Cairo University

Faculty of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Department

Heat Exchangers,
Types and Applications

Submitted to:
Dr. Osama Abdel-Bary
Chemical Engineering Department
Faculty of Engineering, University of Cairo

Prepared by: Moataz Said Eissa

Sec.: 4 B.N.: 8
March, 2009
 1. Introduction

A heat exchanger is a device that is used for transfer of thermal energy (enthalpy)
between two or more fluids, between a solid surface and a fluid, or between solid
particulates and a fluid, at differing temperatures and in thermal contact, usually without
external heat and work interactions. The fluids may be single compounds or mixtures.
Typical applications involve heating or cooling of a fluid stream of concern, evaporation or
condensation of a single or multicomponent fluid stream, and heat recovery or heat
rejection from a system. In other applications, the objective may be to sterilize, pasteurize,
fractionate, distill, concentrate, crystallize, or control process fluid. In some heat
exchangers, the fluids exchanging heat are in direct contact. In other heat exchangers, heat
transfer between fluids takes place through a separating wall or into and out of a wall in a
transient manner.
In most heat exchangers, the fluids are separated by a heat transfer surface, and
ideally they do not mix. Such exchangers are referred to as the direct transfer type, or
simply recuperators. In contrast, exchangers in which there is an intermittent heat
exchange between the hot and cold fluids via thermal energy storage and rejection through
the exchanger surface or matrix—are referred to as the indirect transfer type or storage
type, or simply regenerators. Such exchangers usually have leakage and fluid carryover from
one stream to the other.
Heat exchangers may be classified according to transfer process, construction, flow
arrangement, surface compactness, number of fluids and heat transfer mechanisms or
according to process functions.
 2. Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

2.1. Overview

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are fabricated with round tubes mounted in

cylindrical shells with their axes coaxial with the shell axis. The differences between the
many variations of this basic type of heat exchanger lie mainly in their construction features
and the provisions made for handling differential thermal expansion between tubes and
shell [1].
There are various design considerations to be taken into account such as routing of
fluids (shell or tube), pressure drop especially in the case of increasing number of baffles
and tube diameter and adjusting the area with the suitability of the exchanger to conduct
the heat required to heat or cool a fluid with another one.

2.2. Illustration

Figure 1, shell-and-tube heat exchanger with baffles [2].

1. Shell. 8. Floating Head Flange. 15. Transverse Baffles.

2. Floating Head Flange.
3. Shell Channel.
4. Shell Cover End Flange.
5. Shell Nozzle.
6. Floating Tube Sheet.
7. Floating Head.
9. Channel Partition
10. Stationary Tube Sheet.
11. Channel.
12. Channel Cover.
13. Channel Nozzles.
14. Tie Rods and Spacers
16. Impingement Baffle.
17. Vent Connection.
18. Drain Connection.
19. Test Connection.
20. Support Saddles.
21. Lifting Ring.
 Figure 2, actual footage of a tube bundle.

Figure 3, actual footage of baffle arrangement.

2.3. Applications

They are extensively used as process heat exchangers in the petroleum-refining and
chemical industries; as steam generators, condensers, boiler feed water heaters and oil
coolers in power plants; as condensers and evaporators in some air-conditioning and
refrigeration applications; in waste heat recovery applications with heat recovery from
liquids and condensing fluids; and in environmental control.
 3. Double Pipe Heat Exchangers

3.1. Overview

A typical double-pipe heat exchanger is shown in Figure 4. Essentially, it consists of

one pipe placed concentrically inside another one of larger diameter, with appropriate end
fittings on each pipe to guide the fluids from one section to the next. The inner pipe may
have external longitudinal fins welded to it either internally or externally to increase the
heat transfer area for the fluid with the lower heat transfer coefficient. The double-pipe
sections can be connected in various series or parallel arrangements for either fluid to meet
pressure-drop limitations and LMTD requirements [3].

3.2. Illustration

Figure 4, double pipe heat exchanger (one hair-pin) [1].

Figure 5, actual footage of 7 hair-pins arrangement.

3.3. Applications

The major use of double-pipe exchangers is for sensible heating or cooling of the
process fluid where small heat transfer areas (typically up to 50 m.) are required. They may
also be used for small amounts of boiling or condensation on the process fluid side. The
advantages of the double-pipe exchanger are largely in the flexibility of application and
piping arrangement, plus the fact that they can be erected quickly from standard
components by maintenance crews [3].

