New robust approach for the globally optimal design of fired heaters

Abstract

Fired heaters are important components of heat exchanger network (HEN) synthesis, especially in view of the existing procedures to simultaneously synthesize the HEN and obtain the basic design of heat exchangers. Existing basic design procedures for fired-heaters are either too simple, or difficult to solve when based on MINLP procedures. In addition, CFD approaches can hardly be used in design optimization and metaheuristics do not guarantee global optimality. We present two novel advances: a reformulation of models from previous optimization literature and we use Partial and Proxy Set Trimming followed by Smart Enumeration, a recently introduced robust technique. The proposed approach does neither needs initial solutions, nor does it have convergence problems and it also guarantees global optimality. The Set Trimming variant, namely Proxy Set Trimming, which was not part of the original Set Trimming version of Set Trimming is also used.