The resiliency of a heat exchanger network

i. e.

its ability to adapt to the variations of streams specifications

attracts increasing research interests as the technology of networking has been widely applied in process industry. A simple NLP method was proposed to make a given stiff heat exchanger network resilient. The model aims at minimum adjustments of surface areas

and was constrained by realization of targeting temperatures of important streams as well as minimum consumption of utilities. The solution of the model supplied the adjusted values of surface area for each exchanger of in - between streams. The merits of convenience and robustness of the method were shown by examples. The method is expected to be utilized in heat-exchanger flowsheeting design in conjunction with a sophisticated program of synthesizing stiff networks since it is far more complicated to synthesize a resilient network directly. Should the method be used in revamping a working network

a cost effective plan can be expected since the model orients itself to the existing network.