Design optimization of shell-and-tube heat exchangers

This paper presents a study about the design optimization of shell-and-tube heat exchangers. The formulated problem consists of the minimization of the thermal surface area for a certain service, involving discrete decision variables. Additional constraints represent geometrical features and velocity conditions which must be complied in order to reach a more realistic solution for the process task. The optimization algorithm is based on a search along the tube count table where the established constraints and the investigated design candidates are employed to eliminate nonoptimal alternatives, thus reducing the number of rating runs executed. The performance of the algorithm and its individual components are explored through two design examples. The obtained results illustrate the capacity of the proposed approach to direct the optimization towards more effective designs, considering important limitations usually ignored in the literature.