Minimizing investment cost for multi-period heat exchanger network retrofit by matching heat transfer areas with different strategies

Multi-period heat exchanger network (HEN) retrofit is usually performed by targeting and matching heat transfer areas. In this paper, based on the reverse order matching method we proposed previously, three strategies of matching heat transfer areas are proposed to minimize the investment cost for the retrofit of HEN in multi-period, in which replacement of heat exchangers, addition of heat exchangers and addition of heat transfer areas are performed. We demonstrate the procedures through three scenarios, including maximum number of substituted heat exchangers after retrofit, minimum additional heat transfer areas in the retrofitted HEN, and minimum investment cost for retrofit. The strategies are extended to a single period HEN retrofit problem. The results of multi-period and single period HEN retrofit problems indicate the effectiveness of the strategies. Moreover, these results are better than those reported in literature. The strategies are simple and easy to implement, which are of great benefit to large-scale HEN retrofit in practice.

For the problem of multi-period heat exchanger network retrofit, the existing and required heat transfer areas are matched to meet requirements of maximum number of substituted HEs after retrofit, minimum additional heat transfer areas, and minimum investment cost for retrofit.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide