Optimization of a Heat Exchanger

by Alexander Dalzell

Submitted : Spring 2012

A selected heat exchanger unit uses steam as a source to heat an organic liquid. Using given relationships, the steam temperature needed to minimize the total annual operation for this heat exchanger was calculated. If the steam temperature decreases, the latent heat of vaporization becomes larger, the mass flow rate needed of steam becomes smaller, and the heat exchange area becomes larger. Thus lowering the steam temperature would lower the operating cost while increasing the equipment cost. By algebraically relating the given equations, the total cost function was found. The variable that was being solved for, and thus needed to be made common to all the equations, was the steam temperature. The first derivative test was used to find the steam temperature that would minimize this cost function. This temperature was used to find the corresponding heat transfer area, steam mass flow rate, and total annual cost.

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