Optimization of a Tube Heat Exchanger Arrangements Using Simulated Annealing, Finite-Volume, and Blocked-Off Methods

The main contribution is to propose the most optimum tube arrangements inside the domain in that outlet temperature and pressure drop as goal parameters are optimized based on fluid characteristics. While the flow regime is assumed to be laminar and is affected by buoyancy force, the hot fluid participates in radiation through emitting, scattering, and absorbing. The Simulated Annealing (SA) has been used as the optimization algorithm to find the optimal arrangement. Meanwhile, fluid and thermal characteristics of HE are analyzed by concurrently solving set of governing equations, including Navier Stocks and energy equations, for which a Cartesian-based program has been developed in FORTRAN. The discretized form of equations has been obtained and solved using the finite-volume method (FVM) and SIMPLE algorithm. To simulate the volumetric radiation in the gas domain, the discrete-ordinates method (DOM) is applied. Furthermore, The Blocked-off region has been implemented to identify the tube circular boundaries inside the Cartesian coordinates system. The applied computational fluid dynamic techniques are validated with the experimental data, also the performance of Simulated Annealing (SA) is evaluated by single-objective, multi-objective, and coupled set point parameter cases