Basma Azzam Literature Review

Report Scope
This literature review is on heat exchangers. It delves into the definitions of a heat exchanger,
how they’re classified, and subsequently it assesses the working principle of each type. The
relative efficiencies and applications are also discussed in this review. Finally, it concludes with
an assessment of published literature on the optimization and advancements for every type of
heat exchanger.

Introduction
General Definitions and Classification
A heat exchanger is a device used to transfer energy in the form of heat between multiple fluids,
or between solids and fluids. A heat exchangers main function is simply to move the energy from
one medium to another, without any external work.
Such device has several applications, like cooling a fluid, boiling and evaporation, or
refrigeration. Sometimes the objective is to recover or reject heat, or sterilize, pasteurize,
fractionate, distill, concentrate, crystallize, or control a process fluid. (Shah & Sekulić, 2003) The
process itself may be facilitated by direct or indirect contact of the fluids. The most used heat
exchangers often have a segregating wall between the mediums. Ideally, in most industrial
processes the fluids are prevented from mixing, as it may alter the characteristics and properties
of the fluid. Heat exchangers are designed with the properties of the fluid in mind, meaning the
fluid properties are known and used in the calculations. Altering fluid properties can result in a
drop in efficiency, or sometimes device failure as the new mixed liquid has no known or defined
parameters.
According to Shah and Sekulić (2003), there are multiple ways to group and classify heat
exchangers. There is the classification according to construction, and according to classification.

1
Basma Azzam Literature Review

This literature review will focus on three main types, the shell and tube heat exchanger (STHE),
the double pipe heat exchanger (DPHE), and the plate heat exchanger (PHE).
The shell and tube heat exchanger falls under the umbrella of tubular construction, and it is also
considered as a multipass in terms of flow arrangement.
The double pipe heat exchanger is tubular heat exchanger; however, it can be configured in
multiple flow arrangements like counterflow and parallel flow. It is a single pass type.
The plate heat exchanger is a plate type in terms of construction, and regarding flow arrangement
it is multipass.

Different Types of Heat Exchangers

Shell And Tube Heat Exchanger
The STHE is composed of round tubes mounted in cylindrical shells with their axes parallel to
the shell’s axis. The tubes are supported by baffles as shown in the figure below.

The relatively simple manufacture and adaptability to different operating conditions makes them
common in cooling and heating applications in an array of industries, such as petrochemical and
oil refining industries (Wang, Wen, & Li, 2009). Although not the most compact solution, their
robustness and shape make them well suitable for high-pressure operations. The shape allows the

2
Basma Azzam Literature Review

use of glass as a tube material, which is especially helpful in chemical processes with corrosive
liquids. Sometimes they are used in food
processing as glass is unreactive and does
not affect the flavor of food products. (Fraas
1989).
The figure illustrates a shell and tube
exchanger in which a highly corrosive
liquid is heated and cooled. Fraas (1989)

The shell and tube has a relatively high

efficiency when compared to the double
pipe heat exchanger, but it is still less
efficient than the plate heat exchanger.
Edreis Edreis & Petrov (2020) have found
the efficiency co-efficient is only 70%.

Double Pipe Heat Exchanger

The double pipe heat exchanger consists of two concentric pipes with one fluid in the inner pipe
and the other in the outer pipe. This type of construction is particularly advantageous where one
or both of the fluids is at high pressure, which would cause the shell wall thickness and cost to be
large ifa conventional shell and tube heat exchanger were employed. (Fraas 1989).
This kind of heat exchanger is widely used in chemical, food, oil, and gas industries due to their
low cost of design and maintenance. Upon having a relatively small diameter, many precise
researches have also hold firmly the belief that this type of heat exchanger is used in high-
pressure applications. (Mohamad Omidi et al., 2017)
It is generally the least efficient when compared to its aforementioned counterparts.
Nwabunwanne Nwokolo et al. (2020) found that the maximum heat exchanger effectiveness
value for the DPHE is 0.55.

