Shell-Side Arrangements

Shell-Side Arrangements The one-pass shell (Fig. 11-35E) is the most commonly used arrangement. Condensers from single component vapors often have the nozzles moved to the center of the shell for vacuum and steam sei vices. 

Figure 1.7 Simple detail of shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The water box may be designed for as many as eight passes, and a variety of configurations of shell-side baffles may be used to improve heat transfer, (a) Several water box arrangements for tube-side cooling, (b) Assembly of simple two-pass exchanger with U-tubes. [Fig. 38.2, The Nalco Water Handbook, 1st ed. (1979), reprinted with permission from McGraw-Hill, Inc.)...

Some general considerations to bear in mind are (1) In all start-up and shutdown operations, fluid flows should be regulated so as to avoid thermal shocking the unit, regardless of whether the unit is of either a removable or non-removable type of construction (2) For fixed tubesheet (i.e., non-removable bundle) type units, where the tube side fluid cannot be shut down, it is recommended that both a bypass arrangement be incorporated in the system, and the tube side fluid be bypassed before the shell side fluid is shut down (3) Extreme caution should be taken on insulated units where fluid flows are terminated and then restarted. Since the metal parts eould remain at high temperatures for extended periods of time, severe thermal shock could occur. 

For sheU-aiKl-l-ube heat exchangers with shell-side balile. die shell-side fluid flow is perpendicular to the tubes. In this arrangement, the outside film coefficient can be calculated from the following equation ... 

Only a few popular and practical shell baffle arrangements exist, although special circumstances can and do require many unique baffling arrangements. The performance of the shell side of the exchanger depends upon the designer s understanding the effectiveness of fluid contact with the tubes as a direct result of the baffle pattern used. 

The baffle cut determines the fluid velocity between the baffle and the shell wall, and the baffle spacing determines the parallel and cross-flow velocities that affect heat transfer and pressure drop. Often the shell side of an exchanger is subject to low-pressure drop limitations, and the baffle patterns must be arranged to meet these specified conditions and at the same time provide maximum effectiveness for heat transfer. The plate material used for these supports and baffles should not be too thin and is usually minimum thick-... 

Shell-Side Equivalent Tube Diameters for Various Tube Arrangements... 

These gas transfer membranes or membrane contactors employ microporous polypropylene hollow fiber membranes arranged in a modular design. Oxygenated water flows on the shell side of the hollow fibers, and a strip gas (such as nitrogen) or a vacuum is applied to the inside (lumenside), with the hollow fibers acting as a support medium for intimate contact between the water and gas phases. 

TWo tubular heat exchangers are available each with a 0.44 m i.d. shell fitted with 166 tubes, 19.0 mm o.d. and 15.0 mm i.d., each 5.0 m long. The tubes are arranged in two passes on 25 mm square pitch with a baffle spacing of 150 mm. There are two passes on the shell side and operation is to be countercurrent. With benzene passing through the tubes, the anticipated film coefficient on the tube side is 1000 W/m2K. 

Two shell passes (F shell) are occasionally used where the shell and tube side temperature differences will be unsuitable for a single pass (see Section 12.6). However, it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory seal with a shell-side baffle and the same flow arrangement can be achieved by using two shells in series. One method of sealing the longitudinal shell-side baffle is shown in Figure 12.12/. 

The divided flow and split-flow arrangements (G and J shells) are used to reduce the shell-side pressure drop where pressure drop, rather than heat transfer, is the controlling factor in the design. 

Shell-side jh and j f factors for use in this method are given in Figures 12.29 and 12.30, for various baffle cuts and tube arrangements. These figures are based on data given by Kern (1950) and by Ludwig (2001). 

Calculate the shell-side equivalent diameter (hydraulic diameter), Figure 12.28. For a square pitch arrangement ... 

For the calculated Reynolds number, read the value of jh from Figure 12.29 for the selected baffle cut and tube arrangement, and calculate the shell-side heat transfer... 

Horizontal shell-side and vertical tube-side are the most commonly used types of condenser. A horizontal exchanger with condensation in the tubes is rarely used as a process condenser, but is the usual arrangement for heaters and vaporisers using condensing steam as the heating medium. 

It is normal practice to assume that integral condensation occurs. The conditions for integral condensation will be approached if condensation is carried out in one pass, so that the liquid and vapour follow the same path as in a vertical condenser with condensation inside or outside the tubes. In a horizontal shell-side condenser the condensate will tend to separate from the vapour. The mean temperature difference will be lower for differential condensation, and arrangements where liquid separation is likely to occur should generally be avoided for the condensation of mixed vapours. 

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