CPE 614

CHAPTER 4

OPTIMIZATION OF
HEAT EXCHANGER NETWORK
CAPITAL COST CONSIDERATION
 CHAPTER 4: OPTIMIZATION
OF HEAT EXCHANGER NETWORK
CO-PO Attainment
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME
 Optimize HEN for minimum total cost

COURSE OUTCOMES
 CO2: Design the optimum utility targets for process system

PROGRAM OUTCOMES
 PO1: Ability to identify and apply knowledge of mathematics, basic
and applied science, engineering fundamentals and specialisation
to solve engineering problems, including complex engineering
problems.
 Part 1:
Capital Cost
To predict the energy costs of the HEN, it would be useful to
calculate the capital cost of the network

√
√
Heat recovery VS Cost Trade-offs

• Recovery of heat from a waste steam involves a trade-off

between reduced energy cost and increased capital cost of heat
exchanger.
• Accurate ∆Tmin settings are more economical for capital cost
• Energy cost will be reduced for the smaller ∆Tmin .
 Part 2:
Minimum Number of
heat exchanger unit
Minimum Number of HE units
Minimum number of units in a heat exchanger network achieving
Maximum Energy Recovery (MER):

NUNITS = [SABOVE PINCH – 1] + [SBELOW PINCH – 1]

S = number of streams including the utilities (stream)

Example 1:

NUNITS = (5−1) + (4−1)

=7
Completed HEN-Design

5 6

1 2 4
 Part 3:
Reduce the Number of
heat exchanger unit
Reduce the Number of Units using
Loop Breaking and Path Relaxation
A loop:
➢ A circular path that exist among exchangers that enables
heat load shift.
➢ A set of connections that can be traced through a network
that start at one exchanger and returns to the same
exchanger.

A path:
➢ Connects a HE between two utilities.
➢ Heat load can be shifted along the path.
➢ Connection between a heater and cooler in a network.

Final Design:
➢ Certain amount of heat need to be added to the utilities.
➢ Then, the same amount must be subtracted from an exchanger on
the same stream.
➢ As a result, the heat load on the other stream passing through
that exchanger is reduced.
 Procedure for Loop Breaking and
Path Relaxation
1. Extract stream data.
2. Refer procedure for CC/ PTA to get Tpinch and energy
target.
3. Refer procedure for HEN Design to achieve Maximum
Energy Recovery
4. Find the Loop to enables the heat load shift.
5. Find the smallest HE in the loop and eliminate it.
6. Check ΔTmin violation, find ΔT in the loop.
7. Find Path to shifts heat load .
8. Correct ΔTmin violation.
9. Finalize the heat load and number of units.

RABIATUL ADAWIYAH ABDOL AZIZ FKK, UiTM SHAH ALAM 2018

Example 2:
Simplify the structure of this HEN by reducing
the number of units.

CP
150°C
0.15
10
0.25

0.2

8 17.5 6.5
0.3
140°C
7.5 7 12.5
 Example 2: ANSWER

128.5°C

80.625°C

Methods (Purpose) Before After

Loop (remove heat exchanger) 7 Heat Exchangers 5 Heat Exchangers

Path (Correct ΔTmin violation Hot utilities: 7.5 x 105 W Hot utilities: 9.125 x 105 W
but increase utilities) Cold utilities: 10 x 105 W Cold utilities: 11.625 x 105 W
Exercise 1:
Reduce the Number of Units in the following process
stream using Loop Breaking and Path Relaxation.
Given: ΔTmin = 10°C, Tpinch = 85°C, QH,min = 20 MW,
QC,min = 60 MW

Stream Supply Target Heat Capacity

Temperature (°C) Temperature (°C) flowrate (MW.K-1)
1 20 135 2
2 170 60 3
3 80 140 4
4 150 30 1.5
Energy Recovery Network

3
 Part 4:
Minimum
Heat Exchanger
Network Area
Heat Exchanger Network Area Targets
 Instead of to predict energy targets, Composite Curves
also used to predict network heat transfer area.
 To calculate network area from CC, utility streams
must be included in process streams.
Means: No demands for utilities. Qc,min & Qh,min = zero

 Network area requirement for vertical heat transfer:

H
ANetwork =
UTLM

• ΔH = enthalpy change
• U = overall heat transfer coefficient
• ΔTLM = log mean temperature difference
 Procedure for Network Area Target
1. Construct the composite curves (Refer to Procedure for CC in
Chapter 2)
2. Put HE on all streams in each vertical section of CC
3. Calculate ΔTLM in each section
(TH 1 − TC 2 ) − (TH 2 − TC1 )
TLM =
 TH 1 − TC 2 
ln  
T −
 H 2 C1 
T

4. Identify the heat capacity flowrate and the specific heat transfer
coefficients for each section and streams (cold and hot).
5. Calculate ΔH for each section and streams (cold and hot).
6. Calculate ΔH/U for each section and streams (cold and hot).
7. Calculate the area in each section, taking into account the specific
heat transfer coefficients. H
ANetwork =
UTLM
RABIATUL ADAWIYAH ABDOL AZIZ FKK, UiTM SHAH ALAM 2018
 Example 3:
Calculate the target for network HE area
for ΔTmin = 10°C

Stream Supply Target Heat Capacity Heat Transfer

Temperature Temperature flowrate, CP coefficient, U
(°C) (°C) (MW.K-1) (MW.m-2.K-1)
Reactor 1 Feed 20 180 0.2 0.0006
Reactor 1 Product 250 40 0.15 0.0010
Reactor 2 Feed 140 230 0.3 0.0008
Reactor 2 Product 200 80 0.25 0.0008
Steam 240 239 7.5 0.0030
Cooling Water 20 30 1.0 0.0010
Example 3: Answer
Section ΔTLM ΔH/U (hot) ΔH/U (cold) ANetwork

1 17.38 1500.00 1875.00 194.19

2 25.30 2650.00 9562.50 482.64

3 28.65 5850.00 7312.50 459.38

4 14.43 23125.00 28333.33 3566.82

5 29.38 25437.50 36666.67 2113.58

6 59.86 6937.50 6666.67 227.26

7 34.60 6000.00 6666.67 366.10

Total ANetwork: 7409.98
Conclusions for Chapter 4
• Energy & capital cost targets can be set prior
to HEN design.
• HEN design can be optimized by exploiting
the loops & path as well as stream splits.
• HEN area target that being predicted is used
for pre-design optimization of the capital–
energy trade-off.
THANK YOU
Q&A