Optimization of Thermal Performance of a Segmental Baffle Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger under Different Baffle Spaces and Baffle Numbers: A Numerical Case Study Using CFD

Abstract

In the fields of engineering, heat exchanger devices play an important role in multipurpose thermal engineering processes related to power generation and transformation of energy in the industrial arena. Nowadays, the optimization of the design and modeling of a shell and tube heat exchanger has become an engineering challenge. In this paper, a shell and tube heat exchanger with segmental baffles and hexagonal arrangement of 19 tubes have been designed and studied with the help of the commercial software package ANSYS FLUENT 18.1. Numerous attempts have been performed to seek out the effects of baffle spaces and baffle numbers on the heat transfer and the patterns of streamlines of fluid flow with similar geometrical configurations and boundary conditions. The designed baffle spaces and baffle numbers are: for case A: 80 mm with 6 baffle numbers, for case B: 100 mm with 5 baffle numbers, for case C: 125 mm with 4 baffle numbers, and for case D: 150 mm with 4 baffle numbers. The results of this study indicate the highest heat transfer coefficients, and highest turbulence intensity, less viscous intensity, and most uniform temperature distributions occur in case B. However, an appropriate combination of baffle spaces and baffle numbers is highly recommended to acquire the significant amount of heat transfer and temperature variations.

Cite as

Md. Tofazzal Hossain, & Badhan Saha. (2021). Optimization of Thermal Performance of a Segmental Baffle Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger under Different Baffle Spaces and Baffle Numbers: A Numerical Case Study Using CFD. Journal of Advanced Research in Industrial Engineering, 3(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5526489