4. Compact Heat Exchangers

4.1. Overview

One variation of the fundamental compact exchanger element, the core, is shown in
Figure 5. The core consists of a pair of parallel plates with connecting metal members that
are bonded to the plates. The arrangement of plates and bonded members provides both a
fluid-flow channel and prime and extended surface. It is observed that if a plane were
drawn midway between the two plates, each half of the connecting metal members could
be considered as longitudinal fins [1].
Compact heat exchangers may be classified by the kinds of compact elements that
they employ. The compact elements usually fall into five classes:
a. Circular and flattened circular tubes.
b. Tubular surfaces.
c. Surfaces with flow normal to banks of smooth tubes.
d. Plate fin surfaces.
e. Finned-tube surfaces.

4.2. Illustration

Figure 6, the core of a compact heat exchanger [1].

1. Plates. 2. Side Bars. Figure 7, Two-fluid compact heat exchanger
3. Corrugated fins stamped from a strip of metal. with headers removed [1].
 Figure 8, actual footage of a cut-section in a compact heat exchanger.

4.3. Applications

Compact or plate-fin heat exchangers have a wide range of applications that include [4]:
• Natural gas liquefaction.
• Cryogenic air separation.
• Ammonia production.
• Offshore processing.
• Nuclear engineering.
• Syngas production.

5. Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger

5.1. Overview

These exchangers are usually built of thin plates (all prime surfaces). The plates are
either smooth or have some form of corrugations, and they are either flat or wound in an
exchanger. Generally, these exchangers cannot accommodate very high pressures,
temperatures, and pressure and temperature differentials. These exchangers may be
further classified as plate, spiral plate, lamella, and plate coil exchangers, as shown in Figure
9 the plate heat exchanger, being the most important of these, is described next.
5.2. Illustration

Figure 9, Plate and Frame heat exchangers [2].

Figure 10, actual footage of a plate and frame heat exchanger.

5.3. Applications

These exchangers are relatively compact and lightweight heat transfer surfaces,
making them attractive for use in confined or weight-sensitive locations such as on board
ships and oil production platforms. Pressures and temperatures are limited to
comparatively low values because of the gasket materials and the construction.
They are typically used for exchanging heat between two liquid streams in turbulent
flow. They are occasionally used as condensers for fairly dense vapors (e.g., ammonia) or as
vaporizers as for a reboiler. They are used in the food processing industry because they can
be disassembled for cleaning and sterilization.
 6. Spiral Heat Exchangers

6.1. Overview

Several different versions of the spiral plate exchanger are available. This exchanger
is formed by rolling two long, parallel plates into a spiral using a mandrel and then suitably
welding the alternate edges of adjacent plates to form the channels. The plates are held
apart by raised bosses on one of the plates. The open sides of the channels are sealed off
against bypassing by cover plates (with gaskets) held in place by the bolted clamps around
the periphery [3].
Connections are made at the center of the coil to each channel to act as inlet in one
case and outlet in the other. Similar connections are made at the outer end of each
channel. The spiral exchanger can be enclosed in a pressure vessel, or the outer panel can
be incorporated to form the outside of the unit. The exchanger is closed top and bottom
with covers bolted to the outer shell of the exchanger.

6.2. Illustration

Figure 10, top and side sections of a spiral heat exchanger.

Figure 12, actual footage of a spiral heat exchanger.

6.3. Applications

By virtue of the removable top and bottom covers, this exchanger is easily cleaned
and is therefore ideal for applications involving a high degree of fouling. Indeed, it is widely
used for the heating and cooling of slurries [3].

7. Regenerative Heat Exchangers

7.1. Overview

The regenerator represents a class of heat exchangers in which heat is alternately

stored and removed from a surface. This heat transfer surface is usually referred to as the
matrix of the regenerator. For continuous operation, the matrix must be moved into and
out of the fixed hot and cold fluid streams. In this case, the regenerator is called a rotary
regenerator. If, on the other hand, the hot and cold fluid streams are switched into and out
of the matrix, the regenerator is referred
refer to as a fixed matrix regenerator. In both cases the
regenerator suffers from leakage and fluid entrainment problems, which must be
considered during the design process [1].

7.2. Illustration

Figure 11, Regenerators: (a) rotary, (b) fixed-matrix,

matrix, and (c) rotating hoods.

Figure 13, typical rotary regenerators or heat wheels..

