The 14 th Iranian National Chemical Engineering Congress (IChEC 2012) Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, 16-18 October, 2012 کدمقاله: 07215 کدمقاله: 07215 1 A novel procedure for the synthesis of reactors network coupled with heat exchangers network (RHENS) Mohammad Hosein Eghbal Ahmadi Fathollah Farhadi * Ramin Bozorgmehri Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology Azadi Av., Tehran , Iran *Corresponding Author’s E-mail: farhadi@sharif.edu Abstract This paper presents a novel procedure that is based on combination of a rigorous simulation model and a robust optimization algorithm for the synthesis of reactors network and also simultaneous synthesis of reactor and heat exchangers network. The model comprises CSTR and plug flow reactors and 3 types of heat exchangers. Genetic Algorithm as one of efficient global optimizing algorithms has been used as optimization method and automation capability of a commercialized simulator has been applied. The simulations and rigorous calculation through simulator exploit the complete process modeling accuracy without the necessity of simplifications due to restrictions imposed by the optimization method or assumption because of complexity of equipments design equations or variation of physical properties while changing in temperature or pressure or even nonlinearity of reaction rates. Moreover characteristics of the method make it suitable for large scale synthesis problems. The synthesis method is applied on a case study of OCM reaction. The obtained results demonstrate the suitability of the present method for process optimization with improvements better than those reported in literature for this case study. Key words: process synthesis, reactors network synthesis, heat exchangers network synthesis, genetic algorithm, optimization. Research Highlights  excellence of exploring the whole search space and then to find global optimum rather than local ones.  No simplifying assumption in the procedure with all calculations in rigorous mode.  Capability of simultaneous network synthesis regardless of equipments types diversity.