Seminar 05 - Optimization Tools for Heat Exchanger Design

Track: Heat Exchange Equipment
Sponsor: 1.13 Optimization
Chair: David Yashar, Ph.D., P.E., Member, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

This session presents two novel tools that can be used to optimize the design of heat exchangers. Each presentation focuses on one tool, and discusses the merits of its approach and its applicability for various problems. Each presentation also demonstrates how to effectively use the tools with a practical application.

1. GenOpt and Heat Pump Design Model to Optimize Heat Exchangers for Low-GWP Alternative Refrigerants
Bo Shen, Ph.D., Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
GenOpt, developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and Heat Pump Design Model (HPDM), developed by Oak Ridge National Lab, are both public-domain software. GenOpt facilitates arbitrary optimizations and it can be linked with any simulation program using input and output text files. HPDM is a widely-used modeling and design tool for vapor compression equipment and components. This presentation introduces applications of the GenOpt optimizer coupled with HPDM. The program optimizes heat exchangers for low GWP refrigerants by altering heat exchanger tube connections, tube diameter, length etc. and considering cost and operation constraints.

2. Multi-Scale Novel Heat Exchanger Design Using Approximation Assisted Optimization
Zhiwei Huang, Student Member, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
This concept makes it possible to predict the performance of a new heat exchanger design using segmented HX simulation tools. This streamlines the design process with a fast, flexible, low-cost approach that can be applied to any HX designs. To demonstrate the methodology, a novel air-cooled heat exchanger consisting of bifurcated bare tubes with two different tube diameters is designed under this framework. The novel bifurcated bare tube heat exchanger was found to have 15% higher airside heat transfer coefficient and 4~12% lower air-side pressure drop than baseline heat exchanger with the same diameter, frontal area, volume and air velocity.

Presented: Sunday, January 21, 2018, 9:45-10:45 AM
Run Time: 60 min.

This is a zip file that consists of PowerPoint slides synchronized with the audio-recording of the speaker (recorded presentation), PDF files of the slides, and audio only (mp3) for each presentation.