An innovative damping random walk algorithm with compulsive evolution for the synthesis of heat exchanger networks

Heat exchanger network synthesis in process system engineering poses a significant challenge, primarily because of the intricacies of stream matches and the nonlinear nature of continuous variables. Numerous heuristic methods are frequently trapped in local optima because of their greedy acceptance criteria, which limits their capacity to explore diverse solutions. This aspect of enhancing algorithms through acceptance Criterion has yet to be considered in previous studies. Hence, a damping strategy using damping perfect solutions is proposed and applied to the Random Walk Algorithm with Compulsive Evolution, which has recently received considerable attention. This strategy aims to prevent trapping in local optima and improve global search capabilities, thereby reducing the risk of premature convergence to the local optima. To address the impact of different damping coefficients within the strategy on the optimization process and structural variations in the algorithm, three damping strategies were designed: a fixed damping strategy with a constant damping coefficient, a variable damping strategy featuring variable damping coefficients at different optimization stages, and an adaptive damping strategy that tracks structural changes and selectively delays modifications driven by continuous variables to preserve those driven by integer variables. The results obtained from applying these strategies to three classical industrial HEN cases are 2,890,884 $/yr, 6,650,082 $/yr, and 1,709,205 $/yr, respectively. These results outperformed the optimal outcomes documented in the literature, demonstrating the effectiveness of the new method.