Upgrading of Tubular Heat Exchangers by the Helical Spacer Method and Evaluation

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. L. Eisinger ◽  
R. E. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Acoustic Wave ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Vibration Testing ◽  
Safe Operation ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Full Load ◽  
Post Modification ◽  
Side Flow

The tubular heat exchangers described exhibited a sensitivity to flow-induced tube vibration at about 50% of their design shell-side flow. Following a detailed theoretical analysis, the heat exchangers were modified by the helical spacer method providing additional tube supports in-between the existing support plates and in the U-bend. This modification aimed at allowing the heat exchangers to operate safely and reliably at full load, including a 25% overload. Post modification sound and vibration testing was performed which confirmed the adequacy of the modification. The test results showed however, that at the overload condition, an unusual acoustic wave inside the shell was developing. It was determined that this wave would not be harmful to the safe operation of the heat exchangers. The paper will discuss the findings in more detail.

scholarly journals Performance Analysis and Design Optimization of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
praveen math
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Pressure Loss ◽  
Fluid Flows ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Side Flow

Abstract Shell and Tube heat exchangers are having special importance in boilers, oil coolers, condensers, pre-heaters. They are also widely used in process applications as well as the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. The robustness and medium weighted shape of Shell and Tube heat exchangers make them well suited for high pressure operations. The aim of this study is to experiment, validate and to provide design suggestion to optimize the shell and tube heat exchanger (STHE). The heat exchanger is made of acrylic material with 2 baffles and 7 tubes made of stainless steel. Hot fluid flows inside the tube and cold fluid flows over the tube in the shell. 4 K-type thermocouples were used to read the hot and cold fluids inlet and outlet temperatures. Experiments were carried out for various combinations of hot and cold water flow rates with different hot water inlet temperatures. The flow conditions are limited to the lab size model of the experimental setup. A commercial CFD code was used to study the thermal and hydraulic flow field inside the shell and tubes. CFD methodology is developed to appropriately represent the flow physics and the procedure is validated with the experimental results. Turbulent flow in tube side is observed for all flow conditions, while the shell side has laminar flow except for extreme hot water temperatures. Hence transition k-kl-omega model was used to predict the flow better for transition cases. Realizable k- epsilon model with non-equilibrium wall function was used for turbulent cases. Temperature and velocity profiles are examined in detail and observed that the flow remains almost uniform to the tubes thus limiting heat transfer. Approximately 2/3 rd of the shell side flow does not surround the tubes due to biased flow contributing to reduced overall heat transfer and increased pressure loss. On the basis of these findings an attempt has been made to enhance the heat transfer by inducing turbulence in the shel l side flow. The two baffles were rotated in opposite direction to each other to achieve more circulation in the shell side flow and provide more contact with tube surface. Various positions of the baffles were simulated and studied using CFD analysis and th e results are summarized with respect to heat transfer and pressure loss.

Shell Side Flow and Heat Transfer Performances of Trisection Helical Baffle Heat Exchangers

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaping Chen ◽  
Cong Dong ◽  
Jiafeng Wu
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Incline Angle ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Single Vortex ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer ◽  
Helical Baffle ◽  
Side Flow

The flow and heat transfer performances of three trisection helical baffle heat exchangers with different baffle shapes and assembly configurations, and a continuous helical baffle scheme with approximate spiral pitch were numerically simulated. The four schemes are two trisection helical baffle schemes of baffle incline angle of 20° with a circumferential overlap baffle scheme (20°TCO) and a end-to-end helical baffle scheme (20°TEE), a trisection mid-overlap helical baffle scheme with baffle incline angle of 36.2° (36.2°TMO), and a continuous helical baffle scheme with baffle helix angle of 16.8° (18.4°CH). The pressure or velocity nephograms with superimposed velocity vectors for meridian slice M1, transverse slices f and f1, and unfolded concentric hexagonal slices H2 and H3 are presented. The Dean vortex secondary flow field, which is one of the key mechanisms of enhancing heat transfer in heat exchangers, is clearly depicted showing a single vortex is formed in each baffle pitch cycle. The leakage patterns are demonstrated clearly on the unfolded concentric hexagonal slices. The results show that the 20°TCO and 18.4°CH schemes rank the first and second in shell-side heat transfer coefficient and comprehensive indexes ho/Δpo and ho/Δpo1/3. The 20°TEE scheme without circumferential overlap is considerably inferior to the 20°TCO scheme. The 36.2°TMO scheme is the worst in both shell-side heat transfer coefficient and comprehensive index ho/Δpo1/3.

