October

18, 2014
JULY
27, 2015

Heat Exchanger Design

By: Tanuj Gupta (Summer Intern)

Agenda
1

Introduction to heat exchangers

Types of heat exchangers

Construction of heat exchanger

Key variable for designing a heat exchanger

Other important design parameters

Roadmap to reduce pressure drop and increase heat transfer

Steps involved in designing a heat exchanger

Introduction to heat exchangers

Heat exchanger is a device in which two fluid streams, are brought into thermal
Contact in order to effect the transfer of heat from hot fluid to cold fluid.

Heat Transfer

Thermal
contact

Hot

Cold

&

Direct

Indirect

Most heat exchangers are of indirect contact type in which hot and cold
fluids are separated by a barrier such as tube wall, plate, etc.

Types Of Heat Exchangers

Indirect Contact
Indirect Contact

Direct Contact
Shell and Tube

Tubular
Double Pipe
Plate
Heat Exchanger

Extended
Surface
Indirect Contact

Single Pass
Multi-Pass

Indirect Contact

Non-Compact
Compact

Shell & Tube type has

been detailed in this
document

Construction of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger (1/2)

It consists of a shell that encloses shell

side fluid.

Shell and tube heat exchangers consist

of series of tubes. One set of these
tubes contains the fluid that must be
either heated or cooled. The second
fluid runs over the tubes .

A set of tubes is called the tube bundle

and can be made up of several types of
tubes.

Baffles are used in shell and tube heat

exchangers to direct fluid across the
tube bundle. They run perpendicularly to
the shell and hold the bundle,
preventing the tubes from sagging over
a long length.

Construction of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger (2/2)

Isolation
Valve

Drain Valve
Auxiliary
Components
Vent Valve

Relief Valve

Key decision variables for designing a heat exchanger

1 Which fluid on which side
2 Tube arrangement
3 Shell arrangement
4 Channel/head types

Which Fluid on which side?

`
`

Dirty fluid, high fouling

High pressure
Expensive materials
Relative temperatures (lowest)

Tube & Shell arrangement (1/4)

Tube arrangement
Fixed Tube sheet

U-Tube

1st choice, most common

Favored by big temperature difference

between tube and shell side, allows thermal

True counter-current flow possible

expansion

Tubes are replaceable and cleanable

Bundle is removable

Any number of tube passes possible

Only one header, one tube sheet

Expansion Joint is needed in case of large

True counter-current flow not possible

differential Temperature

Normally only clean tube side fluids

Shell side cleaning not possible

Tube sheet temperature difference shall be

less than 120C

Floating Head
Allows thermal expansion
Facilitates cleaning on both sides
T per tube pass < 30C
Very Costly

10

Tube & Shell arrangement (2/4)

Shell arrangement

ADVANTAGES

E- Type Shell

F-Type Shell

DISADVANTAGES

Most commonly used shell type

Least expensive and simple geometry
True counter-current flow possible with
one tube pass
No temperature-cross problem with one
tube pass

Gives pure counter-current flow with two

tube passes.
Required less number of shells compared to
E-type.

G-Type

Better thermal efficiency

Closer to counter-current flow with even
tube passes
Required less number of shells compared to
E-type and longitudinal plate offers better
flow distribution

11

Temperature-cross problem
occurs with multi-pass tubes
Pressure drop criteria sometimes
is not met.

Relatively high shell side

pressure drop.
Leakages across the longitudinal
baffle.
Longitudinal baffles are difficult
to seal with the shell especially
when reinserting the shell after
maintenance.
Leakage problem should be
considered.

Tube & Shell arrangement (3/4)

Shell arrangement

ADVANTAGES

H- Type Shell

J-Type Shell

Suitable for high shell side volume flows

Low shell side pressure drop
Better thermal efficiency
Closer to counter-current flow with even
tube passes
Required less number of shells
compared to E-type

X-Type Shell

Low shell side pressure drop

Suitable for high shell side volumes
Simpler and cheaper than H-type
Normally single segmental baffles only

Applicable to very high shell side

volume flows
Very low shell side pressure drop

11

DISADVANTAGES

Complicated geometry due to

more nozzles and piping
More expensive

Thermal Efficiency is low.

Most expensive.

Tube & Shell arrangement (4/4)

Shell selection thumb rules
Start
with
E

Problem with
fouling factor

Problem with
Pressure drop

Solution 1

Use Double
Segmental Baffles

Solution 2

Solution 1

J
Solution 2

12

Channel/head types
Front End

Select B type as default

Select A type if
tube side is low pressure and
tube side fluid is dirty (e.g. CW) and
diameter is > 0.4 m

Select N type over A type if

Diameter is large enough for entry/maintenance
C and D Type are used for very high design pressures.

Rear End
Three general types:
L, M, N

Fixed tube sheet

U-tube

S, T, P, W

Floating head

14

Some Important Design Parameters (1/3)

1. Baffles
2. Tube Layout
3. Tube Pitch
4. No. of Tubes
5. Baffle Spacing
6. Diameter of Shell and Tubes

15

Some Important Design Parameters (2/3)

Baffling

Baffles
Supporting tubes
Maintain Velocity
Vibration Prevention
Types: Single segmental, Double segmental, Triple
segmental.

Baffle spacing
Centre to centre distance b/w baffles
Maximum can be equal to the inner diameter of the
shell

Baffle cut
Permit shell side fluid to flow across baffle
Can vary between 15% to 45%.
Optimum range is 20% to 35%

16

Some Important Design Parameters (3/3)

Tube Layout and Tube Pitch

Four tube layout patterns:

Triangular(30),
Rotated Triangular(60),
Square (90)
Rotated Square (45).
Tube pitch: It is the shortest distance between two adjacent
tubes.
Comparison of Triangular and Square pattern

Triangular Pattern

Square Pattern

More Tubes
High Turbulence
High Heat Transfer Coefficient
Mechanical cleaning of Shell
side not possible

Less No. of tubes

Less turbulence
Less Heat transfer
coefficient.
Can be used for dirty shell
side fluid

17

Roadmap to reduce pressure drop

Tube side

Delta P is proportional to
Square of velocity* length of
tube* number of tube passes

Decrease number of tube passes

Increase tube diameter
Decrease tube length and increase shell diameter and
number of tubes

Shell side

Increase the baffle cut

Increase the baffle spacing
Increase tube pitch
Use double or triple segmental baffles

17

Roadmap to increase heat transfer

Increase heat transfer coefficient

Tube Side

Increase number of tubes

Decrease tube outside diameter

Shell Side

Decrease the baffle spacing

Decrease baffle cut

Surface Area

Increase tube length

Increase shell diameter increased number of tubes
Employ multiple shells in series or parallel

18

Heat exchanger design

Heat Exchanger
Designed!!!!
If pressure drop criteria is still not met then change
the shell type and accordingly change everything
Remember that increasing tube pitch is the least
recommended option.
If pressure drop criteria is not met try changing
the baffle type .
Keep adjusting the baffle spacing according to the
shell dia. Remember CBS<=RBS or FBS
Decide the no. of baffles and the baffle spacing. Hence
we get tube length.
First guess and then estimate Tube Count.

Allocate The fluid on shell side and tube side

First decide the TEMA Shell Type

19

References

Binay K. Dutta (Heat Transfer)

Haldor Topse IDM No. 4-1385/E WBS 53 Rev. 8
Calculation of shell and tube heat exchangers
Effectively design shell and tube heat exchangers paper
Mr. Rajiv Mukherjee (February 1998)

21

Thank You