Parametric analysis and multi-objective optimization of heat exchangers in CGS stations: replacement with water bath heaters.

The high energy consumption of water bath heaters in city gate stations due to heating the passing gas is always a significant concern. A suggested approach is to apply a shell and tube heat exchanger to raise efficiency or utilize heat losses. This study first examined the impact of the geometrical parameters of a heat exchanger, e.g., baffle cut, baffle number, tube pitch, and tube diameter, on heat transfer, pressure drop, and exchanger price as objective functions and estimated the optimal point of the exchanger's geometry based on the TOPSIS algorithm. Then, the feasibility of replacing a shell and tube exchanger with a water bath heater in city gate stations was probed. The shell and tube exchanger was simulated and analyzed by Ansys Fluent software. The results showed that increases in the baffle cut from 20 to 50%, tube pitch from 1.3 to 1.9, and tube diameter from 21.3 mm to 42.2 mm reduced heat transfer by 10, 3, and 7% and pressure drop by 9, 10 and 11%, respectively, while a surge in the number of baffles from 2 to 5 raised pressure drop and heat transfer by 14 and 12%, respectively. The outcomes associated with the economic analysis of replacing an exchanger revealed that this replacement decreased fuel consumption and led to reduced contamination, on the one hand, and cost conservation, on the other hand, such that the net present value index zeroed in less than 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]