Power generation from refinery waste heat streams

摘要

The integration of a petroleum refinery, or a petrochemical complex, with an off-site power facility in which the latter provides a vaporizable coolant for vaporization in the former. Vaporization is effected through indirect contact with one or more waste heat streams; the resulting vapors are expanded through a turbine, to a lower pressure, from the resulting motion of which power is generated. In most instances, the process generates more power than its connected load. Preferably, the coolant is indirectly contacted, at elevated pressure, with a plurality of refinery process streams in series and in the order of increasing temperature. Resulting vaporized coolant phases are passed through individual turbines, or through different stages of a multiple- stage turbine.