What is it about?
A study was done to improve the performance of a common shell-and-tube heat exchanger model by changing the baffle angles. First, the results of a turbulence model were checked using numerical studies and analytical approaches that are documented in the literature. Then, an investigation was conducted to address the contributions identified in the literature by determining the optimal angle for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with six baffles. To find the best angles, they looked at how well different angles worked in the past. They found that a certain type of angle (called the 36% baffle cut) was the best. This was used in a computer program to work out the best angles for all the baffles. The best angles were found to be 315, 195, 80, 340, 250, and 95 from the first to the last baffle. We also compared the cross-arrangement baffle and the optimised baffle. The optimised baffle performed better than the cross-arrangement baffle. This was the case for both higher and lower flow rates. The optimised baffle also mixed the flow better. This meant that the flow moved around more in the staggered baffle configuration within the shell. This made the heat transfer process much better.
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Why is it important?
The study used a model called the realizable k-e turbulence model to check the STHX with six baffles at a 36% baffle cut ratio. It did this by doing a combination of numerical and theoretical studies. Then, six baffle angles were made better with the help of a genetic algorithm (GA), where they were changed in five-degree steps from 0 to 360 degrees. The model that performed best was then selected from the options that were considered. The findings were then compared for STHX and the shell and tube heat exchanger of the baffle-optimized model (STHX-BOM) regarding heat transfer, pressure drop, and flow structure.
Perspectives
The results show that changing the angles of the normal staggered baffle made it much better at transferring heat. This was clear because there was a big increase in how efficiently it worked. The results of the real-world application showed that there is a lot of potential for saving energy. It is recommended that a strategy to optimise things is used to reduce pressure loss. It is recommended that the flow be directed to the inlet and outlet regions of the heat exchanger.
Sercan Dogan
Konya Technical University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Baffle angle optimization of a typical shell and tube heat exchanger, Physics of Fluids, January 2025, American Institute of Physics,
DOI: 10.1063/5.0249271.
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