Modified Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Formulation Implemented in Microsoft Excel to Synthesize a Heat Exchanger Network with Multiple Utilities to Compare Process Flowsheets

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

Although the point and content of this paper seems interesting. However, the authors must add more results and analysis according to the current model and system to enrich the diversity and feasibility of the current paper. The current one is too simple to reach a standard journal paper. The reviewer does not see any significant revisions to the main body of results.

Difficult to read.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report (Previous Reviewer 3)

This revised version is improved however there are a couple issues that still need to be resolved/

--Please detail point by point changes that were made in a response letter

--please continue to improve English grammar and paper organization as previously described

--please detail novel aspects as previously requested

--please use the appropriate  number of significant digits as previously requested

 

please continue to improve English grammar and paper organization as previously described

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report (New Reviewer)

File attached.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

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Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

Although the authors have revised their paper according to the review comments. The paper needs to be revised and  described in detail or deep understandings on the figure of results. I hope authors can benefit from the review comments as a minor revision.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report (Previous Reviewer 3)

The manuscript has been improved however please use the appropriate number of significant digits as previously requested.

The author response did not address the problem with the number of digits used; this needs to be handled properly.

The manuscript has been improved

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

A modified mixed-integer linear programming formulation was implemented in Microsoft Excel® and minimized using the Solver tool to obtain information to devise a heat exchanger network with multiple utilities from a set of hot and cold streams and selected utilities by hand. For the case of the boiler-feed water, an energy balance was added for each interval between its temperature and the process pinch temperature. Three sets of streams collected from the literature were used for the mixed-integer linear programming formulation testing.

 

The topic is interesting and contains novelty in this field of energy science and heat transfer design on heat exchangers. To improve the paper quality, the following shortcomings must be solved.

 

1.     Keywords should not contain abbreviation.

2.     The equations must be numbered in sequence. Before equation (1), there are many equations that should be numbered.

3.     Since there are many variables in this paper, there should be a nomenclature to summarize these variables.

4.     In Table 1, there should be also a column to demonstrate the shortcomings or advantages of each model listed in this Table.

5.     A highlighter should be added to both Figure 1, 2, and 3 to demonstrate the difference between the three systems.

6.     The current introduction considers very narrow application of energy storage. There are some other references that could help enrich the readership in this paper for instance, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 2023, 208, 124076. These references are very useful for the literature survey.

7.     The point and content of this paper is very interesting. However, the authors must add more results and analysis according to the current model and system to enrich the diversity and feasibility of the current paper.

8.     The conclusions should be revised to 5 points.

9.     The future aspects on developments must be stated in both abstract and another section before the final conclusion. How will the thermal energy storage develop in the future? Could the authors add a section to discuss the large-scale utility of the materials?

 

English can be improved.

Reviewer 2 Report

    This manuscript introduces a modified mixed-integer linear programming formulation implemented in Microsoft Excel and minimized using the Solver tool to obtain information to devise a heat exchanger network with multiple utilities. However, heat exchanger network synthesis is essentially a mixed integer nonlinear programmins problem. The linear model proposed in this manuscript cannot capture the optimum heat exchanger networks with the minimum total annualized cost that is comprised of the operating cost of utilities and the capital cost of heat exchaner. 
    It is recommended to study heat exchanger network synthesis to minimize total annualized cost, instead of utility cost. The stage-wise superstructure of Yee and Grossmann (1990) is proper approach for heat exchanger network synthesis.
    Hence, this manuscript should be rejected.
    

Please provide more reviews on the researches of heat exchanger network synthesis in recent 5 years.

Reviewer 3 Report

This manuscript requires improvement before it can be considered for publication.

--Improve Abstract, Introduction and conclusions. Make sure the novel aspects of the work are detailed.

--Improve English grammar and paper organization (i.e. word choice, sentence structure, no one sentence paragraphs, avoid consecutive  sentences starting with the same word, avoid the use of "we", etc)

--avoid lumping references...discuss each individually,

--need figure to explain the problems in the introduction

--all equations need eq numbers

--make sure all variables are defined

--use the proper number of significant figures

--more descriptive captions are required

--not sure what table 1 is

--improve paper flow

--add additional MDPI references

--add relevant current references ...currently there are only 6 of 32 current (less than 5 yr) references

 

 

 

--Improve English grammar and paper organization (i.e. word choice, sentence structure, no one sentence paragraphs, avoid consecutive  sentences starting with the same word, avoid the use of "we", etc)