Improved pinch-based method to calculate the capital cost target of heat exchanger network via evolving the spaghetti structure towards low-cost matching

Ahead of heat exchanger network (HEN) design, setting an optimal pinch temperature difference for analysis depends vitally on the capital cost target. Conventional methods based spaghetti (SPA) structure ignoring matching optimization might result in calculated targets large deviations. This work evolved SPA via four stages by shifting energy towards low-cost matching. The fourth from (ESPA-IV structure) with lowest-cost after loops elimination forms base to establish ESPA method. It is validated numerical experiment and applied a case reported literature, meanwhile comparisons are always made proves that method can obtain higher accuracy than target deviations (often within ±5%) given much lower those (well above 10%) derived In study, HEN further optimized as hinted results. Of two methods, indicated closer optimum newly optimization. high verified. • New proposed (HEN). Lower-cost structures (ESPA). Both study confirmed reliability assessment tool guide design.