Design Criteria for Process Heat Exchangers

• The heat exchanger must meet the process

requirements (i.e. thermal condition and
pressure drops.
• The exchanger must withstand the service
conditions of the plant environment.
• The exchanger must be maintainable
• The exchanger should cost as little as is
consistent with the above requirements
• The exchanger should cost as little as is
consistent with the above requirements (i.e.
first cost and installation cost)
• There may be limitations on exchanger
diameter, length, weight and tube
specification due to site requirements, lifting
and servicing capabilities or inventory
considerations.
Structure of the heat exchanger design
problem
 Material Selection Overview
• It depends upon the application with
reference to type of media, temperature
effect of flow, pressure and many.
• Common heat-exchanger materials are:
carbon steel stainless
[ss304,ss316,monel,inconnel,steel]- for special
application.
 Material Selection of the Plates
• the availability of a wide variety of corrosion-
resistant alloys for construction of the heat
transfer surfaces.
• 304 Stainless Steel, 316 Stainless Steel, 317
Stainless Steel, Titanium, Tantalum, Incaloy
825, Hastelloy, Inconel, Aluminum Bronze and
Monel.
Choosing Heat Exchanger Material
• Combinations of temperature and chloride
content that are located above the curve offer
the potential for localized pitting and crevice
corrosion.
• based on oxygen-free environments, does
provide a useful guide for plate selection.
Gasket
 Frame, Tie bolts and fluid connection

• The frame of most plate heat exchangers is

constructed of carbon steel.
• This is generally painted with an epoxy based
material.
• Tie bolts are of nickel-plated carbon steel.
 Shell and Tube Exchangers
• The predominant cause of the failure of heat
exchanger tubes is circulating water flow conditions
resulting in tube inlet erosion/corrosion.
• Cu-Ni (90/10 or 70/30), modified alloy Cu-Ni-Fe-Mn
(66/30/2/2) or Ti are the materials used for heat
exchanger tubes.
• These materials could be easier to fabricate, stronger,
immune to corrosion and erosion, possessing good
heat transfer properties and should be cheaper than
the traditional heat exchanger materials.