Double Pipe Heat Exchanger A typical double-pipe heat exchanger is shown in Figure 4.

Essentially, it consists ofone pipe placed concentrically inside another one of larger diameter, with appropriate endfittings on each pipe to guide the fluids from one section to the next. The inner pipe mayhave external longitudinal fins welded to it either internally or externally to increase theheat transfer area for the fluid with the lower heat transfer coefficient. The double-pipesections can be connected in various series or parallel arrangements for either fluid to meetpressure-drop limitations and LMTD requirements.

Figure 4, double pipe heat exchanger (one hair-pin)

Figure 5, actual footage of 7 hair-pins arrangement.

Applications The major use of double-pipe exchangers is for sensible heating or cooling of the process fluid where small heat transfer areas (typically up to 50 m.) are required. They may also

be used for small amounts of boiling or condensation on the process fluid side. Thea dvantages of the double-pipe exchanger are largely in the flexibility of application and piping arrangement, plus the fact that they can be erected quickly from standard components by maintenance crews. Introduction In double pipe heat exchanger design, an important factor is the type of flow pattern in the heat exchanger. A double pipe heat exchanger will typically be either counterflow or parallel flow. Crossflow just doesn't work for a double pipe heat exchanger. The flow pattem and the required heat exchange duty allows calculation of the log mean temperature difference. That together with an estimated overall heat transfer coefficient allows calculation of the required heat transfer surface area. Then pipe sizes, pipe lengths and number of bends can be determined. General Configuration and Characteristics of a Double Pipe Heat Exchanger

A double pipe heat exchanger, in its simplest form is just one pipe inside another larger pipe. One fluid flows through the inside pipe and the other flows through the annulus between the two pipes. The wall of the inner pipe is the heat transfer surface. The pipes are usually doubled back multiple times as shown in the diagram at the left, in order to make the overall unit more compact. The term 'hairpin heat exchanger' is also used for a heat exchanger of the configuration in the diagram. A hairpin heat exchanger may have only one inside pipe, or it may have multiple inside tubes, but it will always have the doubling back feature shown. . Some heat exchanger manufacturers advertise the availability of finned tubes in a hairpin or double pipe heat exchanger. These would always be longitudinal fins, rather than the more common radial fins used in a crossflow finned tube heat exchanger. Counterflow and Parallel Flow in a Double Pipe Heat Exchanger

A primary advantage of a hairpin or double pipe heat exchanger is that it can be operated in a true counterflow pattern, which is the most efficient flow pattern. That is, it will give the highest overall heat transfer coefficient for the double pipe heat exchanger design.

Also, hairpin and double pipe heat exchangers can handle high pressures and temperatures well. When they are operating in true counterflow, they can operate with a temperature cross, that is, where the cold side outlet temperature is higher than the hot side outlet temperature. For example, in the diagrams in this section, consider Fluid 1 to be the hot fluid and Fluid 2 to be the cold fluid. Then, in the counterflow diagram at the left, you can see that the cold side outlet temperature, T2out, can approach the hot side entering temperature, T1in, which is higher than the hot side outlet temperature, T2out. For the parallel flow shown at the right, T2out can only approach T1out; it could not be greater. Double Pipe Heat Exchanger Design Determination of the heat transfer surface area needed for a double pipe heat exchanger design can be done using the basic heat exchanger equation: Q = UA Tlm, where: Q is the rate of heat transfer between the two fluids in the heat exchanger in Btu/hr, U is the overall heat transfer coefficient in BTU/hr-ft2-oF, A is the heat transfer surface area in ft2, and Tlm is the log mean temperature difference in oF, calculated from the inlet and outlet temperatures of both fluids.

These parameters in the basic heat exchanger equation are discussed in 'Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Design', and they are used in an example in 'Preliminary Heat Exchanger Design Example'. After determination of the required heat transfer surface area, the diameter and length of the inner pipe can be selected and then the diameter of the outer pipe. Finally, the length of the straight sections and the number of bends can be selected.

A double pipe heat exchanger is one of the simple heat transfer equipments that essentially consist of one pipe concentrically inside a second larger one as shown below. It is assembled of a standard metal pipe and standardized return bends and return heads, the latter equipped with stuffing boxes. One fluid flows in the annulus between the inner and outer pipes and the other in the inner pipe. In the figure above, the two fluids are shown as entering at the same end, flowing in the same direction, and leaving at the other end; this configuration is called concurrent. The function of a heat exchanger is to increase the temperature of a cooler fluid and decrease that of a hotter fluid. In a typical exchanger, the inner pipe may be 1 in. and the outer pipe 2 in., 2 both in IPS. Double pipe heat exchangers are useful when not more than 100 to 150 ft of surface is required. For larger capacities, more elaborate shell-and-tube exchangers, containing up to thousands of square feet area are used. The design of double-pipe heat exchangers is straightforward. It is generally conservative to neglect naturalconvection and entrance effects in turbulent flow. In laminar flow, natural convection effects can increase the theoretical Graetz prediction by a factor of 3 or 4 for fully developed flows. If the inner tube is longitudinally finned on the outside surface, the equivalent diameter is used as the characteristic length in both the Reynolds-number and the heat-transfer correlations. Fittings contribute strongly to the pressure drop on the annulus side. General methods for predicting this are not reliable, and manufacturers data should be used when available. Double-pipe exchangers are often piped in complex series-parallel arrangements on both sides. Some of the advantages of this kind of heat exchanger are: - low pressure loss - small applications (simple, cheap to build) - counter flow: high effectiveness; parallel flow: quick (short) fetches. On the other hand, it still has its own disadvantages: - requires large surface area (footprint on floor) if large heat transfer rates are needed. This is a true picture of a double-pipe heat exchanger:

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Hairpin heat exchangers (often also referred to as double pipes) are characterized by a construction form which imparts a U-shaped appearance to the heat exchanger. In its classical sense, the term double pipe refers to a heat exchanger consisting of a pipe within a pipe, usually of a straight-leg construction with no bends. However, due to the need for removable bundle construction and the ability to handle differential thermal expansion while avoiding the use of expansion joints (often the weak point of the exchanger), the current Ushaped configuration has become the standard in the industry. A further departure from the classical definition comes when more than one pipe or tube is used to make a tube bundle, complete with tubesheets and tube supports similar to the TEMA style exchanger. Hairpin heat exchangers consist of two shell assemblies housing a common set of tubes and interconnected by a return-bend cover referred to as the bonnet. The shell is supported by means of bracket assemblies designed to cradle both shells simultaneously. These brackets are configured to permit the modular assembly of many hairpin sections into an exchanger bank for inexpensive future-expansion capability and for providing the very long thermal lengths demanded by special process applications.

The bracket construction permits support of the exchanger without fixing the supports to the shell. This provides for thermal movement of the shells within the brackets and prevents the transfer of thermal stresses into the process piping. In special cases the brackets may be welded to the shell. However, this is usually avoided due to the resulting loss of flexibility in field installation and equipment reuse at other sites and an increase in piping stresses. The hairpin heat exchanger, unlike the removable bundle TEMA styles, is designed for bundle insertion and removal from the return end rather than the tubesheet end. This is accomplished by means of removable split rings which slide into grooves machined around the outside of each tubesheet and lock the tubesheets to the external closure flanges. This provides a distinct advantage in maintenance since bundle removal takes place at the exchanger end furthest from the plant process piping without disturbing any gasketed joints of this piping.