Numerical ModellingOf a Rectangular Shell-And-Tube Heat Exchanger

Abstract

Numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the turbulent flows and coupled conductive/convective heat transfers in a glycol to water shell-and-tube heat exchanger (one shell, one tube and six passes). The refrigerant (glycol) flows in the tube, and a secondary fluid (water) flows in the shell. The k-ω SST model is used to close the system of equations in the turbulent regime. The present model is first favorably compared and validated against experimental and numerical data available in the literature. It is then extended to consider the shell-and-tube configuration with a rectangular shell. Its thermo-hydraulic performances in the tube side are quantified for Reynolds numbers ranging from 1.0310³ to 1.4710 5 . The performance of the heat exchanger is then enhanced by introducing baffles in the shell. The results are finally compared and discussed in terms of three global performance metrics.