Simulation of Shell-Side Performance of Novel Heat Exchanger

2012 ◽  
Vol 201-202 ◽  
pp. 107-110
Author(s):  
Xing Cao ◽  
Wen Jing Du ◽  
Lin Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Heat Transfer Characteristics ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer ◽  
Triangle Zone ◽  
Comprehensive Performance ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Side Flow ◽  
Unit Pressure

Numerical simulation of shell-and-tube heat exchangers with novel helical baffles was carried out by using commercial codes to study shell-side flow and heat transfer characteristics. The results show that compared with shell-and-tube heat exchangers with conventional helical baffles, the ones with novel helical baffles can efficiently reduce the leakage from triangle zone so that the distributions of both the velocity field and heat transfer on tubes are more uniform. The comparison of comprehensive performance which is evaluated by heat transfer coefficient per unit pressure drop between conventional helical baffles and novel ones indicates that the latter performs better.

Thermal-Hydraulic Characterization of Shell-Side Flow in a Cryogenic Coiled Finned-Tube Heat Exchanger

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon Howard ◽  
Nusair Hasan ◽  
Peter Knudsen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Flow Region ◽  
Finned Tube ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Improve Design ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger ◽  
Finned Tube Heat Exchanger ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Side Flow

Abstract Coiled finned-tube heat exchangers, also called Collins type heat exchangers, are frequently used in small to medium scale cryogenic systems to improve design packaging (compactness) while maintaining high thermal effectiveness. A typical heat exchanger assembly of this kind consists of an inner cylindrical shell, called the mandrel, with helical finned-tube coils wrapped around it, and then enclosed by an outer shell. One flow paths is through the helically wrapped tube, and the other flow path through annular flow region of the tubes. These are also known as tube and shell streams, respectively. An accurate description of the shell-side thermal-hydraulic flow characteristics is a necessary part of the heat exchanger design. In this paper, these characteristics for cryogenic gaseous nitrogen, between 300 to 100 K, are numerically investigated. A computational fluid dynamics model of the shell-side geometry is developed and validated. Simulations are carried out for a wide range of flow conditions. Data obtained from the numerical simulations are used to form correlations between the shell-side Reynolds number (Re), Fanning friction factor (f), and Chilton-Colburn factor (j). In addition, the effect of geometrical variance on the correlation was investigated. The results from this study show reasonable agreement with experimental data.

Numerical Simulation of a Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger with Special Form Helical Baffles

2013 ◽  
Vol 860-863 ◽  
pp. 754-757
Author(s):  
Can Zheng ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Yong Gang Lei
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Fluid Medium ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger ◽  
New Type ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Side Flow

A new type of helical baffles heat exchanger is presented in this paper. Comparative study, through numerical simulation, was undertook between the new helical baffles heat exchanger and segmental baffle board heat exchanger in shell side flow and heat exchange characteristics. Fluid medium in the shell side is air. At the same velocity in the same flow conditions, pressure drop of helical baffles heat exchangers fell by an average of 26.8% compared with segmental baffle board heat exchangers, and the unit pressure drop of the heat transfer ratio of helical baffles heat exchanger increased by an average of 40.6%.

scholarly journals Optimization and CFD analysis of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with a multi segmental baffle

2020 ◽  
pp. 293-293
Author(s):  
Ahmet Aydin ◽  
Halit Yaşar ◽  
Tahsin Engin ◽  
Ekrem Büyükkaya
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Side Flow

The Shell-and-tube type heat exchangers have long been widely used in many fields of industry. These types of heat exchangers are generally easy to design, manufacturing and maintenance, but require relatively large spaces to install. Therefore the optimization of such heat exchangers from thermal and economical points of view is of particular interest. In this article, an optimization procedure based on the minimum total cost (initial investment plus operational costs) has been applied. Then the flow analysis of the optimized heat exchanger has been carried out to reveal possible flow field and temperature distribution inside the equipment using computational fluid dynamics. The experimental results were compared with computational fluid dynamics analyses results. It has been concluded that the baffles play an important role in the development of the shell side flow field. This prompted us to investigate new baffle geometries without compromising from the overall thermal performance. It has been found that the heat exchanger with the new baffle design gives rise to considerably lower pressure drops in the shell side, which in turn reducing operating cost. The new baffle design is particularly well suited for shell-and-tube heat exchangers, where a viscous fluid flows through shell side with/out phase change.

