Section

Heat Exchangers
GENERAL
A heat exchanger or interchanger is a device which transfers heat from one fluid to
another through a container wall. In a typical process industry application, a heat
exchanger may be a vessel in which an outgoing processed hot liquid transfers
some of its heat to an incoming cold liquid about to be processed. The amount of
heat transferred is therefore not lost and can be used again.
Heat exchangers can also be used to cool process fluids. For example, an outgoing
cold gas may take up part of the heat from an incoming warmer gas, as in a liquid-air
plant.
Double Pipe Exchangers
As shown in Figure - , a double pipe or fintube exchanger consists of two pipes,
one inside another. The inner tube is usually finned to provide a larger surface for
heat transfer. Double pipe exchangers are used where flow and necessary
temperature transfer are rather small.

SHELL ASSEMBLY
BOLTING
TUBE ASSEMBLY

FINTUBE STUB END FLANGE

TUBE RETURN BEND CONNECTOR

BRACKET BOLTS

COVER PLATE

TUBE RETURN BEND CONNECTOR

COVER GASKET

COMPRESSION FLANGE

TUBE RETURN BEND CONNECTOR

FINTUBE GASKET

SEALING RING
GASKET
SPLIT RING
FINTUBE FITTING FLANGE

SHELL NOZZLE COMPANION FLANGE

SHELL NOZZLE

COVER PLATE BOLTING

TUBESIDE BOLTING

NAMEPLATE

FIGURE

SHELL NOZZLE

- DOUBLE PIPE EXCHANGER

Fintube exchangers are generally used when one fluid is gaseous, viscous, or of
small quantity. They are particularly desirable for high pressure services because
their small diameter is conducive to low cost construction. Their modular design
assures maximum flexibility of application since sections can be stacked vertically or
horizontally to attain desired heat transfer. It is also easy to reuse these units in
other services since one or more sections may be used as needed. The fins can be
welded to the tube to form a unit. Fins can also be formed by an extrusion process.

For special applications they may be on the inside or on both inside and outside of
the parent pipe.

FIGURE

- TEMA SHELL AND TUBE EXCHANGER TYPES

The shell side is furnished with companion flanges so that piping can be connected
to a beveled end. Tubeside connections are supplied with a flanged assembly to
allow the tube hairpin to be disconnected from the piping. The tube or hairpin
section will be pulled from the return bend housing end.
These units are almost always installed as multiple modules. They are normally
spoken of in multiples such as " wide by high" which refers to modules installed
in layers, side by side units. Support saddles are provided with bolt holes on all
four sides for modular bolting and are not fixed to the shell assembly, leaving
foundation spacing. Sometimes one or two units are bolted to vertical steel columns.

PASS PARTITION
BLIND FLANGE
LIFTING RING
CHANNEL FLANGE

IMPINGEMENT BAFFLE
TUBE
TIE ROD
SPACER

GASKET
BACK-UP RING
SPLIT-KEY RING
VENT CONNECTION

CHANNEL CYLINDER
CYLINDER
CHANNEL NOZZLE

SHELL CYLINDER

SHELL COVER

TRAVERSE BAFFLE

SHELL COVER HEAD

CHANNEL FLANGE
COVER
STATIONARY TUBE SHEET

SUPPORT PLATE

FLOATING HEAD

STUD

FLOATING TUBE SHEET

SHELL FLANGE (CHANNEL END)

HEX NUT

DRAIN CONNECTION

INSTRUMENT CONNECTION

SHELL FLANGE (COVER END)

SUPPORT SADDLES

SHELL NOZZLE

SHELL COVER FLANGE

FIGURE

- TYPICAL SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER

Shell and Tube Exchangers

Shell and tube type exchangers of the type shown in Figure - are most commonly
specified for process plants. These exchangers are designed in accordance with the
TEMA (Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association) code. Figure - lists
typical TEMA shell and tube heat exchanger types. TEMA also specifies exchanger
part types in a letter code.
Referring to the type AES exchanger shown in Figure - , flow entering the nozzle,
Item , at the channel or tubeside end meets the pass partition, Item , and is
diverted into the tubes. The tubes, Item , route flow to the other end and back to
the channel outlet nozzle. Shell side fluid enters nozzle, Item , and makes contact
with the outside of the tubes. Transverse baffles, Item , are located so that they
force the fluid to flow up and down, making the most efficient tube contact and
attaining maximum heat transfer on its way to the outlet nozzle.

