Multi-criteria decision-making under uncertainty conditions of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger

•Non-dominated solutions for the STHE multi-objective problem are found using MOPSO algorithm.•The uncertainties present in the STHE mathematical model are considered through the construction of scenarios.•Multi-criteria decision-making under uncertainty finds the rational solution to the STHE problem. This study investigates a shell-and-tube heat exchanger (STHE) model. The uncertainties in the inlet and outlet temperatures of the fluid that flows in the tubes, pressure drop factor in the tubes, friction factor in the tubes, Nusselt number in the tubes, heat transfer coefficient in the shell and pressure drop in the shell were considered in the mathematical model of the STHE with single-phase flow in the shell and tubes, through scenario construction. The objective functions required a heat transfer area, and the pumping power was optimised using a multi-objective particle swarm optimisation (MOPSO) algorithm. A multi-criteria decision-making method under uncertainty was applied to the alternatives that did not violate the problem’s constraints in any of the scenarios, and a rational solution to the STHE problem was chosen.