Improving the Performance of Industrial Batch-Processes via Pinch-Analysis: Application to a Brewery Process

The industrial sector, accounting for approximately 40% of global energy consumption, plays a crucial role in decarbonisation efforts. To address rising energy demands and environmental concerns, heat integration has become a key strategy in process design. While pinch analysis is widely used to maximise internal heat recovery in continuous processes, its application to batch and semi-continuous operations remains limited due to their time-dependent thermal behaviour. This paper presents a methodology for improving heat recovery in non-continuous processes using the Time Average Model (TAM) and Time Slice Model (TSM). An open-source software tool was extended to implement this approach and applied to a brewing process as a case study. The analysis evaluates heat exchanger network (HEN) design under maximum energy recovery conditions and investigates the integration of an Industrial Heat Pump (IHP) for upgrading low-temperature waste heat. A preliminary thermo-economic assessment is also conducted. Results show that IHP integration can reduce hot utility demand by 3–12% and cut operating costs by up to 11%, with a minimum payback period of 1.05 years. The methodology offers a practical solution for enhancing energy efficiency in batch operations and sets the foundation for future integration of thermal energy storage across time slices.