Abstract

In this study, the key objective optimization on shell and tube heat exchanger is based on the total cost which
includes operating cost and investment cost. The optimization is carried out using bat algorithm for the three
case studies given in the open literature. Bats are the only mammals with wings and their behavior is based on
the echolocation, which is helpful for them to detect prey, avoid obstacles, and locate their roosting crevices in
the dark. The various design parameters are tube length, tube diameter, pitch size, baffle spacing, and number of
tubes. The results are reported and compared with previous literature. It is found that the cost obtained from bat
algorithm is quite matching with other algorithms. The objective is to optimize various dimensions of the shell
and tube heat exchanger so as to get maximum heat transfer coefficient and minimum design cost. The method
used is Kern for finding pressure drops and heat transfer coefficient. The number of iterations taken for finding
the optimal solution for a single objective function is <20 iterations and this ensures less computational time.