Heat Exchanger Innovations

The progress of distillation in the petroleum industry was not independent of advancements in other fields, but rather was dependent upon, and to some extent followed metallurgical developments and the refinement of oil heaters, pumps, and heat exchangers. It is probable that further innovations in distillation methods will be equally dependent upon engineering developments in other fields. 

Different heat transfer applications require different types of hardware and different configurations of heat transfer equipment. The attempt to match the lieat transfer hardware to the heat transfer requirements within the specified constraints has resulted in numerous types of innovative heat exchanger designs. 

The use of bundles of thin walled plastic tubes have been used in shell and tube heat exchangers. Apart from the resistance to deposit accumulation afforded by the polymeric material, the oscillation of the flexible tubes under the influence of the flows in the shell as well as within the tubes assists in keeping the surface clean. A recent innovation is the use of ceramic heat exchangers for handling corrosive fluids, e.g. heating corrosive gases to 580°C prior to incineration at 950°C and also as an acid condenser for sulphuric acid at 250°C [Redman 1989],... 

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