Optimal Heat Exchanger Network Synthesis Including Heat Transfer Equipment Design

This paper presents an optimisation model for the synthesis of heat exchanger networks (HEN) including the detailed design of the equipments formulated as a decomposition method. Shell and tube pressure drops and fouling are considered, as well as mechanical aspects, like shell and tube bundle diameters, internal and external diameter of tubes, number of tubes, number of baffles, number of shells, tube length, tube arrangement and the fluid allocation in the heat exchanger. The optimisation model is based on area, energy and pumping costs. The algorithm combines two distinct models, in a decomposition method, a Mixed Integer NonLinear Programming (MINLP) superstructure simultaneous optimisation model for the heat exchanger network synthesis considering stream splitting, assuming isothermal mixing and a MINLP model for the detailed equipment design, following rigorously the standards of the TEMA. Two examples from the literature are used to test the algorithm developed, and the results confirm the achievement of the optimum HEN configuration with the detailed heat exchangers design, following the TEMA standards.