7.3. Applications
Rotary regenerators are used extensively in electrical power generating stations for
air preheating. They are also used in vehicular gas turbine power plants, in cryogenic
refrigeration units, and in the food dehydration industry.
Fixed bed or fixed matrix regenerators are used extensively in the metallurgical,
glassmaking, and chemical processing industries.

8. Scrapped Surface Heat Exchangers

8.1. Overview

In cases where a process fluid is likely to crystallize on cooling or the degree of

fouling is very high or indeed the fluid is of very high viscosity, use is often made of scraped-
surface heat exchangers in which a rotating element has spring-loaded scraper blades
which wipe the inside surface of a tube which may typically be 0.15 m in diameter. Double-
pipe construction is often employed with a jacket; say 0.20 m in diameter, and one
common arrangement is to connect several sections in series or to install several pipes
within a common shell. Scraped- surface units of this type are used in paraffin- wax plants
and for evaporating viscous or heat-sensitive materials under high vacuum.

8.2. Illustration

Figure 14, Scraper blade of scraped-surface exchanger [6].

 Figure 15, actual footage of a scraper-surface heat exchanger.

8.3. Applications

The range of applications covers a number of industries, including food, chemical,

petrochemical and pharmaceutical. The DSSHEs are appropriate whenever products are
prone to fouling, very viscous, particulate, heat sensitive or crystallizing.

9. Transverse High-Finned Exchangers

9.1. Overview

Pipes, tubes, and cast tubular sections with external transverse high fins have been
used extensively for heating, cooling, and dehumidifying air and other gases. The fins are
preferably called transverse rather than radial because they need not be circular, as the
latter term implies, and are often helical. The air-fin cooler is a device in which hot-process
fluids, usually liquids, flow inside extended surface tubes and atmospheric air is circulated
outside the tubes by forced or induced draft over the extended surface.
High-fin tubes can also be extruded directly from the tube-wall metal, as in the case
of integral low-fin tubing. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to extrude a high fin
from ferrous alloys as hard as those required for high-temperature services, which are
often amenable to work hardening while the fin is being formed. Whether fins are attached
by arc welding or resistance welding, the fin-to-tube attachment for all practical design
considerations introduces a neglible bond or contact resistance.
 9.2. Illustration

Figure 16, typical high-finned tube used in air-cooled heat exchangers [3].

Figure 17, actual footage of various shapes of finned tubes.

9.3. Applications

The large majority of applications are for transferring heat to atmospheric air. Finned
tubes may be used in: water cooling of product, and air cooling of product, oil – air
exchangers and oil, industrial and residential air heaters using burned gas heat, steam, hot
water or resistance heating elements rolled inside finned tube, cooling and food processing
industry and automotive industry.
 10. Conclusion
Heat Exchangers have numerous different types and applications as discussed in the
report. Each type selection can only be determined by the application the device will be
used for. The general design process can be summarized in the calculation of the required
area to transfer heat from one fluid to another by that the designer can determine the
actual mechanical design parameters knowing the physical and chemical behavior of the
fluids to be used.
The report discussed the most famous types of industrially used heat exchangers
such as Shell-and-Tube heat exchangers, which are the most commonly used ones, that can
withstand high pressures with moderate area to volume ratio and Double-Pipe heat
exchangers which are the simplest type in design and maintenance but they have relatively
low area of heat transfer. Compact heat exchangers which are famous of their capability to
use different phases of fluids and Plate-and-Frame type that has very high area to volume
ratio in addition to Spiral, Regenerative or Matrix, Scraped-Surface and High and Low-
finned types.
General design considerations are routing of fluids and the suitability of the
calculated area of heat transfer according to fouling factor and other important parameters
like baffles arrangement to meet with the maximum pressure loss requirement in shell-an-
tube heat exchanger.

References

[1] A. Bejan and A. D. Kraus, “Heat Transfer Handbook”, 2003.

[2] Stanly M. Wallas, “Chemical Process Equipment, Selection and Design”, 1990.
[3] Ernst U. Schltinder, “Heat Exchanger Design Handbook”, 1983.
[4] Donald Q. Kern, “Heat Transfer”, 1982.
[5] Warren M. Rohsenow, “Handbook of Heat Transfer”, 3rd Edition 1998.
[6] Don W. Green and Robert H. Perry, “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook”, 8th Edition
2007.
[7] Wikipedia.org, Cited in March 2009.