THE USE OF ADDITIONAL BAFFLES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of fluid flow in the shellside of shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Heat transfer in shell-and-tube heat exchangers is a complex process depending on many factors: the fluid properties, the geometric parameters of the flow region, the quality of the heat transfer surface caused by physical properties, surface roughness and fouling rate Selection of the optimum ratio of geometrical parameters in order to achieve maximum energy efficiency of the heat exchanger must be based on the study of thermal and hydraulic characteristics of the flow. The most effective method for studying hydrodynamic and heat transfer processes is now the method of computational fluid dynamics implemented in finite element analysis systems. Advantages of CFD is the high speed of calculation, the accuracy and completeness of the result data, which gives an understanding of distribution and flow rates in the apparatus, pressure drop of the interior space as a whole and its individual regions. The article describes a finite element model of the heat exchanger. Model consists of three domains (tubeside, metal pipe, shell-side) and the domain interfaces. The simulation results give a complete picture of the distribution of of thermal and hydraulic parameters. Of particular interest is the flow in the shell-side, that has a more complex configuration. Simulation allowed us to estimate the distribution of the fluid flow, to determine the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the influence of gaps and baffle spacing. The efficiency of heat transfer in STHE can be increased by restricting dead zones formed near the cross baffles. For this purpose, еру use of the additional baffles, promoting more uniform flow distribution is offered. The results of investigations of the additional baffles influence on efficiency of heat transfer in shellside were carried out in this article.