CFD analysis of shell and tube heat exchanger with different baffle orientation and baffle cut

Abstract

This paper emphasizes on the effects of certain baffle orientation and baffle cut for a simple shell and tube heat exchanger. As heat being transferred between separate medium might contribute some heat loss to the surroundings resulting in an ineffective heat transfer, this calls for the remedy to minimize the loss and improve heat transfer characteristics. This is where baffle orientation and baffle cut plays its role and improves the heat transfer phenomena. The analysis is performed using a commercial CFD software package FLUENT. Among different turbulence models k-ɛ (2-eqn) is considered for this study. A number of simulations is conducted by varying the Reynolds number, baffle cut, and orientation of baffles. After examining the result it is noticed that pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient both decreases as the baffle cut is increased for a particular Reynolds number, but as the Reynolds number is increased keeping the baffle cut constant, pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient both increases. Last but not the least the above findings can be used for further study and there is also scopes for some improvement of the current study.

Análise numérica de um trocador de calor de casco e tubos: efeito das folgas entre os tubos e os orifícios das chicanas na transferência de calor

“…There are many other recent experimental or analytical work related to the evaluation of shell and tube type heat exchangers, where the effect of different baffles or cut baffles can be observed (WEN et al, 2015;AFSAR et al, 2018;CHAUHAN;BAROT, 2018;PÉTRIK;SZEPESI, 2018;MOHANTY, 2020;AYDIN et al, 2020;GUPTA;VERNA, 2022), or related to cost-energy optimization (WEN et al, 2016), or analyses of the performance optimizations of parameters using CFD (HANAN et al, 2021). There are also several mathematical models for heat exchangers; some are simple, e.g., Kern method, some are more comprehensive and consider details of the flow, e.g., Bell Delaware (KAKAÇ; LIU, 2002).…”

Numerical Study of Heat Transfer and Exergy Analysis of Shell and Double Tube Heat Exchanger

“…Basis on the design, most HXs include the tubular type which is widely utilized in industry [2]. In this HX, one fluid flows through tubes and another fluid passes in the shell within the bundle of tubes [3]. A tubular HX may be classified in following kinds: shell and tube heat exchanger (STHX), double tube heat exchanger and coiled tube heat exchanger [4].…”