SELECTING THE PROPER HEAT EXCHANGER

FOR PROCESS APPLICATIONS

February 2017
What Youll Learn

Factors that impact heat exchanger selection

Features and applications of various heat exchangers
Advantages of choosing one heat exchanger over another
Introduction to how some specialized heat exchangers operate

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Heat Exchanger Selection

Considerations.
Application requirements:

Type of heat exchange (heating, cooling, evaporating, condensing, etc.)

Fluid types
Flow rates
Inlet/outlet temperatures
Design pressures
Maximum allowable pressure drop
Available floor space
For shell and tube, specify a TEMA design when possible

For plate, check compatibility between process fluids and heat exchanger materials

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Custom TEMA Type
Shell and Tube
Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

All TEMA type designations.

TEMA stands for the Tubular Exchanger
Manufacturers Association

It is a consortium of manufacturers that

have gathered to standardize
nomenclature and terminology associated
with shell and tube heat exchanger design

Mechanical design configurations

are standardized

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Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

Common designs type BEP.

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Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

Common designs type BEU.

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Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

Common designs type BKU.

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Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

Features.
Straight or U-tube configurations

Fixed or removable bundles

Enhanced tube profiles internal

and external

Pressures in excess of 3,000 psi (> 200 bar)

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Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

Advantages.
Round geometry is ideal for a
pressure vessel

Better for high-pressure applications

Minimal gaskets compressed fiber can

go to higher temperatures

Capable of handling large volumetric flows

with low pressure drops

Well suited for applications with large

differential volumetric flows between the
hot and cold sides

Easy cleaning, especially on tubeside

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Custom TEMA Shell & Tube

Typical applications.
Heating

Cooling

Condensing

Vaporizing

Liquid-liquid, gas-liquid, gas-gas

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Gasketed Plate
Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers

How do they work?

A series of plates provide a set of channels
for two fluids to flow counter- or co-currently

As the fluids pass through the channels,

they cool/heat each other, with heat transfer
occurring through the plates

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Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers

Flow comparison.

Plate heat exchangers can have

true countercurrent flow.

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Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers

Flow comparison.

Shell and tube heat exchangers

Plate heat exchangers can have
have combinations, including cross-
true countercurrent flow.
and co-current flow arrangements.

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Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers

Features.
Wide range of material options
(plates and gaskets)

Full countercurrent flow

Wide range of thicknesses, pressing

depths, corrugations, and connections

Design pressures up to 360 PSI (25 bar)

Design temperatures up to 350F (180C)

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Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers

Advantages.
Compact design less surface area
required and more surface area per
installed volume

Lower volumetric holdup and

reduced weight

Crossing temperatures and low

temperature approaches are possible with
higher heat transfer coefficients and true
countercurrent flow

Bolted construction allows for easy thermal

expansion, service, assembly, and cleaning

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Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers

Typical applications.
Temperature cross/close approach

Economizers well suited for high heat

recovery via countercurrent flow

High heat duty that requires multiple

passes in a series

Tight spaces with weight restrictions

Similar volume flows on both sides

Liquid flows Installation in Malaysia featuring DN 250 (10 in.)

connections, 1000m (11,000ft) exchange area, 52MW
heat transfer at 0.4 bar (5.8 PSI) pressure drop

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All-Welded Plate
All-Welded Plate Heat Exchangers

SIGMAWIG

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All-Welded Plate Heat Exchangers

Features.
Pure countercurrent flow arrangement

Welded plate pack is clamped into either a

welded or a bolted frame

Fluids dont contact shell or frame material

Corrugation depth between 1.9 and 2.5 mm

Completely gasket-free design

Up to 450 PSI (30 bar) design pressure

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All-Welded Plate Heat Exchangers

Advantages.
Very compact footprint

Same efficiency as a gasketed plate

High turbulence between plates

reduces fouling

Small holdup volume (handling dangerous

or expensive products)

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All-Welded Plate Heat Exchangers

Typical applications.
Temperature cross/close approach

Economizers well suited for high heat

recovery via countercurrent flow

Tight spaces with length restrictions

Liquid-to-liquid flows

Handling of fluids with limited gasket resistance

Can be used for service of lethal liquids

Complete stainless steel design available for

pharmaceutical applications

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Plate and Shell
Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers

SIGMASHELL

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Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers

SIGMASHELL
Connecion plate
Outlet (shell side)
Plate package
Bolt

Outlet Shell
(plate side)
End cover
Inlet (plate side) Shell head Gasket Shell flange Inlet (shell side) Flow director Last plate

