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Tube-fin heat exchanger circuitry optimization using integer permutation based genetic algorithm.

Number: pap. 2598

Author(s) : LI Z., LING J., AUTE V.

Summary

Tube-fin heat exchangers (HXs) are widely used in air-conditioning and heat pump applications. The performance of these heat exchangers is strongly influenced by the refrigerant circuitry, i.e. the refrigerant flow path along the different tubes in the HX core. Since for a given number of tubes, the number of possible circuitries is exponentially large, neither the exhaustive search nor traditional optimization algorithms can be used to optimize the circuitry for a given application. Researchers have previously used Genetic Algorithms (GAs) coupled with a learning module or other heuristic algorithm to solve this problem, but there is no guarantee that the resulting circuitry can be manufactured in a cost-effective manner. In this paper, we present an integer permutation-based GA approach for solving the circuitry optimization problem. A finite volume heat exchanger simulation tool is used to simulate the performance of different circuitries generated by the optimizer. The novel genetic operators are designed such that all chromosomes generated by GA can be mapped to a valid circuitry design. As a result, the proposed approach can explore the solution space more efficiently than a conventional GA. The manufacturability aspect is handled using a constraint-dominated sorting technique in the fitness assignment stage. The analyses of several case studies show that the constrained integer permutation-based GA can generate circuitry designs with capacities superior to those obtained manually and meanwhile guarantee good manufacturability. Overall, a 2.4-14.6% increase in heat exchange capacity is observed by applying the new optimization method to an evaporator from a A-type indoor unit. Comparison with other optimization methods in literature shows that the proposed approach exhibits higher quality optimal solutions than other methods.

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Pages: 10

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Details

  • Original title: Tube-fin heat exchanger circuitry optimization using integer permutation based genetic algorithm.
  • Record ID : 30024664
  • Languages: English
  • Source: 2018 Purdue Conferences. 17th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2018/07/09

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