Analysis of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Using Helical Baffle

Author Name : Shubham Lad, Ganesh Mudaliar, Poojan Kapadia, Ashlesh Kevat, Deepa A. Pandey

ABSTRACT

In current scenario the shell and tube heat exchanger is the most common type heat exchanger widely used in oil refinery and other large chemical process, because it suits high pressure application. The aim of this effort is to design of shell and tube type heat exchanger with helical baffle and comparing with straight baffle with CFD analysis using SOLIDWORKS software tools. The model contains 148 Copper tubes each having 19 mm external diameter and 16 mm internal diameter, length 1600 mm and inner diameter of steel shell is 300 mm and outer diameter 320 mm. 148 tubes are hold by 8 helical aluminium baffle and the helix angle of baffle is varying from 0º to 30º. All the models are design by using SOLIDWORKS software tools. In this paper how the pressure drop and overall heat transfer coefficient varies due to different helix angle has been studied when the flow rate remain same and also varying. The flow pattern in the shell side of the heat exchanger with continuous helical baffles are forced to be rotational and helical due to the geometry of the continuous helical baffles, which results in a significant increase in heat transfer coefficient per unit pressure drop in the heat exchanger.

Keywords:- Helical baffles, Shell and Tube,  Heat transfer coefficient , Pressure drop