Heat Exchanger Design and Optimization

Heat exchangers are energy conservation equipment used to transfer heat between two or more fluids (particularly hot and cold fluid). Of the various types of heat exchangers used in various industries, the shell and tube heat exchanger is probably the most versatile and widely used in most industrial sectors.

In PetroPlat engineering design, the optimization of a heat exchanger design can be viewed at three different levels: 1) the identification of a heat exchanger design that meets the process specifications (described below) at the lowest initial cost; 2) the identification of a heat exchanger design that will meet process specifications and operate most satisfactorily over the lifetime of the plant; 3) the identification of a system of heat exchangers and auxiliary components that will meet plant process specifications with minimum total cost to the process (including utilities and lost production).