Problem 9.

9 Evaporator - Minumum Total Cost

Objective Function: Minimum Total Cost
Decision Variable: Cycle Time
This approach is discussed on pp.399-400.

The problem statement gives the correlation

(1/U)2=(6.88x10-5)*θB + 0.186 where U is in kJ/s-m 2-K and θB is in s.

If we want U in kJ/h-m 2-K and θB in hours, the correlation becomes:

(1/U)2=(6.88x10-5/3600)*θB + (0.186/36002)
Therefore

a :=
(6.88 • 10− 5) a = 1.911 × 10
−8
c :=
0.186
c = 1.435 × 10
−8
( 3600 ) 2
( 3600 )
Other Input Data:
kJ 2
:= 2300 A := 37 m T := 40 C
kg

C := 4 h CC := 100 $ per cycle S B := 20 $ per hour

Part a
kgH2Oevaporated
Fm := 30000
da
From equation 9-61

 CC   2  0.5
Bopt :=   +   • ( a • c • CC • S B )  Bopt = 8.875 h
 SB   a • SB  
T := Bopt + C T = 12.875 h

Check using available time

H avail := 30 • 24 h QH := Fm • 30 • kJ

( 2 • A • Havail • T) 
− c 
0.5 0.5
t :=   • ( a • Bopt + c) t = 16.653 h
 ( H)
a • Q 
Since the min. cost opt. is less than the available, we may use Bopt

Part b
Part b
kgH2Oevaporated
Fm2 := 37000
da
Using the results of part (a), we have for the available cycle time

 Fm 
t2 := t •  F  t2 = 13.503 h
 m2 
Therefore, the available cycle time is still greater that the cycle time for min. cost.
If, however, the new rate had been 40000

Fm2 := 40000 kgH2Oevaporated  Fm 

da t2 := t F
•  t2 = 12.49 h
 m2 
Therefore, the available cycle time would be less than the cycle time for min. cost and
one would have to determine the cycle time by solving the following equation:

b := 8 Initial Guess

Given
( 2 • A • Havail • T) 
− c 
0.5 0.5
C+ b=   • ( a • b + c)
 ( a • QH ) 

b := Find ( b) b = 2.083 h

If the initial guess had been 14, the solution would have converged to 32.5 h

a • QH • ( CC + SB • b)
CT ( b) :=
2 • A • T • ( a • b + c) − c 
0.5 0.5

b := 1 , 2 .. 40 range for plotting

Total Cost vs Boil Time/Cycle

3

2.5

CT ( b)
2
4
10

1.5

1
0 10 20 30 40

b
 Total Cost vs Boil Time/Cycle
3

2.5

CT ( b)
2
4
10

1.5

1
0 10 20 30 40