Method and system for retrofitting heat exchanger networks
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsEid M. AL-MUTAIRI, Amir A. MERGHANI
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Abstract
A heat exchanger network retrofit method including analysis, targeting and retrofitting an existing heat exchange network (HEN) to lower the annual operating cost. The revamped/retrofit design is based on one of two mathematical techniques: Simulated Annealing (SA) and Fixed Structure.
Claims18
A method of retrofitting a heat exchanger network (HEN), the method comprising:
- inputting flow rate data, utility data, and cost data;
- conducting, via a processor, a pinch analysis to the HEN;
- setting parameters for one or more objectives, one or more variables, and one or more constraints;
- conducting, via the processor, a simulated annealing (SA) retrofit to the HEN;
- conducting, via the processor, a fixed structure retrofit to the HEN, via the processor;
- and
- selecting, via the processor, the retrofitting of the HEN based on results of the SA retrofit and the fixed structure retrofit.
The method of claim 3, wherein the heat exchanger number includes at least one of an addition number and removal number of heat exchangers (HEs) to the HEN.
A retrofit heat exchanger network (HEN), comprising:
- a plurality of heat exchangers (HEs);
- at least one connection between the plurality of HEs;
- a simulated annealing (SA) retrofit to achieve a first minimum TAC, wherein one or more HEs can be added or removed from the HEN;
- a fixed structure retrofit using Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) to achieve a second minimum total annual cost (TAC);
- and
- wherein the retrofit HEN is selected from the SA retrofit and the fixed structure retrofit based on whether the first minimum TAC or the second minimum TAC is lower.
The retrofit HEN of claim 13, wherein the heat exchanger number includes at least one of an addition number and removal number of HEs to the HEN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.