Heat exchanger

What is the mean of heat exchanger?

Heat exchangers are devices that facilitate the exchange of heat between two fluids that are at different
temperatures while keeping them from mixing with each other. Heat exchangers are commonly used in practice
in a wide range of applications, from heating and air-conditioning systems in a household, to chemical processing
and power production in large plants. Heat exchangers differ from mixing chambers in that they do not allow the
two fluids involved to mix. In a car radiator, for example, heat is transferred from the hot water flowing through
the radiator tubes to the air flowing through the closely spaced thin plates outside attached to the tubes. Heat
transfer in a heat exchanger usually involves convection in each fluid and conduction through the wall separating
the two fluids.
 Components of exchanger

 Tube sheet.
 Baffles.
 Floating tube sheet.
 Transverse baffles.
 Tie rods and spacers
1.Tube sheet:

The tubes are fixed with tube sheet that form the barrier between the tube and shell fluids. The tubes can be
fixed with the tube sheet using ferrule and a soft metal packing ring. The tubes are attached to tube sheet with
two or more grooves in the tube sheet wall by „tube rolling‟. The tube metal is forced to move into the grooves
forming an excellent tight seal. This is the most common type of fixing arrangement in large industrial
exchangers. The tube sheet thickness should be greater than the tube outside diameter to make a good seal. The
recommended standards should be followed to select the minimum tube sheet thickness.

2. Baffles:

Baffles are used to increase the fluid velocity by diverting the flow across the tube bundle to obtain higher
transfer co-efficient. The distance between adjacent baffles is called baffle-spacing. The baffle spacing of 0.2 to 1
times of the inside shell diameter is commonly used. Baffles are held in positioned by means of baffle spacers.
Closer baffle spacing gives greater transfer co-efficient by inducing higher turbulence. The pressure drop is more
with closer baffle 12 spacing. The various types of baffles are shown in Figure1.6. In case of cut-segmental baffle,
a segment (called baffle cut) is removed to form the baffle expressed as a percentage of the baffle diameter.
Baffle cuts from 15 to 45% are normally used. A baffle cut of 20 to 25% provide a good heat-transfer with the
reasonable pressure drop. The % cut for segmental baffle refers to the cut away height from its diameter. Figure
1.6 also shows two other types of baffles.

3. Floating tube sheet:

The floating tube sheet is fitted with a flanged cover at its periphery, which is held in position by bolting it to a
split backing ring on the other side of the tube sheet. The machined bearing surface at the floating tube sheet
must be wide enough to accommodate the two sets of packing, the lantern ring, and any thermal movements. If
the pressure thickness of the tube sheet is appreciably less than the required bearing surface, a machined skirt is
usually attached to the periphery of the sheet.

4. Transverse baffles:

It is one of many types of baffles that serve two purposes: First, and most important, they support the tubes
against bending and vibration; second, they guide the flow back and forth across the tube field to improve heat
transfer rate (and increase pressure drop as a consequence). Transverse baffles have the dual purpose of
supporting the tubes adequately at intervals to prevent sag and vibration, and also of enabling the shell-side fluid
to flow back and forth across the bundle from one end of the exchanger to the other for heat transfer purposes.
By changing the spacing of the baffles, the thermal designer is able to change the shell-side fluid velocity. There
are three types of transverse baffles used in exchanger design, namely, segmental, double segmental, and triple
segmental. Segmental baffles are the most common type, but if the design is governed by shell-side pressure loss,
it may be reduced appreciably by resorting to double or triple segmental baffles. The opening in the baffles
through which the shell side fluid flows from one baffle space to the next is termed the baffle window, and the
amount cut away is termed the baffle cut. Baffle cut is usually defined as the window opening segment height
expressed as a percentage of the shell diameter. The usual range of baffle cuts is 15 to 40% for segmental and 20
to 30% for double segmental baffles. There must always be some overlap of the edges of adjacent baffles. 13

5. Tie rods and spacers:

Tie rods are rods screws in one end into the tube sheet and a nut is tightened against the last baffle or support
plate at the other end. Cheerfully they are circular metal screwed into the stationary tube sheet and extending
the length of the bundle up to the last baffle where they are secured by lock nuts. Between every baffle all tie
rods have spacers fitted over them. Spacers are dummy tubes that fit over the tie rods between the baffles to
retain the required baffle spacing. Spacers could be tubes or pipes, having an inside diameter slightly greater than
the tie rod diameter, and a length equal to the required baffle spacing. The tube bundle is held together and the
baffles located in their correct positions by a number of tie rods and spacers. The tie rods and spacers may also
be used as sealing devices to assist in blocking off undesirable shell-side leakage paths due to pass partition lanes
or gaps between the bundle and shell. Dummy tubes (which do not pass through the tube sheets), round oars,
and flat longitudinal strips, inserted into slots in the periphery of the baffles, may also be used as sealing devices.
Depending on nozzle/shell diameter ratio, the largest bundle/shell gap is often that created by an internally fitted
impingement plate. If this creates a leakage path around the bundle, it must be sealed with longitudinal strips or
other devices, but these must not be fitted in the inlet baffle space because this would reduce the escape area
around the impingement plate considerably. The outlet baffle space must be examined on a similar basis. Tie rods
and spacers are also used to retain all the transverse baffles and support plates in position.
Types of Heat Exchangers

 Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger.

 Fixed head exchanger.
 Floating head exchanger.
 Plate Heat Exchanger.
 Double pipe exchanger.
 1. Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger:

Shell and tube heat exchangers are comprised of multiple tubes through which liquid flows. The tubes are divided
into two sets: the first set contains the liquid to be heated or cooled. The second set contains the liquid
responsible for triggering the heat exchange, and either removes heat from the first set of tubes by absorbing and
transmitting heat away in essence, cooling the liquid or warms the set by transmitting its own heat to the liquid
inside

2. Fixed Tube Sheet Heat Exchangers:

A Fixed Tube Sheet heat exchanger is the most common type of heat exchanger in all Industries. Mostly used in
higher-pressure and Higher Temperature applications. Fixed tube Sheet heat exchangers are the one that are
very much used in process chemical industries and refinery services, as there is absolutely no chance for
intermixing of fluids. This type of heat exchanger is employed where even slightest intermixing of fluids cannot be
tolerated.
 3. Floating Head Heat Exchanger:

Floating head heat exchanger is one of the most used heat exchanger. As shown in the name of it, in this design,
one end of the tube sheet is fixed to the shell, while the other one can “float” freely inside the shell. Generally,
both the shell and tube bundle are free of expansion, this permits no thermal stress is produced between shell
and tube bundle, when the temperature difference of two medium is large. In addition, it is easy to inspect and
clean mechanically the heat exchanger as the tube bundle can be removed absolutely. Floating head heat
exchanger is widely used for the service where the temperature is high between the shell and tube bundle, or the
dirty service, like the petroleum refinery.

4. Plate Heat Exchanger:

Plate heat exchangers consist of thin plates joined together, with a small amount of space between each plate,
typically maintained by a small rubber gasket. The surface area is large, and the corners of each rectangular plate
feature an opening through which fluid can flow between plates, extracting heat from the plates as it flows.
 5. Double Pipe Heat Exchangers:

A double pipe heat exchanger, into its simplest form is presently one pipe within another larger pipe. One fluid
flows through the inside pipe and the further flows through the annulus between the two pipes. The wall of the
inner pipe is the heat transfer surface. The pipes are usually doubled back multiple times as shown in the diagram
at the left, in order to make the overall .