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Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers

Features.
Fixed bundle (fully welded) or removable
bundle with openable shell

Wide range of plate and shell material options

Laser-welded plate pack

Wide range of nozzle diameters on shell

Design pressures over 2,200 PSI (> 150 bar)

Large nozzle diameter on shell side (for

evaporating or condensing)

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Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers

Advantages.
Compact footprint

Lower weight

Large exchange surface in small holdup volume

Strong self-cleaning effect due to high turbulences

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Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers

Typical applications.
Temperature cross/close approach

Economizers well suited for high heat

recovery via countercurrent flow

Evaporators and condensers

Highest design pressures in plate heat

exchangers due to round shell

High viscosity media due to turbulent flow,

even in lower velocities

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Hairpin
Hairpin Heat Exchangers

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Hairpin Heat Exchangers

Features.
Fixed bundle (fully welded) or
removable bundle (common closure
or separated closure) designs

Wide range of material options

Full countercurrent flow

Wide range of shell diameters

Design pressures over

3,000 PSI (> 200 bar)

Stackable support design

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Hairpin Heat Exchangers

Advantages.
Compact footprint

Lower weight compared to multiple

TEMA types in series

Ease of maintenance long

radius U-bends

Eliminates differential thermal

expansion concerns
(no expansion joint)

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Hairpin Heat Exchangers

Typical applications.
Temperature cross/close approach

Economizers well suited for high heat

recovery via countercurrent flow

Tight spaces with length restrictions

High pressure/temperature with high

differential thermal expansion

High heat duty that requires multiple

exchangers in series

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Double-Tube Double-Tubesheet
Double-Tube Double-Tubesheet

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Double-Tube Double-Tubesheet

Features.
Modified standard of a TEMA NEN
or BEM style configuration

Shellside and tubeside fluids

separated by a neutral
intermediate fluid, commonly glycol

Wide range of material options

as with typical TEMA designs

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Double-Tube Double-Tubesheet

Advantages.
Virtually eliminates the potential for
cross leaks between fluids

Intermediate fluid minimizes thermal

conductivity losses between shell side
and tube side

Pressure monitoring of intermediate

fluid identifies leaks before they
contaminate the opposing fluid

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Double-Tube Double-Tubesheet

Typical applications.
Potable water

High-pressure gas to coolant

Fluid cooling using water from open

natural resources (lakes and rivers)

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Graphite Heat Exchangers
Graphite Block

Working principles.
Heat exchangers are made of stacked
graphite blocks assembled with gaskets

The blocks are drilled in a row pattern

and the heat is transferred through the
graphite material

The corrosive medium flows through the

axial process holes

The service medium passes through the

horizontal blocks holes due to a metal
baffle cage construction

The complete unit is maintained under

compression with springs

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Graphite Block

Features.
Modular construction (fast assembly/
disassembly, with extension possible)

Outstanding corrosion resistance

Standard design temperature 570F

(300C) (standard graphite)

Maximum design temperature 2,700F

(1,500C) (GT-CARB)

Heat transfer surface up to 8,600ft (800m)

Customized design

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Graphite Block

Advantages.
Compact design less surface area required
and more surface area per installed volume

Lower volumetric holdup and reduced weight

Modular baffle system; adaptation of

equipment to modification of flow

Cheaper than most special alloy alternatives

and easier to clean

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Graphite Block

Typical applications.
Heating, cooling, evaporating, and condensing
of corrosive media (esp. acids)

Wastewater and gas treatment (scrubber,

falling film absorber, boiler)

Concentration and crystallization by

evaporation with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric
acid, or phosphoric acid

Separation and purification of corrosive

chemical products

Acid dilution units

Vacuum steam jet technology

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People. Products. Performance.

About API Heat Transfer.

Global headquarters in Buffalo, New York, USA

Trusted for more than 130 years

Global team of engineers dedicated to the process market

Single-source solutions provider offering a complete range of technologies

Work on an engineer-to-engineer level to tailor solutions to your application

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Contact Information

Chris Pawlak Sebastian Schill

+1.716.901.8523 +49.7252.53.438
cpawlak@apiheattransfer.com sschill@apiheattransfer.com

Global Headquarters Europe

+1.716.684.6700 +49 (0) 7252.53.0
sales@apiheattransfer.com info@apiheattransfer.de

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