Heat Exchangers

Definition
A heat exchanger is a heat-transfer device that is used for tran sfer of internal thermal energy between two
or more fluids available at different temperatures. In most heat exchangers, the fluids are separated by a
heat-transfer surface, and ideally they do not mix.

Importance of heat transfer

1-To control the rate of chemical reactions [exothermic and endothermic reactions]
2-A fluid temperature and/or its composition and phase;
3-To control mass transfer operations [distillation, evaporation……]
4-Power generation [steam boilers]

Types of Heat Exchangers

Heat Exchangers Classification According To Construction

The principal Types of heat exchangers
1. Double pipe heat exchangers
2. Shell and tube heat exchangers
3. Plate and frame heat exchangers
4. Plate fin heat exchangers
5. Spiral heat exchangers
6. Air cooled heat exchangers
7. Fired heaters [boilers]
Double Pipe Exchangers
The inner pipe consists of a finned section and two lengths of finned pipe welded to a 180' return bond. The
element or hair pin formed is then inserted into two shell pipes. The outside diameter of the fins is slightly less
than the inside diameter of the shell. The shells are welded to an end plate, where the floating end of the hair
pin is closed with a bolted and gasketed cover providing enough clearance for expansion and contraction of
the inner tubes or elements.

Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers

A shell and tube heat exchanger consists of a number of parallel tubes enclosed in a cylindrical shell.
One fluid flows inside the tubes and is called the tube side fluid. The other fluid flows outside the tubes and is
called the shell side fluid. All shell and tube exchangers consist of basically the same parts, although they may
be arranged differently to suit a specific need.

Basic Components -External Features

Basic Components -Internal Features

Shell and tube exchangers may be divided into the following classifications from the construction of the tube
sheet. In all cases, the tubes are rolled or welded with the tube sheet to prevent leakage into the shell.
Types of shell and tube heat exchangers:
◼ Fixed tube sheet (plate)
◼ U- tube
◼ Internal floating head without clamp ring
◼ Internal floating head with clamp ring
◼ External floating head
◼ Kettle re-boiler with U- tube bundle
1. Fixed Tube Sheet
This is the simplest form of exchanger, but has limitations:
a. Temperature limit of water cooler between the two fluids as there is no provision for expansion.
b. Refiner cannot clean shell side. Limits the shell side fluid to a clean surface.

2. Floating Head
To allow for tubes to expand due to the temperature difference in a heat exchanger, one tube sheet moves
inside the shell. This floating head sheet must be enclosed by a floating head cover within the shell to
return the tube side fluid to the channel end. Most heat exchangers are of this type.

3. U-Tube
The tubes are one piece and made for a particular exchanger. The tubes can expand and contract and only
one tube sheet is required. The bundle may be pulled for inspection, and cleaning the shell, but the tubes
may only be cleaned with the use of chemicals. Most common use is in rebollers where steam is
condensed in the tubes.

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 4. Tube Bundles
Tube bundles consist of three main parts; tubes, tube sheets, and baffles. Tubes are necessary to keep the
shell and tube side fluids separate. The tube sheet is for the same reason and the tubes are attached to the
tube sheet. Baffles direct the flow of liquid through the shell side and support the tubes inside the shell.
Tubes are spaced in the tube sheet in one of three patterns:
a. Triangular Pattern
This gives the most tubes for a given size but cleaning the outside of the tubes can only be done by
chemical means.
b. Square Pitch
This type is the easiest to clean the outside of the tubes.
c. Diagonal Pitch
This is similar to square pitch but rotated through 45. This layout contains the least number of tubes.
Increasing the number of passes on the tube or shell side increases the velocity flow of the fluid which in
turn increases the heat transfer rate.

Baffles
Salient Features
-Used to Support Tubes
-Creates Turbulence (Hence Enhanc e Heat Transfer)
-Increases Stay Time of Fluid
Disadvantages
-Increases Pressure Drop
-Creates Stagnant Point for Mud/Dirt
-Creates Operational Problem

Baffles Types

Horizontal Segmental Baffles Vertical Segmental Baffles

Disk & Donut Baffles Impingement Baffles

Flow dir
Direction through the heat exchanger:
The three categories are parallel flow, counter flow and cross flow.
Parallel flow (co-current flow):

Counter Current flow

Cross flow

Why is counter current flow more efficient than co-current flow?

Because counter current flow can have the hottest cold fluid temperature greater than the coldest hot fluid
temperature
How to improve the efficiency of the double pipe H.X?
 If a fluid with a poor heat transfer coefficient [oil or air] is to be cooled, an axially finned pipe can be
placed inside of the larger pipe.
Hairpin units can be connected in series or parallel to give the desired capacity.

Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger

 Heat Exchanger Important Notes
Allocation of fluids
Tube side
1. Put dirty stream on the tube side [fouling fluid] - easier to clean inside the tubes
2. Put high pressure stream in the tubes to avoid thick, expensive shell
3. When special materials required for one stream, put that one in the tubes to avoid expensive shell
4. Put corrosive fluid in the tube tom reduce the cost of expensive shell
5. Put toxic fluid in the tube to minimize leakage
Shell-Side
1. Viscous fluid to increase (generally) the value of "U“ [Cross flow gives higher coefficients than in plane
tubes, hence put fluid with lowest coefficient on the shell side]
2. Fluid having the lowest flow rate
3. Condensing or boiling fluid
Start up and shut down procedure
Start up procedure
1. Check all parts of the heat exchanger [no loose bolts, all valves in the shut position]
2. Testing the heat exchanger for leakage :
➢ Hydrostatic test
➢ Soap bubble test
3. Purging of the heat exchanger [before adding a liquid or a gaseous hydrocarbon to an exchanger inert
gas is used to remove air or liquids from the exchanger to avoid the possibility of explosion]
4. Any temperature change should be made slowly because the shell and the tubes are made of different
materials and do expand at different rates causing the tubes to be loosened from the tube sheet or may
be broken or ruptured so during start up cold fluid is introduced first, then hot fluid is gradually added
and the heat exchanger is brought to the operating temperature.
Shut down procedure
➢ During shutdown, the flow of hot fluid is stopped first. With no input of the hot fluid the heat exchanger
gradually cools. Then the flow of cold fluid is stopped
➢ a liquid expands when it is heated and its volume increase. If the expanding liquid is enclosed, it exerts
force or pressure on its container. Therefore a filled exchanger which is valved closed can be damaged
by expanding fluid.
Heat exchangers problems
➢ Exchanger fouling
➢ Corrosion
➢ Vibration
 Fouling Problem
Definition of fouling
Build up of various kinds of deposits on the parts of an exchanger
Types of fouling
1. Salt deposit [as Ca and Mg deposits in case of hard water]
2. Chemical fouling [as corrosion products]
3. Biological fouling [as growth of algae which form insulating layer]
4. Coking
Effect of fouling on the H.X performance
1. Increase the thermal resistance and reduce the rate of heat transfer [decrease the efficiency of
the H.X]
2. Increase the surface roughness [the flow of the fluid is restricted] and increase the pressure drop
 3.
Troubles that indicate the presence of fouling
1. Change in temperature or pressure
2. Change in flowrate [outlet flow rate]
Factors affecting the kind and degree of fouling
1. The materials used in the heat exchanger
► Some materials corrode faster than others providing corrosion products which decrease heat
transfer
► Rough surface provides cavities for the build up of deposits
2. Fluid velocity
► Affect the fouling rate [as the velocity increase the fouling rate decrease]
How to handle the problem of fouling
► Antifoulants prevent the formation of deposits
► Inhibitors [as corrosion inhibitors] prevent chemical reactions
► which might cause deposits to build up
► Frequent cleaning of the H.X [maintenance]
 Corrosion of heat exchangers
➢ Another series problem in heat exchangers is corrosion
➢ Severe corrosion can and does occur in tubes and very often with common fluids such as water
To avoid corrosion
► Proper material selection based on full analysis of the operating fluids, velocities and
temperatures is a must
► Heavier gauge tubing is specified to offset the effect of corrosion followed by proper start up
operating and shut down procedure
► Protection of the heat exchanger from corrosion [e.g.cathodic protection]
► Treatment of the cooling water used and using of inhibitors

 Heat exchangers vibration

➢ Vibration of the tubes as a result of the flow of the shell side past them is important phenomena
specially when the H.X size and flow quantities of flow are increased
Vibration effects
► Vibration has a bad effect on both tubes and shell
► The joints between the tubes and tube sheet can fail due to vibration causing leakage
► It causes leakage in the joints between shell and tubes
► Increase the shut down time to repair the H.X
Factors affecting tube vibration
➢ Tubes geometry [layout]
➢ Material of construction
➢ Means of support
➢ Heat exchanger size
➢ Flow quantities
How to avoid vibration
➢ Using inlet support baffles
➢ Using double segmental baffles [improve tube support]
➢ Using j shell type [ divided flow type to reduce the shell velocity]
Air cooled heat exchanger
➢ Used for cooling and condensation and used when cooling water is in short supply or expensive
➢ Most common used in petroleum and gas processing industries
Air cooled exchangers consist of banks of finned tubes over which air is blown or drawn by fans
mounted below or above the tube
If the fan is mounted below the tubes the unit is termed forced draft unit and if the fan is mounted
above the tubes the unit is termed induced daft

Forced Draft Air Cooler

➢ Less power is required
➢ Offer better accessibility to the fan for on stream maintenance
➢ Structural costs are less than induced draft since the fan is not exposed to the hot air
➢ Mechanical life is longer
Induced Draft Air Cooler
➢ Provide more even distribution of air across the bundle, since air velocity approaching the
bundle is relatively low
➢ This design permits close approach of the product temperature to ambient air temperature
➢ In service in which sudden temperature change would cause upset and loss of product, the
induced draft unit gives more protection in that only a fraction of the surface is exposed to
rainfall
Heat exchangers control philosophy

Feed Forward Control for shell and tube Feedback Control for shell and tube Cascade Control With Flow Loop