Evaluation of Total Annual Costs of Heat Exchanger Networks Using Modified Pinch Analysis.

Abstract

This study present pinch analysis of some heat exchanger network (HENs) problems using pinch integration (HINT) software. Three examples reported to have been solve using different approaches by various researchers to obtain the least possible Total Annual Costs (TAC) were solve using the HINT software . In this work the used of remaining problem analysis (RPA) contained in the heat integration soft ware was use to carry out matching and the general optimization for the networks for minimum TAC for the three problems solved . The results obtained after solving the first problem using RPA based that integration gave a minimum total annual cost (TAC) of $237, 510/yr. Which is the forth when compared with lowest solution that shows the minimum TAC of $235.400/y in that example. However , the TAC obtained in solving problem 2 and 3 were $563, 33/yr and $2.881 M/yr respectively and they are the least total annual cost obtained when compared with what have been obtained using mathematical programming and non- RPA Based software. The overall assessment of the various approaches used to solve these problems when compared with the results obtained in this study shows that HINT software is able to obtain TAC that are within the same range as those obtained using mathematically based technique.