Evolutionary algorithms and the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations as applied to a multiobjective design of shell-and-tube heat exchangers

Abstract

The results of the present work are directed at solving the shell-and-tube heat exchanger design optimization problem on the basis of a multiobjective approach by applying Evolutionary Algorithms. The considered objective functions are associated with equipment's heat transfer area and pumping power. The performance of the algorithms has been analyzed applying the Hypervolume, Coverage, Spacing and Pair-Wise Distance metrics. Their use allows one to compare the algorithms from the points of view of their efficiency, their diversity, and the quality of obtained solutions. The Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE) is applied to allow one to generate the solution from the Pareto frontier, according to the criteria and preferences defined by the decision maker. Keywords: Decision-making, Evolutionary computation, Multi-objective optimization, Shell-and-tube heat exchanger