3
Basma Azzam Literature Review

Plate Heat Exchanger

Often referred to as the plate-and-frame heat exchanger, it works by pressing stacks of sheet
metal plates to create ridge and groove patterns that identify coolant flow passageways and offer
surfaces that encourage turbulence.
Gaskets that fit into grooves pressed into the plate surface seal the seams between plates at the
outside borders as well as the fluid intake and exit manifolds. In addition to acting as turbulators
to improve heat transfer, the corrugations in the heat transfer surface region also act as spacers
between the plates. (Fraas 1989).
The primary elements of a PHE include the heat transfer and flow separation plates, gaskets, the
supporting end frames that house inlet/outlet fluid port nozzles, horizontal plate carrying and
guiding bars, the support column, and end-frame tightening bolts. (Bengt Sundén & Manglik,
2007).
Stringent hygiene requirements in the food and pharmaceutical industries often mandate
frequent, thorough cleaning of components such as heat exchangers. (Fraas 1989). Cleaning heat
exchangers in industrial processes was difficult back in the 1880’s due to the complexity and the
inability to disassemble the exchanger. During that period there was an increasing awareness
among the general public that untreated milk could harbor infections like Tuberculosis. This
marked the beginning of the first efforts at pasteurizing milk, which entailed heating the milk to a
temperature below its boiling point and keeping it there for a brief period of time, and then
promptly cooling it. The equipment used for heat transmission in this process had to be
extremely thermally efficient and, especially, simple to clean (which had to be done every day).
(Manglik & Bengt Sundén, 2007). In fact, most of the early heat transfer devices used to
pasteurize milk found it impossible to achieve these operational requirements, which eventually

4
Basma Azzam Literature Review

prompted the invention of PHEs. Commercial exploitation of PHEs began in the 1920s when Dr.
Richard Seligman invented the first operational PHE, known as the plate pasteurizer, in 1923.
Named after Louis Pasteur of France who discovered that spoilage organisms could be
inactivated in wine by applying heat at temperature below its boiling point, the discovery
remains a cornerstone operation in the processing and mass marketing of milk products. (Bengt
Sundén & Manglik, 2007).
The plate heat exchanger has the highest efficiency due to is large surface area with around 95%
efficiency, making it much more efficient than its tubular counterparts. (Edreis Edreis & Petrov,
2020)
Design Considerations of a Heat Exchanger
When designing a heat exchange system, an engineer must consider the process needs and design
specifications. What materials should be used? What are the thermal properties of the fluids that
will flow? How should the design be optimized in a way to minimize cost and maximize heat
transfer?
Heat exchanger design is a complex endeavor and involves not only a determination of one or
more feasible solutions but also the best possible or nearly optimal design solution. In the book,
Shah and Sekulić (2003) address the most important quantitative aspects of design methodology.
In most applications, fluids are pumped through the heat exchanger. It's essential to calculate the
fluid pumping power as part of the overall system design and operating cost analysis. This power
is directly proportional to the fluid pressure drop, which is influenced by factors like fluid
friction along the flow path.
Fluid pumping power is necessary since the fluid must be pumped through the exchanger. The
exchanger pressure drop determines how much power is pumped. If there is a considerable
pressure drop connected to the flow, the saturation temperature change for a
condensing/evaporating fluid can have a major impact on the rate of heat transfer. This is due to
the fact that variations in saturation temperature impact the temperature potential for heat
transfer, which is influenced by variations in saturation pressure.
The determination of pressure drop is calculated using the Bernoulli equation.
The pressure drop depends on multiple factors, such as fluid velocity, cross sectional area of the
nozzle, and whether the flow is laminar or turbulent. The pumping power in an exchanger needs
to have enough power to overcome the standard pressure drop as well as losses in the pipe due to
friction, fouling, bend losses, and elevation losses. (Shah and Sekulić 2003).
Fouling
Fouling is very costly since it increases capital costs due to the need to oversurface the heat
exchanger and for cleaning; increases maintenance costs resulting from cleaning, chemical
additives, or troubleshooting; results in loss of production due to shutdown or reduced capacity;
and increases energy losses due to reduced heat transfer, increased pressure drop, and dumping
of dirty streams present.
Shah and Sekulić (2003) list 6 types of fouling: (1) precipitation or crystallization fouling, (2)
particulate fouling, (3) chemical reaction fouling, (4) corrosion fouling, (5) biological fouling,
and (6) freezing (solidification) fouling.

