Globally Optimal Simultaneous Heat Exchanger Network Synthesis and Basic Heat Exchanger Design

In this article, we extend a previously developed globally optimal enumeration methodology for the synthesis of Heat Exchanger Networks to the simultaneous synthesis of the network and the basic design of Heat Exchangers. Our procedure guarantees global optimality, unlike previous approaches, such as Pinch Technology, metaheuristics, or mathematical programming that do not guarantee it and sometimes do not even guarantee local optimality. The procedure is not iterative, and does not present any convergence issues. To enumerate HEN structures, we use linear methods and for the HEX design we use Set Trimming followed by sorting. In addition, because some network structures are incompatible with single shell exchangers, we use multiple shell exchangers in series. The comparison of the results of the proposed approach with two solution alternatives from the literature in two different problems indicates that considerable cost reductions may be obtained.