Improvement of multi-objective optimization tool for shell-and-tube heat exchanger design

Heat exchangers have a huge range of industrial applications, including power producing plants, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, refrigeration systems and cooling of electronic systems. The multi-objective optimization of heat exchangers can provide a reliable solution for both of an improved efficiency and a reduction of cost. ‘Heat XChange Designer’ is a computer program developed by undergraduate students at Queen’s University Belfast to enable rapid design and performance analysis of heat exchangers as well as design optimization study.
Further development of the program has been made to improve the accuracy of the thermal and fluid analysis as well as the applicability/feasibility of practical design. A more accurate model, Bell-Delaware Method, of calculating pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient have been newly implemented. Also, the effect of fouling is additionally considered in the updated program. As the number of user inputs increased significantly from the last version of the program, a new user interface that allowed the user to efficiently manage and view the data has been developed. The improvement of the developed program was presented through the validation cases.