Vertical Food Industry Shell And Tube Heat Exchanger

The shell and tube heat exchanger consists of a cylindrical shell, a heat transfer tube bundle, a tube sheet, baffle plates, and a tube box. The tube bundle is securely fixed to the tube plate at both ends.

Heat exchange occurs between two types of fluids: the tube-side fluid, which flows inside the tubes, and the shell-side fluid, which flows outside the tubes.

To enhance the heat transfer coefficient of the fluid outside the tubes, baffles are typically installed in the shell. These baffles increase the velocity of the shell-side fluid, causing it to pass through the tube bundle multiple times in a lateral direction at predetermined intervals. This promotes greater fluid turbulence and improves the overall heat transfer efficiency.

Pressurized water reactors in nuclear power plants utilize steam generators, which are large two-phase shell-and-tube heat exchangers. These steam generators commonly employ U-tubes and serve the purpose of converting recycled water from a surface condenser into steam. The generated steam is then utilized to drive a turbine, producing electricity.

When it comes to the tube side of shell-and-tube heat exchangers, they often follow either a 1-pass, 2-pass, or 4-pass design. This design refers to how many times the fluid inside the tubes passes through the fluid inside the shell. In a single pass heat exchanger, the fluid enters one end of each tube and exits from the other end.

Surface condensers used in power plants are frequently designed as 1-pass straight-tube heat exchangers. These condensers, shown in the diagram, commonly employ two and four pass configurations, as they allow for the fluid to enter and exit from the same side. This simplifies the construction process significantly.

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