A Simple Hybrid Approach for the Synthesis of Heat Exchanger Networks Involving Internal Utility Exchangers

Abstract

This study aims to present a simple hybrid approach for synthesizing heat exchanger networks (HENs). The synthesis of HEN structures employs a genetic algorithm based <br /> on a modified node representation, closely resembling the stage-wise superstructure <br /> model. This modified representation allows for addressing the internal utility exchangers <br /> throughout the entire network. Despite the nonlinear nature of the model governing the <br /> continuous variables of each structure, a relatively simple linear formulation is developed <br /> to handle these variables. This novel formulation comprises a linear programming model <br /> for maximum energy recovery, a linear correction procedure (COP), and two search <br /> loops. The COP focuses on determining the optimal values of exchangers’ heat loads and <br /> stream split ratios to reach the minimum total annual cost of the network. The study investigates four extensively studied medium- to large-scale networks from the literature. <br /> Despite the simplicity of the proposed approach, a comparison of results demonstrates its <br /> potential effectiveness.