Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) for Heat Exchanger Network (HEN) Cleaning Schedule Optimization

Heat exchanger network (HEN) is a process equipment that is widely used in the petrochemical industry and refinery. One of the most frequent problems is fouling. The fouling's effects are loss of energy, decreased throughput, and increase pressure drop. In the United States, losses due to the fouling about $ 4.2 - 10 billion per years. One of the fouling mitigation techniques is applied cleaning schedule on HEN under fouling condition. This technique has the drawback frequently clean more cleaning cost, no cleaning increase energy loss and additional pumping due to the fouling. The optimization cleaning schedule method is required. Optimization cleaning schedule is mix integer non-linear programming (MINLP) class which is difficult to solve due to non-convex problem with many local optimum. MINLP could be solved using a stochastic method. One of the stochastic method is imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA). In this paper applied ICA in HEN cleaning schedule. The result of HEN cleaning schedule using ICA is saving heat transfer loss about 44.83% and from an economic point, saving $ 1.05 million in a period of 44 months, or 22.12% of losses due to fouling.