Numerical Study of Heat Transfer Characteristics in Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers with Different Tube Geometries: A Comparative Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38032/scse.2025.3.139Keywords:
Twisted Tube, Oval shaped tube, Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger, Heat Transfer, CFDAbstract
This study presents a comparative analysis of the heat transfer characteristics among shell-and-tube heat exchangers featuring round-shaped tubes, oval-shaped tubes, and twisted tubes, utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. The primary objective of this research is to enhance the performance of shell-and-tube heat exchangers by integrating twisted and oval-shaped tubes, thereby replacing conventional smooth round tubes. For this investigation, a twisted tube with a pitch length of 135 mm was employed. Different heat transfer characteristics including outlet temperature, pressure drop, and total heat transfer rate were calculated for various mass flow rates (.5 kg/s, 1 kg/s, and 2 kg/s) of water. The CFD model used in this study was validated against existing literature, ensuring the reliability of the results. The findings indicate that the implementation of twisted tubes results in an increase in outlet temperature to 338.72 K compared to the Oval-shaped tube (337.88 K), round-shaped tube (335.86 K), and also a reduction in pressure drop to 1560.1 Pa from the Oval-shaped tube (1718.285 Pa), round-shaped tube (1591.547 Pa) at a consistent mass flow rate of .5 kg/s of water. The research indicates that the innovative design of twisted tubes significantly enhances the thermal efficiency of shell-and-tube heat exchangers. This establishes a promising alternative to traditional round tube designs, particularly in applications where improved heat transfer rates and reduced pressure drops are critical.
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Copyright (c) 2025 K.M. Toukid Tahmid, Mohammad Sultan Mahmud (Author)
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