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