Numerical evaluation of thermohydraulic parameters for diverse configurations of shell-and-tube heat exchanger

Abstract

This research aims to optimize the internal design of shell-and-tube heat exchangers by investigating the thermal performance of various configurations. A comparative study of segmental baffles with plain and finned tube setups and helical baffles with different angular orientations is conducted using numerical simulations with the Galerkin finite element analysis. Key thermohydraulic parameters, such as shell-side pressure difference, heat transport coefficient, and heat transport coefficient per unit pressure drop, are assessed with shell-side mass flow rates. The outcomes direct higher shell-side oil mass flow rates correlate with increased pressure drop and enhanced heat transfer coefficients. Helical baffles exhibit superior performance to segmental baffles, offering a more significant heat transport coefficient per unit pressure drop. Within segmental baffles, finned tubes lead to higher pressure drops and heat transport coefficients than plain tubes while maintaining similar heat transport coefficients per unit pressure drop. Furthermore, lower helix angles (Φ = 10.81°) in helical baffles are associated with higher pressure drops and heat transport coefficients, whereas Φ = 25.52° achieves the highest heat transport coefficient per unit pressure drop.