TOPICS TO BE COVERED

• Introduction-Heat Exchangers

• Types of Heat Exchangers-Detailed description

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 INTRODUCTION- HEAT EXCHANGERS

A device used for transfering or exchanging energy in the form of heat

between two fluids is known as a heat exchanger.

• Broadly, heat exchangers could be classified as fired or unfired

–In the case of a fired heater, heat is transferred from a flame to the fluid
mainly by radiation in the radiant zone and by convection in convection zone.
–In the case of unfired heaters, the mode of heat transfer is by convection in
the fluids and by conduction across the solid surface separating the two fluids.

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 TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

Heat exchangers can be classified by different methods:

1. Function: Process function such as reboiler, condensers, cooler, heat

recovery, steam generators, etc.

2. Materials of Construction: Metallic, non-metallic like graphite, etc.

3. Mechanical Construction: Double pipe, shell and tube, plate heat

exchanger, spiral heat exchanger, finned tube, etc.

4. Flow Paths: Co-current, counter current, cross flow, etc.

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 TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

Amongst the different types of heat exchangers, the double pipe

and the shell and tube type are most commonly used.
Double Pipe Heat Exchanger
• This is used particularly when
– the flow rates are low
– and when the temperature range is relatively high
• In this type, one fluid flows inside a pipe, while a second fluid flows
either in the same direction (co-current) or opposite direction
(counter current) in the annulus between a larger pipe and the
outer side of the inner pipe carrying the first fluid.

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 TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

• These are the most widely used types of heat exchangers.
• The equipment consists of a number of parallel tubes enclosed in a
relatively close fitting cylindrical shell.
• One fluid flows inside the tube and is called the tube side fluid, the other
flows outside the tubes and is called the shell side fluid.
• If none of the fluids condense or evaporate, the unit is known as a 'heat
exchanger' .
• If one of the fluids, either in the tube or the shell condenses, the unit is
known as a 'condenser' or as a 'heater', depending on whether the
primary purpose of the unit is to condense one fluid or to heat the other.

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 TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS
Special Type of Heat Exchangers:-
These are used in special cases where the standard forms of tubular
exchangers are unsatisfactory.
(a) Pipe coils
– These coils of spiral or helical shape are used for cooling purposes, especially at high
temperature and pressure applications
– Such coils are immersed in a tank of water or sprayed with water
– The pressure drop in the coils is high, but the construction is simple and less
expensive
(b) Spiral heat exchanger
– This consists of two plates, spirally wound one inside the other on a split mandrel
– Each turn being separated by spacer studs, flash welded to the plates before winding
– After winding, alternate pairs of plates are edge welded to form two channels, each
open at one side and welded at the other

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 SPIRAL HEAT EXCHANGER

• The last turn of the spiral forms the shell of the cylindrical spiral body, the
ends of which are closed by end covers.
• The hot fluid enters at the centre, flows through the inner passage and
leaves at the periphery.
• The cold fluid enters at the periphery, flows through the outer passage, and
leaves at the centre.
• The two fluids, thus, flow in true counter-current in between the curved
surfaces, giving excellent flow characteristics.
• The curved channel gives a constantly changing angle of incidence to the
particles that may, in conventional exchangers, cause fouling.
• The spiral heat exchanger is used for highly fouling and corrosive liquids.

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 PLATE TYPE EXCHANGER

(c) Plate type exchanger

– This is constructed by a series of corrugated parallel plates held firmly together
between frames.
– The heat transfer surfaces consist of the adjacent plates.
– Gaskets cemented to the plates help to form separate channels for the two fluids.
– The two liquids travel in counter-current directions and heat transfer takes place
through the plates.
– Headers connecting the two liquids connect the alternate plate compartments
through corner plates.
– The whole assembly is bolted together with stay bolts and end plates. This has the
advantage of being able to increase the area by adding extra plates
– The advantages are: high rate of heat transfer, low pressure drop and easy cleaning
and replacement of plates.

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 PLATE TYPE EXCHANGER

– This type of heat exchanger is used in the food, dairy and other industries
where even the slightest contamination of the products due to a leakage
cannot be tolerated
– Recently, for the same application a double walled plate heat exchanger has
been introduced in the market
– They are very useful for the pharmaceutical industry as well, where even the
slight contamination is not allowable
– The brazed/welded fabrication avoids a gasket, thereby making it suitable
also for high temperature applications
– The introduction of the wide gap plate heat exchangers make them more
advantageous over the conventional shell and tube heat exchangers in the
food processing industry, paper and pulp industry and paint industry.

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 TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

(d) Finned tube exchanger

– In case of heating air or gas, where the heat transfer coefficients are low, the
surface area can be increased by use of fins either in transverse or
longitudinal form
– Transverse finned tubes are used for cooling process streams by air
– Longitudinal finned tubes units are used at high temperature and high
pressure service, where heat transfer rates are low.
(e) Graphite heat exchangers
– Carbon and graphite are used in many applications in the construction of
chemical equipment. These materials are stable over a wide range of
temperatures and are chemically resistant to most corrosive agents.
– Graphite has a high thermal conductivity.
– Due to their low tensile strength and brittleness, techniques in design and
fabrication of these materials differ from those employed for metals.
– Several types of graphite exchangers are made.

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 GRAPHITE HEAT EXCHANGERS

– In the normal types, the exchanger is made of the shell, and in the tube type,
with graphite tubes and tube sheets.
– The cubic or rectangular block heat-exchanger consists of a graphite block
perforated with rows of parallel holes for conveying the two fluids. The
graphite blocks are made from a series of accurately machined plates of
graphite laminated together and bonded with thermosetting resin.
– Headers are bolted to the four faces of the graphite block for supply and
discharge of the fluids
– In a cylindrical block of graphite, holes can be drilled and these blocks can be
multi-stocked in a cylindrical steel shell that has gland fittings. These units
have been designed for use as evaporators and reboilers.

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 DESIGN OF SHELL & TUBE HEAT
EXCHANGERS-BASICS

In the Chemical Process Industry, design of any equipment involves,

detailed working of the process design and the mechanical design.
The process design of a Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger gives the data
in respect of the following items:
1. Type of heat exchanger.
2. Inside diameter and internals of shell, shell passes, etc., in a shell and
tube heat exchanger
3. Tube size, number of tubes and tube passes, (heat transfer area) in a
shell and tube heat exchanger
4. Terminal temperatures of fluid streams
5. Mode of operation namely, counter-current, co-current and cross-flow
6. Location of fluid streams

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS- USEFUL REFERENCES

V. Mahajani & S. Umarji, “Joshi's Process Equipment Design”,

Macmillan Publishers India Ltd., 4th Ed., 2009

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