Hint: An educational software for heat exchanger network design with the pinch method

A free piece of educational software for heat exchanger network design based on the pinch method is presented. The interface of the program has been designed focusing on getting a clear presentation of the concepts of the pinch design methods and letting students the control of all the stages of the design. The program guides students through all the main steps of the design, including energy and cost targeting, utilities selection, heat exchanger network specification, and optimisation and retrofitting analysis. The program has been tested in a MSc pinch technology course for several years, and the feedback obtained from students during this period has been used to optimise the program functionality and its interface. The use of the program improves the efficiency of the course since it let students practice the concepts of the pinch method while relieving them of tedious repetitive calculations. (C) 2007 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.