5
Basma Azzam Literature Review

In precipitation or crystallization fouling, the mechanism is the precipitation of dissolved salts in

the fluid on the heat transfer surface when the surface concentration exceeds the solubility limit.
This fouling is common with untreated water, seawater, and other solutions containing soluble
salts.
Particulate fouling refers to the deposition of solids suspended in a fluid onto a heat transfer
surface. Corrosion products, clay, mineral particles, soot, and more.
Chemical reaction fouling results from material deposition due to chemical reactions in the fluid,
leading to the formation of foulant deposits
In corrosion fouling, the heat transfer surface itself reacts with the process fluid or chemicals
present in the process fluid. Its constituents or trace materials are carried by the fluid in the
exchanger, and it produces corrosion products that deposit on the surface.
Biological fouling or biofouling results from the deposition, attachment, and growth of macro- or
microorganisms to the heat transfer surface; it is generally a problem in water streams. In
general, biological fouling can be divided into two main subtypes of fouling: microbial and
macrobial. Microbial fouling is accumulation of microorganisms such as algae, fungi, yeasts,
bacteria, and molds, and macrobial fouling represents accumulation of macroorganisms such as
clams, barnacles, mussels, and vegetation as found in sea- water or estuarine cooling water.
Freezing or solidification fouling is due to freezing of a liquid or some of its constituents, or
deposition of solids on a subcooled heat transfer surface as a consequence of liquid–solid or
vapor–solid phase change in a gas stream. Formation of ice on a heat transfer surface during
chilled water production or cooling of moist air, deposits formed in phenol coolers, and deposits
formed during cooling of mixtures of substances such as paraffin are some examples of
solidification fouling.
It is important to mitigate fouling, either through scaling techniques or developing detection
technologies to minimize the thermal resistance and losses associated with fouling.

Methodology
Optimization Of Heat Transfer and Recent Technological Breakthroughs
Shell And Tube Heat Exchanger
To understand how the shell and tube is optimized, we must first
understand the 2 most important components, the tube, and the baffle.
The tubes are the rods inside the shell. They could possess multiple
layout patterns as shown in the figure. The triangular configuration can
accommodate more tubes in the shell. (Mukherjee, 1998)
The function of the baffle is used to support tubes, enable a desirable
velocity to be maintained for the shellside fluid, and prevent failure of
tubes due to flow-induced vibration.
Wang, Wen, & Li, (2009) have conducted an experiment observing the
heat transfer coefficient after blocking the gaps between the baffle
plates and shell is by adding a sealer.

6
Basma Azzam Literature Review

They have found that the shell-side heat transfer coefficient of the improved heat exchanger
increased by 18.2–25.5%, the overall coefficient of heat transfer increased by 15.6–19.7%, and
the exergy efficiency increased by 12.9–14.1%

This solution showed promising results; however the study did not consider that the barriers
created by the sealers might be causing a bit of resistance for the fluid inside the machine. As a
result, it takes a bit more pressure to push the fluid through the machine, so this method may
increase pressure losses.
The study did not consider for the sealers is the potential for fouling or clogging of the sealers
over prolonged use, which could impede their effectiveness in reducing leakage flow.
Additionally, the use of sealers may introduce maintenance challenges, such as the need for
regular inspection and replacement, to ensure continued efficiency of the improved heat
exchanger configuration.

