Design of equipment modules for flexibility

In this work a method to design equipment modules for flexibility based on a global sensitivity analysis and the deduction of design rules of thumb is introduced. This method is applied to the design of a liquid/liquid heat exchanger without phase change. The resulting design for flexibility is compared to the conventional design with regard to the operating window and investment as well as operating costs. It is shown that for 14% higher annual costs a four-fold operating window can be obtained. This presents an important step towards increasing the competitiveness of modular production plants.