A Nodes-Based Non-Structural Model Considering a Series Structure for Heat Exchanger Network Synthesis

Abstract

The aim of heat exchanger network synthesis is to design a cost-effective network configuration with the maximum energy recovery. Therefore, a nodes-based non-structural model considering a series structure (NNM) is proposed. The proposed model utilizes a simple principle based on setting the nodes on streams such that to achieve optimization of a heat exchanger network synthesis (HENS) problem. The proposed model uses several nodes to quantify the possible positions of heat exchangers so that the matching between hot and cold streams is random and free. Besides the stream splits, heat exchangers with series structures are introduced in the proposed model. The heuristic algorithm used to solve NNM model is a random walk algorithm with compulsive evolution. The proposed model is used to solve four scale cases of a HENS problem, the results show that the costs obtained by NNM model can be respectively lower 3226 $/a(Case 1), 11,056 $/a(Case 2), 2463 $/a(Case 3), 527 $/a(Case 4) than the best costs listed in literature.

A novel mass–heat exchange network analogy, regression, and synthesis method for mass exchanger networks

“…Noteworthy, the number of nodes determines the solution space of the NNM. For instance, Xu et al [ 32 ] employed serial numbers to denote all the nodes located in the hot and cold streams. However, the positions on the stream, the stream-split group, and the stream branch must be recognized every time as part of the cost simulation.…”