Shell-and-tube heat exchanger

[1][2] It is the most common type of heat exchanger in oil refineries and other large chemical processes, and is suited for higher-pressure applications.

As its name implies, this type of heat exchanger consists of a shell (a large pressure vessel) with a bundle of tubes inside it.

Boilers in steam engine locomotives are typically large, usually cylindrically-shaped shell-and-tube heat exchangers.

Countercurrent heat exchangers are most efficient because they allow the highest log mean temperature difference between the hot and cold streams.

Many companies however do not use two pass heat exchangers with a u-tube because they can break easily in addition to being more expensive to build.

The tube material also should be compatible with both the shell-and-tube side fluids for long periods under the operating conditions (temperatures, pressures, pH, etc.)

All of these requirements call for careful selection of strong, thermally-conductive, corrosion-resistant, high quality tube materials, typically metals, including aluminium, copper alloy, stainless steel, carbon steel, non-ferrous copper alloy, Inconel, nickel, Hastelloy and titanium.

[4] Fluoropolymers such as Perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA) and Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) are also used to produce the tubing material due to their high resistance to extreme temperatures.

The simple design of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger makes it an ideal cooling solution for a wide variety of applications.

[8] The usual configuration of exchangers is for the HP fluid to be in the tubes and for LP water, cooling or heating media to be on the shell side.

Each design aspect, from material selection to tube arrangement and fluid flow, plays a vital role in the exchanger's performance, showcasing the intricacies and precision required in this field.

The tubes are made from a variety of materials, each chosen based on specific system requirements including thermal conductivity, strength, and corrosion resistance.

[10] Tubes are typically organized in square or triangular patterns, and specific layouts are detailed in engineering references.

The movement of the shell fluid, designed to enhance turbulence and heat transfer, can be arranged in different flow configurations, such as counter-current, co-current, or cross-flow.