Double-pass shell-and-tube heat exchanger performance enhancement with new combined baffle and elliptical tube bundle arrangement

Abstract Optimization of shell-side fluid flow and heat transfer of heat exchangers could be done by reforming the baffle and tube bundle structures. In this study, a new arrangement of baffles and tube bundles in the operation of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is investigated. In the present research, the effect of the segmental baffle (SB), single-pass helical baffle (SPHB), double-pass helical baffle (DPHB), and double-pass combined helical-segmental baffle (DPCHSB) accompanied with the various elliptical tube bundles were studied and compared. Various tube bundle arrangement effects such as vertical, horizontal, and angled were studied. The fluid domain was simulated by CFD Software (Solid work Flow Simulation). By comparing the evaluation characteristics such as Q/Δp, and the efficiency evaluation coefficient (EEC) for all proposed baffle and tube bundle configurations, the angled-elliptical tube bundles showed the best performance rather than other studied tube bundles layouts. For the SPHB, the angled-elliptical tube bundle improved the EEC by 20.9 and 10.7% rather than the horizontal-elliptical and vertical-elliptical tube bundle arrangement, respectively. For the DPHB, the EEC of angled-elliptical increased by 15.7 and 22.4% rather than the horizontal-elliptical and vertical-elliptical tube bundle arrangement, respectively. For the DPCHSB, the EEC of angled-elliptical enhanced 30.3 and 14.8% rather than horizontal-elliptical and vertical-elliptical arrangement, respectively.