A recent advancement in the optimization of shell and tube heat exchangers was the study
conducted by Akbar & Moradi, (2019). The study tested multiple baffle and tube configurations to
find the configuration with the most efficiency. configurations. The results show that the combined
segmental-disk baffle (CSDB) with triangular ribbed tubes (TR) exhibits significantly higher heat

7
Basma Azzam Literature Review

transfer coefficients compared to conventional

segmental-disk baffle (DB) with circular ribbed tubes
(CR). Additionally, the pressure drop was shown to
decrease in the new configurations. The research
contributes to enhancing the efficiency and performance
of shell and tube heat exchangers through innovative
baffle and tube configurations. The limitation here is the
increased manufacturing complexity leading to
potentially higher initial costs.

Double Pipe Heat Exchanger

The ways to enhance heat transfer for double pipe exchangers is usually through passive
methods, in which a geometrical modification is added to the pipe with no external forces.
(Mohamad Omidi et al., 2017)

Paisarn Naphon, (2006b) has experimented with

adding a twisted tape insert to the pipe.
Generally, twisted tape performs as a continuous
swirl generator which causes turbulence on flow.
This leads to a better mixing of the fluid which
eventually results in a higher heat transfer rate.
But it is stated in earlier investigations that
twisted tapes perform better in laminar flow
regime.
Another study by Paisarn Naphon, (2006a)
involving passive components, is the addition of
a coil wire along the pipe. He observed that using
these wired coils leads to a significant effect in
heat transfer rate in laminar flow regime. In other
words, this effect will decrease with increase in
Reynolds number.

8
Basma Azzam Literature Review

Both studies have not investigated the impact of metal inserts on vertical or inclined pipes, and
how they will behave under gravitational forces. An opportunity for further research could be a
comparative study of twisted tape inserts made from different materials other than aluminum.
The studies do not investigate the long-term performance and reliability of the heat exchanger
with the inserts, and lastly, another opportunity for further research is the development of passive
components that work well with higher Reynolds numbers.

The last breakthrough advancement in the subsection of double pipe heat exchangers is the
addition of nanofluids. Chun et al., (2008) investigated the heat transfer coefficient of nanofluids
made of several alumina nanoparticles and transformer oil which flow through a double pipe heat
exchanger system in the laminar flow regime. The nanofluids exhibited a considerable increase
of heat transfer coefficients. The nanofluids tested displayed good thermal properties. One of the
possible reasons for the enhancement on heat transfer of nanofluids can be explained by the high
concentration of nanoparticles in the thermal boundary layer at the wall side through the
migration of nanoparticles.

The results were as follows:

13% increase of heat transfer coefficient for AK nanofluid and 10% increase for AR nanofluid
AK: alumina particle with 43 nm size and a hydrophobic surface
AR: alumina particle with 27–43 nm size and a hydrophilic surface

The study acknowledges the need for more experimental data for fluids containing different
kinds of nanosized particles and more extensive research to effectively predict the heat transfer
properties of nanofluids.

Plate Heat Exchanger

The efficiency of a plate heat exchanger can be improved either by optimizing its geometry or
using heat transfer enhancement techniques. (Zhang et al., 2019)

The PHE usually consists of several corrugated or embossed metal plates in direct contact.
The review indicated that the chevron angle is the most influential geometrical parameter in
single-phase heat transfer, with increased chevron angles generally leading to better thermal-
hydraulic performance. It was also concluded that roughened surfaces increase the efficiency and
heat transfer coefficient within plate heat exchangers.
The study provided an overview of enhancement mechanisms by using passive surface
techniques, nanofluids, and other enhancement techniques for single-phase flow in PHEs.

9
Basma Azzam Literature Review

The available studies using passive surface techniques in the PHEs for two-phase heat transfer
are much less than those of single-phase flow. (Zhang et al., 2019)

The study acknowledged the limitations of the lack of fundamental research on two-phase heat
transfer in PHEs. The study of nanofluid applications in two-phase heat transfer within plate heat
exchangers is an area that has received limited attention in existing research. Future research
could explore the impact of nanofluids on two-phase heat transfer processes, considering factors
such as boiling and condensation performance, heat transfer enhancement, and pressure drop
effects.
A recent advancement in improving the efficiency of plate heat exchangers is fouling mitigation.
Merheb et al. (2007) proposed the use of advanced techniques such as acoustic monitoring for
fouling detection in real time.
This research would be very useful for the dairy processing industry, as the milk processing
procedure causes a significant amount of fouling on the plates. (Zhang et al., 2019)\

