Patent ID: 8436109

Claim:
Process for producing steam using heat recovered from a polymerization reaction for producing polyolefin, comprising the steps of: (a) thermally contacting said polymerization reaction with a cooling fluid such that the cooling fluid removes heat from said reaction, (b) thermally contacting at least part of said cooling fluid with at least one absorption cycle utilizing an absorbate and an absorbent solution, thereby transferring heat from the cooling fluid to said absorption cycle, using said cycle to produce steam from a condensate, wherein the absorption cycle comprises i) vaporizing a condensed absorbate using heat from said cooling fluid, thereby generating absorbate vapor, ii) exposing the absorbate vapor to the absorbent solution such that absorbate vapor is absorbed by the absorbent solution thereby diluting the absorbent solution and producing a diluted absorbent solution, iii) removing at least part of the heat from said diluted absorbent solution and using said removed heat to produce steam from a condensate thermally connected to said absorption cycle, iv) using heat from the cooling fluid to heat the diluted absorbent solution to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the absorbate to produce a absorbate vapor and a concentrated absorbent solution; returning the absorbent solution back to be used in the absorption step (ii) v) condensing the absorbate vapor to form a condensed absorbate and returning the condensed absorbate to be vaporized in step (i).