Optimisation of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers Using ANT Colony Prin Ciples

In the present work, a shell and tube heat exchanger design and optimization approach is developed. The main objective in any heat exchanger design is to maximize the overall heat transfer coefficient for a given heat duty. Several configurations are possible with various design variables such as outer diameter, pitch, and length of the tubes; tube passes; baffle spacing; etc. Hence the design engineer needs an efficient strategy in searching for the optimum design. In the present study it is shown that, for the case when allowable pressures drops on tube and shell side are given, one can estimate optimum value of number of tubes, number of baffles, baffle spacing, velocity of tube side fluid. Ant Colony Algorithms has been successfully applied with different strategies which yield the global optimum for a wide range of the key parameters. An attempt has been made to optimize design of shell and tube heat exchanger using Ant Colony Principles.