Numerical research of stream analysis on helical baffles heat exchangers

Abstract

In this paper, the numerical simulations for a helical baffles heat exchanger and a segmental baffles heat exchanger with component clearance are performed to reveal the features of leakage streams and their effect on heat exchanger performance. Helical baffles heat exchanger models with four different angles and segmental baffles heat exchanger model were established and calculated via Gambit and Fluent software. The results reveal that the heat exchanger with a 40° helix angle shows the best comprehensive heat transfer performance in turbulent state, and the heat exchanger with a 50° helix angle shows better comprehensive heat transfer performance in laminar flow state. The leakage streams proportion of the helical baffles heat exchanger varies from 5.5% to 6.1%, compared with the leakage streams proportion changes from 16.6% to 21.0% in the segmental baffles heat exchanger. In both turbulent flow state and laminar flow state, with the rise of shell-side Reynolds number, the main spiral stream B proportion decreases and the leakage streams proportion increases in the segmental baffles heat exchanger, while the stream B proportion increases and the leakage streams proportion decreases in helical baffles heat exchanger. The proportion of stream B increases with the increase of the helix angle β and the proportions of leakage streams decrease with the increase of β. The proportion of the tube-baffle leakage stream A increases in radial direction. Both the proportion of stream A and that of the baffle-shell leakage stream E fluctuate in the intermediate zone in axial direction; the stream A proportion decreases at the inlet and outlet zone, while the stream E proportion increases at the inlet and decreases at the outlet zone. The results of this paper could be of great significance in the optimal design and manufacture of the helical baffles heat exchanger.