Numerical Simulations and Experimental Measurements of the Isothermal Flow in a Model Tubular Heat Exchanger

2006 ◽  
Vol 220 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Hughes ◽  
T. E. R. Jones ◽  
P. W. James
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Heat Recovery ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Experimental Measurements ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Tubular Heat Exchanger ◽  
Side Flow ◽  
Medium Viscosity

This paper describes numerical simulations and experimental measurements of isothermal laminar flow on the shell side of a model tubular heat exchanger, for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. Commercially available computational fluid dynamics software is used for the simulations, which are shown to be in good agreement with experimental measurements of shear rate and pressure drop. The simulations can then be used to provide a detailed description of the laminar shell-side flow in the model tubular heat exchanger. The motivation for this work stems from interest in the food processing industry in using tubular heat exchangers in heat recovery mode for medium viscosity food products. In this mode, the food product flows on the shell side as well as through the tubes. The shell-side flow is then laminar and aspects of the performance of the heat exchanger may be unsatisfactory. The work described in this paper forms part of a wider study in which validated numerical simulations are used in the design of tubular heat exchangers operating in heat recovery mode for medium viscosity food products.

Temperature Field Prediction of Rectangular Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Zhou ◽  
Y. Li ◽  
B. Q. Gu ◽  
C. L. Shao
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Temperature Field ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Tube Heat Exchanger ◽  
Shell And Tube ◽  
Side Flow ◽  
Rectangular Shell

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are the most common type of heat exchangers in oil refineries and other large chemical processes. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that the shell-side flow in a cylindrical shell was not as homogeneous as that in a rectangular shell. According to the periodic flow field and the arrangement of tubes in the rectangular shell, the solid-fluid coupling heat transfer model consisting of a single tube section and the outer and inner fluids was developed to represent the whole heat exchanger. Using this model, the relationship among four temperatures, namely the inlet and outlet temperatures of tube-side fluid and the upstream and downstream temperatures of shell-side fluid, was established. By dividing each tube into several tube sections at the sites of baffles, a method for predicting the temperature field of the rectangular shell-and-tube heat exchanger was proposed. Based on the node temperature correlation, all the node temperatures were obtained by iterative computation using the established relationship between the four temperatures and the operating conditions. It was found that the temperature distribution of the fluid in tube was approximately linear along axial direction, but the temperature of tube showed nonlinear regularity. The axial deformation compatibility condition for the tube bundle and shell was considered when resolving the stresses in tubes. For the model established in this paper, the mean temperature of the tube at lower position was found to be larger than that at higher position; hence the thermal expansion of the tube at the lower end is larger. In the case the tube-side fluid was heated, all tubes were pulled because of the larger axial thermal expansion of shell, and the stress in the tube with higher temperature is smaller because of the smaller strain.

scholarly journals Numerical Comparison of Thermohydraulic Performance and Fluid-Induced Vibrations for STHXs with Segmental, Helical, and Novel Clamping Antivibration Baffles

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 540
Author(s):  
S.M.A. Naqvi ◽  
Qiuwang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Heat Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Transfer Coefficient ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Numerical Comparison ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Cylindrical Tubes ◽  
Side Flow

The most extensively used heat exchanger in numerous research fields and industrial processes is the shell and tube heat exchanger. The selection of the baffle plays a vital role to regulate and increase the thermohydraulic performance and also to decrease fluid-induced vibrations due to shell side flow. 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) have been done to analyze the pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient, vortex shedding, and tube deformation due to induced vibrations among the recently developed clamping antivibration baffles with square twisted tubes, helical baffles with cylindrical tubes, and conventional segmental baffles with cylindrical tubes at different shell side flow rates by using commercial software ANSYS. Complete heat exchangers are modeled for numerical comparison; the thermohydraulic performance of the numerical model shows the suitable agreement by validating it with already published results and Esso method for single segmental baffles. It is then used to compare the performance of the same heat exchangers with CBSTT and HBCT. Thermohydraulic performance of CBSTT-STHX is better than SGCT-STHX. The heat transfer coefficient of heat exchangers with tube-to-baffle-hole clearance is higher and there is a reduction in the pressure drop compared to the results of STHXs without tube-to-baffle-hole clearance. The deformation in the tubes and vortex-induced vibrations are minimum in STHX with CBSTT than in STHXs with HBCT and SGCT.

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