An advanced comprehensive graphical tool with shifted stream temperatures to efficiently design cost-effective heat exchanger networks

Pinch analysis plays a vital role through graphical representation in guiding rational energy utilization and cost savings. Stream data in graphical tools provide intuitive visual insights for engineers, enabling complex heat exchanger networks (HENs) to be optimized through easy-to-implement interactive designs. Abundant stream data are an important prerequisite for efficiently and conveniently identifying high-quality solutions. Therefore, this study develops a comprehensive graphical tool showing more stream data while adopting shifted stream temperatures to cope with difficult diverse pinch problems. It organically combines four types of stream data for the first time, involving temperature, energy, heat capacity flow rate, and heat transfer coefficient, specifically realized by five independent and interrelated subgraphs. Stream data for individual streams or heat exchange matches become easily referred to, enhancing insights and convenience in forming optimization solutions. In demonstrated cases, with this graphical tool, the derived diverse pinch analysis with the maximum cost-saving potential can clearly indicate the correct regions where matching streams should be located. Combined with the optimization strategies provided, an optimal synthesis solution is readily obtained, and a more cost-effective retrofit solution is found. This work provides an achievable way to efficiently solve the optimization problem of complex HENs through interactive designs.