185, 145, 75, 35, 25°C. These 8 values create 7
temperature intervals for the heat balance.
STEP 4 | Calculate Interval Heat Balances
For each temperature interval, identify which streams are present, then apply:
DH_interval = ( SUM of CP_cold - SUM of CP_hot ) x DT_interval
Sign convention: Positive DH = heat deficit (cold streams need more than hot provide). Negative DH = heat surplus
(hot streams give more than cold need).
SCP_C - SCP_H DH_interval
Interval T* range (°C) DT (°C) Streams present Surplus/Deficit
(MW/°C) (MW)
1 245 → 235 10 Hot 2 only 0 - 0.15 = -0.15 -1.5 SURPLUS
2 235 → 195 40 Hot 2, Cold 3 0.30 - 0.15 = +0.15 +6.0 DEFICIT
3 195 → 185 10 Hot 2, Hot 4, Cold 3 0.30 - 0.40 = -0.10 -1.0 SURPLUS
4 185 → 145 40 All 4 streams 0.50 - 0.40 = +0.10 +4.0 DEFICIT
5 145 → 75 70 Hot 2, Hot 4, Cold 1 0.20 - 0.40 = -0.20 -14.0 SURPLUS
6 75 → 35 40 Hot 2, Cold 1 0.20 - 0.15 = +0.05 +2.0 DEFICIT
7 35 → 25 10 Cold 1 only 0.20 - 0 = +0.20 +2.0 DEFICIT
CHECK: SUM -2.5 (= overall balance ✓)
Example calculation — Interval 2 (235→195°C): Streams present: Hot 2 (CP=0.15) and Cold 3 (CP=0.30). SCP_C -
SCP_H = 0.30 - 0.15 = +0.15 MW/°C. DH = 0.15 × 40 = +6.0 MW (deficit — cold needs more heat than hot provides)
Cross-check: Sum of all DH_interval = -2.5 MW. Overall balance of streams: (32.0 + 27.0) - (31.5 + 30.0) = 59.0 -
61.5 = -2.5 MW ✓
STEP 5 | Heat Cascade — Find Q_Hmin, Q_Cmin and Pinch
Surplus heat cascades down from interval to interval (hot surplus at high T can always supply a cold deficit
at lower T). Run the cascade twice:
Pass A: Start with 0 MW hot utility. Some heat flows will be negative (infeasible).
Pass B: Add the magnitude of the largest negative flow as Q_Hmin. All flows become >= 0.
The interval where heat flow = 0 is the PINCH. Heat leaving the bottom = Q_Cmin.
Pass A — Cascade with zero hot utility at top:
T* level (°C) Interval DT (°C) DH (MW) Cumulative flow (MW) Note
245 — (hot utility in) — — 0.0 (assumed)
235 Int 1 10 -1.5 0 + (-1.5) = +1.5
195 Int 2 40 +6.0 1.5 - 6.0 = -4.5 negative!
185 Int 3 10 -1.0 -4.5 + (-1.0) = -3.5 negative!
145 Int 4 40 +4.0 -3.5 - 4.0 = -7.5 MOST negative!
75 Int 5 70 -14.0 -7.5 + (-14.0) = +6.5
35 Int 6 40 +2.0 6.5 - 2.0 = 4.5
25 Int 7 10 +2.0 4.5 - 2.0 = 2.5 would-be Q_Cmin
The most negative cumulative flow is -7.5 MW at the 145°C level. Therefore Q_Hmin = 7.5 MW (we must
add at least this much hot utility to make all flows non-negative).
Pass B — Add Q_Hmin = 7.5 MW at the top:
T* level (°C) Interval DT (°C) DH (MW) Cumulative flow (MW) Note
245 — (hot utility in) — — 7.5 (Q_Hmin)
235 Int 1 10 -1.5 7.5 + (-1.5) = 9.0
195 Int 2 40 +6.0 9.0 - 6.0 = 3.0
185 Int 3 10 -1.0 3.0 + (-1.0) = 4.0
145 Int 4 40 +4.0 4.0 - 4.0 = 0.0 PINCH (flow = 0)
75 Int 5 70 -14.0 0.0 + (-14.0) = 14.0
35 Int 6 40 +2.0 14.0 - 2.0 = 12.0
25 Int 7 10 +2.0 12.0 - 2.0 = 10.0 Q_Cmin = 10.0 MW
STEP 6 | Identify Pinch Temperatures
The pinch lies at T* = 145°C (where Pass B cascade flow = 0). Convert back to actual stream
temperatures by reversing the shift:
Hot stream pinch = T*_pinch + DT_min/2 = 145 + 5 = 150°C Cold stream pinch = T*_pinch -
DT_min/2 = 145 - 5 = 140°C
Check: the pinch must coincide with the start of a hot stream or the start of a cold stream. Stream 4 (Reactor 2
product) starts at T_S = 200°C ... but that's not the pinch. Looking again: Stream 3 (Cold feed) starts at T_S = 140°C
— that's the cold pinch temperature. ✓
FINAL RESULTS
Q_Hmin (minimum hot utility) = 7.5 MW
Q_Cmin (minimum cold utility) = 10.0 MW
Hot stream pinch temperature = 150°C
Cold stream pinch temperature = 140°C
Maximum heat recovery = 51.5 MW
STEP 7 | Composite Curves (Graphical Verification)
The composite curves provide a graphical check. Hot streams are combined into one hot composite curve;
cold streams into one cold composite curve. The curves are positioned so their closest approach equals
DT_min = 10°C (at the pinch).
PINCH
250
Hot composite Cold composite
230
Temperature T (°C)
180
DT=10
140
80
QHmin
QCmin
=7.5MW
=10MW
40
Enthalpy H (MW)
The overlap between the two curves (shaded) represents maximum heat recovery = 51.5 MW. The gap at the hot end
(right) = Q_Hmin = 7.5 MW. The gap at the cold end (left) = Q_Cmin = 10.0 MW.
STEP 8 | Pinch Design Rules
To achieve the energy targets in an actual heat exchanger network, three rules must be followed. Violating
any rule by an amount X_P wastes X_P of both hot and cold utility simultaneously.
Rule Statement Why it matters
No process-to-process
1 heat transfer across
Transfers
the pinch
heat from the heat-source region (below pinch) to the heat-sink region (above pin
2 No cold utility above the pinchAbove the pinch the process is already a heat sink needing hot utility. Adding cold utility cre
3 No hot utility below the pinch Below the pinch the process is already a heat source needing cold utility. Adding hot utility c
Quick Reference — Method Summary
Step Action Key output
1 Extract stream data from flowsheet T_S, T_T, DH, CP for each stream
2 Choose DT_min 10°C (liquid-liquid), 5°C (plates), >=20°C (gas)
3 Shift temperatures: hot -DT/2, cold +DT/2 Shifted T* values for all streams
4 List T* intervals; compute DH per interval Table of surpluses and deficits
5a Cascade heat down with 0 hot utility Most negative flow = Q_Hmin
5b Re-cascade with Q_Hmin added at top Q_Cmin; flow = 0 identifies pinch
6 Convert T* pinch back: +DT/2 hot, -DT/2 cold Actual hot and cold pinch temperatures
7 Plot composite curves (optional check) Visual confirmation of all targets
8 Apply pinch rules in network design Achieves minimum utility targets
Reference: Smith, R. (2016). Chemical Process Design and Integration, 2nd ed. Wiley. Chapter 17.