Thesis Abstract

Abstract
The design and operation of shell and tube heat exchangers play a crucial role in various industrial processes where heat transfer is essential. This research project aims to investigate the principles behind the design and operation of shell and tube heat exchangers to enhance their efficiency and performance. The project begins by providing a detailed overview of the components of a shell and tube heat exchanger, including the shell, tubes, tube sheets, baffles, and tube layout configurations. It explores the different types of shell and tube heat exchangers such as fixed tube sheet, U-tube, floating head, and kettle reboilers, highlighting their specific applications and advantages. The design aspect of the project involves the calculation of the heat transfer area, tube length, tube diameter, and overall dimensions based on the heat duty requirements of the system. Various design considerations such as fluid properties, fouling factors, pressure drop limitations, and thermal stresses are taken into account to ensure the efficiency and reliability of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, the project delves into the operational aspects of shell and tube heat exchangers, focusing on flow arrangements, heat transfer coefficients, temperature profiles, and heat exchanger effectiveness. It examines the impact of factors such as flow rates, fluid properties, and temperature differentials on the overall heat transfer performance of the system. The project also addresses the challenges associated with the operation of shell and tube heat exchangers, including fouling, corrosion, vibration, and maintenance requirements. Strategies for mitigating these challenges are discussed, such as implementing proper cleaning protocols, material selection, and monitoring techniques to ensure the long-term efficiency and durability of the heat exchanger. Overall, this research project provides valuable insights into the design and operation of shell and tube heat exchangers, offering practical guidelines for optimizing their performance in industrial applications. By understanding the fundamental principles and key considerations involved in the design and operation of these heat exchangers, engineers and practitioners can effectively enhance heat transfer efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and improve overall process productivity.

Thesis 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.