Effect of baffle orientation on shell tube heat exchanger performance

Abstract

In this paper, fluid flow and heat transfer in the laboratory (small size) shell tube heat exchanger are analysed by computational fluid dynamic software. In this type of shell tube heat exchanger baffles with different angles of rotation: 00 (horizontal segmental baffle), 150 (from horizontal), 300, 450, 600, 750, 900 (vertical segmental baffle) is used. Effect of baffle orientation on shell tube heat exchanger performance is investigated. The flow domain is meshed by three-dimensional tetrahedral elements. The obtained result has a good agreement with the analytical method (Bell method) and experimental data in the literature. By comparing the pressure drop, heat transfer and heat transfer versus pressure drop (Q/ P) at same flow rate, the shell tube heat exchanger with orientation of (900) have better performance than other angles of baffle orientation. decrease pressure drop 26%, 4.1%, 17.6%, 24.42%, 14% rather than 150, 300, 450 ,600,750 ,00 angle of orientation respectively. That show have better performance than other angles of baffle orientation. So by reducing pressure drop with maintaining heat transfer rate, the operating cost reducing that can be best choice among other models.

Keywords

• shell tube heat exchanger
• baffle
• pressure drop
• heat transfer