Numerical Studies On Combined Parallel Multiple Shell-Pass Shell-And-Tube Heat Exchangers With Continuous Helical Baffles

A combined parallel multiple shell-pass shell-and-tube heat exchanger with continuous helical baffles (CPMP-STHX) is developed to improve heat transfer performance of shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHXs). The CPMP-STHX is compared with the conventional STHX with segmental baffles (SG-STHX) by Computational Fluid Dynamics method. The numerical results indicate that, for the same mass flow rate in the shell side, the heat transfer coefficient, the overall pressure drop, and heat transfer coefficient per pressure drop of the CPMP-STHX are 17.8 %, 13 % and 13.2 % higher than those of the SG-STHX, respectively. For the same overall pressure drop in the shell-side, the heat transfer coefficient of the CPMP-STHX has 20% increases than that of the SG-STHX. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the CPMP-STHX might be used to replace the conventional STHX with segmental baffles in industrial applications.