Numerical study on shell and tube heat exchangers with different baffles configurations

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give a comparison between different type of baffles for a better application. Computational analysis of heat transfer and fluid flow through plain, flower and perforated baffles for heat exchanger.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerical simulations for heat exchangers with plain, flower and perforated baffles are carried out with finite volume method. The thermal-hydraulic performance for the three types is presented in the same conditions.

Findings

The perforated baffles generate low shell pressure with high Nusselt number; transverse baffles give the best heat transfer with high pumping power. The overall performance coefficient of these three types of heat exchangers shows that the perforated baffles have a highest and the transverse baffles have the lowest. Analysis of the results show that perforated transverse baffles produce pressure drop lower by 6.68% than transverse baffles and 2.64% lower than flower baffles. The pumping power for perforated transverse baffles lower by 13.3% to the transverse baffles and 4.72% lower than that of flower baffles. The Nusselt number for perforated baffles higher by 4.16% to the flower baffles and 2.77% with transverse baffles. The overall performance factor in the heat exchanger with perforated baffles higher by 5.55% to that with transverse baffles and 3.46% with flower baffles. Recirculation areas are reduced in shell with perforated baffles and velocity distribution becomes more uniform.

Originality/value

Using of perforated baffles in heat exchanger give the best overall performance factor.

Citation

Youcef, A., Saim, R. and Öztop, H.F. (2023), "Numerical study on shell and tube heat exchangers with different baffles configurations", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 33 No. 9, pp. 3255-3271. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-01-2023-0006