Study of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger with the Effect of Types of Baffles

Abstract

For evaluation of shell and tube heat exchanger, thermal performance and pressure drop are considered as major factors. Both, thermal performance and pressure drop are dependent on the path of fluid flow and types of baffles in different orientations respectively. Increasing the complexity of baffles enhances heat transfer which also results in higher pressure drop which means higher pumping power is required. This reduces the system efficiency. This paper presents the numerical simulations carried out on different baffles i.e. single segmental, double segmental and helical baffles. This shows the effect of baffles on pressure drop in shell and tube heat exchanger. Single segmental baffles show the formation of dead zones where heat transfer cannot take place effectively. Double segmental baffles reduce the vibrational damage as compared to single segmental baffles. The use of helical baffles shows a decrease in pressure drop due to the elimination of dead zones. The less dead zones result in better heat transfer. The lower pressure drop results in lower pumping power, which in turn increases the overall system efficiency. The comparative results show that helical baffles are more advantageous than other two baffles.