Alternative Approach in Optimization of Plate Type Heat Exchangers

journal article - other

English

Plate type heat exchangers are widely used in process industries for gas/gas applications. Typically, these exchangers proved to be very efficient especially as air preheaters in process furnaces or as equipment of units for environmental protection (e.g. in units for thermal disposal of wastes). From economic reasons of these industries there is a need for a new optimization approach for plate type heat exchanger design and operation. The objective function is of achieving minimum total annual cost of heat exchangers. Pressure drop and heat transfer are interdependent and both of them strongly influence capital and operating costs of any heat transfer system. During the designing a heat exchanger it is necessary to determine optimum dimensions of apparatus which is connected with given conditions of the equipment operation. The goal is to obtain the most economically optimum design. An economic assessment allows a comparable estimation of various alternatives. The total annual cost consisting of fixed and variable costs of heat exchanger were selected as a criterion that summarizes different factors of influence into one objective function. Major cost components of a heat exchange system are as follows: capital, operating and maintenance costs of air and flue gas fans and capital and maintenance costs of the plate type heat exchanger. Application of developed optimization approach is demonstrated through practical industrial examples.

Plate heat exchanger, optimization

JEGLA, Z.; STEHLÍK, P.; KOHOUTEK, J.

2004

1. 1. 2004

0145-7632

Heat Transfer Engineering

25

5

United States of America

6

15

10