FIGURE

- TEMA TYPES AES SHELL AND TUBE EXCHANGER

The tube bundle is comprised of the tubesheet, Item , and the tubes attached to the
tubesheet. By removing the channel section, the entire tube bundle can be pulled
out from the exchanger for cleaning, repairs or total replacement. Not all
exchangers have removable tube bundles. Nonremovable tube bundle exchangers
are called fixed tubesheet types.

CHANNEL COVER
CHANNEL FLANGE
INSTRUMENT CONNECTION

SHELL NOZZLE
LIQUID LEVEL CONNECTION
SHELL COVER

SHELL FLANGE
SUPPORT
TIE RODS AND SPACERS

CHANNEL NOZZLE
PASS PARTITION
SHELL

WEIR
CHANNEL
TUBESHEET

SUPPORT PLATES
TUBES

FIGURE

- TEMA KETTLE TYPE SHELL AND TUBE EXCHANGER

Kettle Type Exhangers

In the kettle type exchanger shown in Figure

- , the heating fluid always enters

the channel top nozzle, Item , and exits via the bottom channel nozzle. The main
purpose of the shell side is to vaporize liquid entering the shell nozzle, Item , near
the shell flange, Item . Vapor exits through the shell nozzle, Item , at the top of
the exchanger shell. The weir, Item , is a dam designed to keep the tube bundle
covered with liquid at all times. Surplus liquid overflows the weir and into the shell
cover area. A level controller is piped to the Liquid Level Connections, Item , and
maintains liquid level in this section at about half the weir height. Surplus liquid exits
via the shell nozzle, Item , in this section. Normally a level gage allows visual
examination of the liquid level behind the weir.

FIGURE

- INDUCED DRAFT AIR COOLED HEAT EXCHANGER

Air Cooled Heat Exchangers

Air cooled heat exchangers are those in which the cooling is done by blowing or
drawing air across finned tubes. Air cooled exchangers may be either induced draft
as shown in Figure - or forced draft as shown in Figure - which means that
the fans may either be mounted above the tube sections, drawing the air up through
the tubes and exhausting to the atmosphere, or the fans may be mounted below the
tube sections, drawing the air from the atmosphere and forcing it up through the
sections. The commodity temperature from the coolers can be controlled by:
The use of two speed fans
Adjustable louvers
A combination of the two
Two speed fans have the definite advantage of conserving horsepower and are
usually provided. The range of control gained by this means is obviously limited and,
for this reason, adjustable louvers are quite often provided where more precise
control is required such as in extremely cold climates. The louvers may be manually

or automatically controlled by the commodity outlet temperature. The fans may also
have adjustable pitch blades for further temperature control. This is usually done
automatically through a hydraulic drive.

FIGURE

- FORCED DRAFT AIR COOLED HEAT EXCHANGER

A significant feature of the dry coolers is the finned tubes. It is necessary that the
tubes have these fins to increase the surface in contact with the air where the heat
transfer rate is usually quite low. Since these fins must be relied on to conduct the
bulk of the heat from the commodity inside the tubes to the air outside, it is important
that they maintain a good thermal bond with the tubes at all times.
There are several different types of fin construction. The best and most durable type
is that in which the fins are an integral part of the tube itself and are formed by
extrusion of the tube through a die. This type of tube, however, is usually rather
expensive. At least one manufacturer attaches the fins by routing a groove in the
tube wall and forcing the fin tightly into this groove. In some cases, the fin is
wrapped around the tube and then soldered to the tube. This provides a very high
thermal efficiency. In some cases, the fins are wound in a tight helix about the tube
and soldered at each end. This design depends on pressure to hold the fin against
the tube and air gaps between the fin and tube reduce the thermal transfer.