INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT TECHNICAL, ENERGET IC AND ECONOMIC SCENARIOS ON THE DECISION OF INSTALLING A NEW HEAT-EXCHANGER

This article proposes to examine the decision of installing a new heat exchanger in a working industrial unit in order to improve its energy performances. This examination is based on a new graphical method per mitting us to approach the decision while taking into consideration th e operating, technological and conjunctural variables. The analysis of the results shows that improvement in energy performances of an indus trial unit does not always contribute to improving its economic perfor mances. Factors that govern this contribution are in increasing import ance : the choice of heat exchanger's configuration, the energy scenar ios, the energy to be saved and the choice of the construction materia l of the heat exchanger.