Geometrical optimization of bare tube heat exchangers for process industries

Abstract

This paper presents simulation results on the geometrical optimization design of bare tube heat exchangers. By linking a mathematical model with an optimization alogorithm, it is possible to predict which combination of five geometrical variables would produce a given coil capacity of a heat exchanger, the minimum core volume size operating at the minimum pressure drop. A constrained multivariable direct search technique is used in which the five geometrical variables and a mixture of five explicit and implicit constraints are accommodated. Using this design method, three typical sizes of bare tube optimization cases have been studied. The simulation results predict significant performance improvements for heat exchanger design. The range of tube outer diameter in this optimization study is from 4.9 to 9.0 mm.

Keywords

bare-tube heat exchanger design optimization numerical model multivariable direct search technique three-zone model

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