CFD Simulation Of Shell And Tube Type Heat Exchanger : Effect Of Flow Condition

Tang, Wilfred Kah Jung (2017) CFD Simulation Of Shell And Tube Type Heat Exchanger : Effect Of Flow Condition. Project Report. UTeM, Melaka, Malaysia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger (SNTHE) is widely used in the industry for heating, cooling, condensation and boiling processes with water as the most commonly used cooling fluid. This study investigates performances of SNTHE using three different fluids; Ammonia for its higher specific heat capacity than water, Carbon Dioxide for its high thermodynamics properties and Isobutane for its green refrigerant characteristics. A functional CFD model of SNTHE is developed and temperature condition, temperature contour, velocity condition and velocity contour of three different coolants are studied. Unbaffled Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger is used to simplified the shell side fluid flow as the presence of baffle will make the shell side fluid flow more complex. The model is designed as cited in the journal by Pal (2016) and the setting was set according to his paper. Model with water was used for grid independency test and validation purpose. After validation, Ammonia, Carbon Dioxide and Isobutane were set as the working fluid. The velocity contour shows that the fluids have similar pattern where flow skewed toward the outlet and have similar penetration pattern too. However, Isobutane offer the best fluid penetration in area between the tubes followed by Ammonia and lastly Carbon Dioxide. As for the temperature distribution, due to different thermal conductivity, different results were obtained. Isobutane is the best in term of heat transfer with average outlet temperature of 340 K followed by Ammonia 350 K and lastly Carbon Dioxide which is 350K. However, Carbon Dioxide offers no significant heat transfer as it is a gas with low density and low viscosity. As a result, it is not very suitable to be used unless it is in liquid form. Hence, Isobutane is the best alternatives compared to Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide as a substitute for water as a cooling fluid.

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