How Many Types of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers Do You Know?

Shell and tube heat exchanger due to the difference in temperature of the fluid inside and outside the tube, because of which the shell of the heat exchanger and the temperature of the tube bundle is also different. If the difference between the two temperatures is large, the heat exchanger will generate a lot of thermal stress, resulting in the tube bending, fracture, or pulling off from the tube plate. Therefore, when the tube bundle and shell temperature difference of more than 50 ℃, the need to take appropriate compensatory measures to eliminate or reduce thermal stress. According to the compensation measures used, shell and tube heat exchangers can be divided into the following main types.

Here is the content list:

• Fixed tube and plate heat exchanger

• Floating heat type heat exchanger

• U-tube heat exchanger

• Vortex heat film heat exchanger

Fixed tube and plate heat exchanger

This shell and tube heat exchanger at both ends of the tube plate and shell are linked into one, simple structure, but only for hot and cold fluid temperature difference is not large, and the shell process does not require mechanical cleaning when the heat transfer operation. When the temperature difference is slightly larger and the shell process pressure is not too high, the shell can be installed on the elastic compensation ring to reduce thermal stress.

Floating head type heat exchanger

This shell-and-tube heat exchanger tube bundle at one end of the tube plate can float freely, completely eliminating thermal stress; and the entire tube bundle can be extracted from the shell to facilitate mechanical cleaning and maintenance. The floating head heat exchanger is widely used, but the structure is more complex and costly.

U-tube heat exchanger

This shell and tube heat exchanger is named according to its shape. Each heat exchanger tube is bent into a U-shaped, and the two ends are fixed in the same tube plate up and down two areas, with the help of the tube box divided into two chambers of import and export partitions. This kind of heat exchanger completely eliminates the thermal stress, the structure is simpler than the floating head type, but the tube process is not easy to clean.

Vortex heat film heat exchanger

Vortex hot film heat exchanger adopts the latest vortex hot film heat transfer technology to increase the heat transfer effect by changing the fluid motion state and strongly scouring the surface of the tube when the medium passes over the surface of the vortex tube, thus increasing the heat transfer efficiency. At the same time, this structure achieves corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, high-pressure resistance, and anti-scaling function. Other types of shell and tube heat exchangers have fluid channels in the form of fixed directional flow, forming a bypass flow on the surface of the heat exchanger tube and reducing the convective heat transfer coefficient. According to the information, the most important feature of the vortex heat film heat exchanger is the unity of economy and safety.

The above is a brief introduction to several shell and tube heat exchangers. They each have their own advantages and the main scope of application. Only a reasonable choice of heat exchanger according to the use of the situation, in order to choose an affordable heat exchanger.