Improving multi-stream heat exchanger design by reducing the number of sections

The total annual cost (TAC) of a Heat Exchanger Network (HEN) is decreased by using Multi-Stream Heat Exchangers (MSHE), enabling a simultaneous heat exchange between more than two streams in a single unit. Several methods have been developed based on pinch concepts to design an MSHE; however, they lead to designs which are both larger and more complex than necessary. The major drawback is they usually result in designs having more individual sections than minimum. In this paper a new procedure for design of MSHE is proposed, which minimizes the number of sections required for a given duty. Having applied the new design procedure in an industrial case study, the results showed a 10% cost reduction compared to current methods.