Heat exchanger network area targeting considering stream allocation to shell or tubes

Abstract

An optimal heat recovery network requires optimum values of area and energy targets. Current heat exchanger network targeting methods do not consider the optimal allocation of each stream to shell or tube side of the exchanger during the network cost estimation. Some researchers pre-set the allocation of the streams ahead of targeting [Polley, G. T., & Panjeh Shahi, M. H. (1991). Interfacing heat exchanger network synthesis and detailed heat exchanger design. Transactions of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, 69(Part A), 445–457]. In real design case however, some practical considerations such as fouling and corrosion constrain the allocation of streams. Apart from those, other streams are allowed to be allocated to either tubes or shell. Appropriate allocation of these streams can considerably affect the network cost estimation. This paper introduces a new area-targeting procedure which utilizes the optimal allocation of streams in all enthalpy intervals. The procedure evaluates two possible options for each stream split passing through each exchanger in the spaghetti network. Thus, two different exchanger area requirements can be estimated and the one with less area requirement will be selected. During this evaluation process, the optimal distribution of each stream pressure drop within enthalpy intervals is fully utilized. The proposed targeting procedure is applied on a case study and comparison of the results with previous method (Polley & Panjeh Shahi, 1991) shows reduction of around 18% in the network area. In another case study, the area–energy trade offs using the new procedure shows a reduction of 12.4% in minimum network area requirement and 14.5% in total annual cost. Therefore, the new procedure can considerably alter the area–energy trade offs.