Heat exchanger network retrofit using particle swarm optimisation algorithm

Heat exchanger network (HEN) retrofit is an effective way to reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. A key criterion in industrial practice to evaluate the performance of a retrofit plan is the minimising total annualised cost. However, when pursuing the goal of minimising total annualised cost by graphical tools, sub-optimal solutions are inevitable because of the difficulty in finding the balance of utility cost and investment. In this study, a method based on constrained particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm is developed for the annual cost minimisation when retrofitting HENs. The proposed method is applied based on an initial retrofit plan obtained by graphical tools. It can achieve the aim of total annualised cost reduction by adjusting the inlet and outlet temperatures of each heat exchanger through PSO with the consideration of different utility prices and investment. The results show that this method can find optimal temperature spans for heat exchangers to reduce the total annualised cost.