Project Abstract

Abstract
Shell and tube heat exchangers are widely used in various industrial applications for efficient heat transfer between two fluids. This research project focuses on the design and operation of a shell and tube heat exchanger, aiming to optimize its performance and energy efficiency. The design process involves determining the heat transfer requirements, fluid properties, pressure drop limitations, and material selection. Proper sizing of the heat exchanger is crucial to ensure it can handle the desired heat load while maintaining acceptable pressure drops. Various design parameters such as tube diameter, length, and layout, as well as shell diameter and baffle design, are considered to achieve the desired heat transfer efficiency. The operation of the heat exchanger plays a vital role in its overall performance. Proper maintenance and monitoring of the equipment are essential to prevent fouling, corrosion, and other issues that can degrade heat transfer efficiency over time. Controlling the flow rates and temperatures of the fluids entering the heat exchanger is critical to maximizing heat transfer while minimizing energy consumption. Heat exchanger performance can be enhanced through the use of advanced materials, such as high thermal conductivity tubes and corrosion-resistant alloys, to improve heat transfer efficiency and durability. Additionally, incorporating features like fins on the tubes or turbulators inside the tubes can increase the heat transfer surface area and promote turbulence for better heat transfer rates. Simulation tools and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis are utilized to optimize the design and performance of the shell and tube heat exchanger. These tools help in predicting fluid flow patterns, temperature distributions, and pressure drops within the heat exchanger, enabling engineers to fine-tune the design for optimal performance. In conclusion, the design and operation of a shell and tube heat exchanger require careful consideration of various factors to ensure efficient heat transfer and energy savings. By employing advanced design techniques, materials, and simulation tools, engineers can develop high-performance heat exchangers that meet the specific needs of different industrial applications while maximizing energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION

The most common type of heat exchanger used in industry contains a number of parallel tubes enclosed in a shell and is thus called a shell and tube heat exchanger. These heat exchangers are employed when a process required large quantities of fluid to be heated or cooled. Due to their compact design, these heat exchangers contain a large amount of heat transfer area and also provide a high degree of heat transfer efficiency.

Over the years, many different types of shell and tube heat exchangers, have been designed to meet various process requirements. In the industry today, heat exchangers are most often designed with the aid of software program. Given the required specifications for a heat exchanger, these simulators perform the appropriate calculations.

In this project, we try to use a computer approach in designing a shell and tube heat exchanger. We started by designing an algorithm that covers the chemical engineering design such as the estimation of fluid and material properties, film and overall heat transfer coefficient, exchanger surface, tube layout and pressure drop. It also covers the mechanical engineering design of calculating the shell and channel thickness, shell cover thickness, channel cover thickness e.t.c.

These algorithm was translated unto a program using a micro soft visual basic 6.0, an object oriented computer programming language.

With this program, the computer takes over and automatically per for all the complex computations with little or no human effort and gives an output which is the design information needed.