Shell &

Tube Heat
Exchanger
 Shell & Tube
Heat Exchanger
• Most common type of Heat exchangers used
• Have comparatively higher surface area to
volume/ weight ratio
• Ease of construction with varying size
possibilities.
• Internal components easily changeable- if
some failure occurs
 Main components of a
Shell &Tube Heat Exchanger
• Shell
• Shell Cover
• Tubes
• Channel
• Channel cover
• Tube sheet
• Baffles
• Nozzles.
 Fixed Tube
Heat Exchanger
Straight tubes
are secured at
both ends to
tube sheets
welded to the
shell
Advantages-
• Low Cost/ Simple construction
• Mechanical cleaning of tubes easy

Disadvatages-
• Sides of tubes can’t be cleaned mechanically
• Tubesheets unable to absorb the differential
stress, thus , expansion joint needed.
 U-Tube
Heat Exchanger

Advantage- One end is free, the bundle can expand or contract in

response to stress differentials
Disadvantage-Inside of tubes cannot be cleaned effectively, U-bends
would require flexible-end drill shafts for cleaning
 Floating Head Shell
&Tube Heat Exchanger
TEMA S

Floating head closure is located beyond the end of shell and

contained in a shell of larger cover. For cleaning, the shell cover needs
to be removed
 Floating Head Shell
&Tube Heat Exchanger
TEMA T

The entire tube bundle, including the floating head assembly,

can be removed from stationary end, since the shell diameter
is larger than floating head flange.
BASIC WORKING OF A SHELL AND
TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER
 Tube Roll
• A tube hole is drilled in a tube sheet with
slightly greater diameter than the OD of
the tube
• Two or more grooves are cut in the wall
of the hole. The tube is placed inside the
tube hole
• A tube roller is inserted into the end of
the tube. The roller is a rotating mandril
having a slight taper. It is capable of
exceeding the
• elastic limit of the tube metal and
transforming it into a semi-plastic
condition so that it flows into the
grooves and forms an extremely tight
seal.
• Tube rolling is a skill, since a tube may be
damaged by rolling to paper thinness art
leaving a seal with little structural
strength.
 Ferrule
• In some industrial uses it is
desirable to install tubes in
a tube sheet so that they
can be removed easily
• The tubes are actually
packed in the tube sheet
by means of ferrules using
a soft metal packing ring.
 Heat Exchanger Tubes
• Also referred as condenser tubes
• The OD of condenser tubes is the actual diameter
in inches within a very strict tolerance
• Are available in a variety of metals steel, copper,
admiralty , Muntz metal, brass, 70-30 copper-
nickel, aluminum bronze, aluminum, stainless
steel.
• Obtainable in a number of different wall
thicknesses defined by the Birmingham wire gage
(BWG) or gage of the tube.
• 3/4 and 1 in. OD are most common in heat-
exchanger design.
 Tube Pitch and
Layout Angle
Tubes holes can’t be
drilled very close
together
too small a width of
metal between adjacent
tubes structurally
weakens
the tube sheet. The
shortest distance
between two adjacent
tube holes
is the clearance or
The tube pitch P, is the shortest
ligament.
center-to-center distance
between adjacent tubes.
 Shells
• Shells are fabricated from steel pipe with nominal
IPS diameters up to 12 inch
• Above 12 the actual outside diameter and the
nominal pipe diameter are the same.
• The standard wall thickness for shells with inside
diameters from 12 to 24 in. is satisfactory for
shell-side operating pressures up to 300 psi.
• Greater wall thicknesses may be obtained for
greater pressures. Shells above 24 in. in diameter
are fabricated by rolling steel plate.
 Baffles
• Divert (direct) the flow across the bundle to obtain a
higher heat transfer coefficient.
• Support the tubes for structural rigidity, preventing tube
vibration and sagging.
• When the tube bundle employs baffles, the heat
transfer coefficient is higher than the coefficient for
undisturbed flow around tubes without baffles.
• For a baffled heat exchanger the higher heat transfer
coefficients result from the increased turbulence.
• The velocity of fluid fluctuates because of the
constricted area between adjacent tubes across the
bundle
• The center to center distance between baffles
is called baffle pitch or baffle spacing.
• The baffle spacing is usually not greater than a
distance equal to the inside diameter of the
shell or closer than a distance equal to one-
fifth of ID of shell.
Types of Baffles

Segmental
baffles are
drilled plates
with heights
75% of the
inside diameter
of the shell.
Also known as
25% cut baffles.
Performance depends on baffle cut and
baffle spacing:-

Closer spacing- Higher heat transfer , but poor

stream distribution and higher pressure drop

Higher spacing- Low pressure drop but more

longitudinal flow causing reduced heat transfer
coefficient
Small Baffle Cut
(Working Model)
Large Baffle Cut
(Working Model)
 Ideal Baffle Cut
(Working Model)
Actual shellside flow distribution
 Actual shell side distribution
• Stream B- highly effective for heat transfer
• Stream A fairly efficient ( shell side fluid in
contact with the tubes)
• Stream C – in contact with peripheral tubes
around the bundle
• Stream E- stream flows along the shell wall, not in
contact with tubes, no heat transfer.

Heat transfer occurs with C , but with a lower

efficiency.
Thanks