10
Basma Azzam Literature Review

References
ABU-KHADER, M. M. (2012). PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS: RECENT ADVANCES. RENEWABLE AND
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS, 16, 1883–1891. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.RSER.2012.01.009
AKBAR, A., & MORADI, R. (2019). SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER OPTIMIZATION USING NEW
BAFFLE AND TUBE CONFIGURATION. APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING, 157, 113736.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.APPLTHERMALENG.2019.113736

BENGT SUNDÉN, & MANGLIK, R. M. (2007). PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS. WIT PRESS.
CHUN, B., KANG, H. U., & KIM, S. H. (2008). EFFECT OF ALUMINA NANOPARTICLES IN THE FLUID
ON HEAT TRANSFER IN DOUBLEPIPE HEAT EXCHANGER SYSTEM. KOREAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING, 25(5), 966–971. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1007/S1181400801565
EDREIS EDREIS, & PETROV, A. (2020). TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS IN INDUSTRY, THEIR
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES, AND THE STUDY OF THEIR PARAMETERS. IOP CONFERENCE
SERIES: MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, 963, 012027. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1088/1757-
899X/963/1/012027
FRAAS, A. P. (1989). HEAT EXCHANGER DESIGN. WILEY.
MERHEB, B., NASSAR, G., NONGAILLARD, B., DELAPLACE, G., & LEULIET, J. C. (2007). DESIGN
AND PERFORMANCE OF A LOW-FREQUENCY NON-INTRUSIVE ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUE FOR MONITORING
FOULING IN PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS. JOURNAL OF FOOD ENGINEERING, 82, 518–527.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.JFOODENG.2007.03.022

MOHAMAD OMIDI, FARHADI, M., & JAFARI, M. (2017). A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON DOUBLE
PIPE HEAT EXCHANGERS. APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING, 110, 1075–1090.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.APPLTHERMALENG.2016.09.027

MUKHERJEE, R. (1998). EFFECTIVELY DESIGN SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS. CHEMICAL

ENGINEERING PROGRESS, 94(2), 21–37.
NWABUNWANNE NWOKOLO, MUKUMBA, P., & KECHRIST OBILEKE. (2020). THERMAL
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER INSTALLED IN A BIOMASS
GASIFICATION SYSTEM. JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, 2020, 1–8.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1155/2020/6762489

PAISARN NAPHON. (2006A). EFFECT OF COIL-WIRE INSERT ON HEAT TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT AND
PRESSURE DROP OF THE HORIZONTAL CONCENTRIC TUBES. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN
HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER, 33, 753–763.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.ICHEATMASSTRANSFER.2006.01.020

PAISARN NAPHON. (2006B). HEAT TRANSFER AND PRESSURE DROP IN THE HORIZONTAL DOUBLE
PIPES WITH AND WITHOUT TWISTED TAPE INSERT. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HEAT AND
MASS TRANSFER, 33, 166–175. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.ICHEATMASSTRANSFER.2005.09.007
ROY, U., & PRANAB KANTI ROY. (2020). CHAPTER 7 - ADVANCES IN HEAT INTENSIFICATION
TECHNIQUES IN SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER (LIBOR PEKAŘ, ED.). ACADEMIC PRESS.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/B978-0-12-819422-5.00007-4

SHAH, R. K., & SEKULIĆ, D. P. (2003). FUNDAMENTALS OF HEAT EXCHANGER DESIGN. WILEY.
HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1002/9780470172605

11
Basma Azzam Literature Review

WANG, S., WEN, J., & LI, Y. (2009). AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF HEAT TRANSFER
ENHANCEMENT FOR A SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER. APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING, 29,
2433–2438. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.APPLTHERMALENG.2008.12.008
ZHANG, J., ZHU, X., MONDEJAR, M. E., & FREDRIK HAGLIND. (2019). A REVIEW OF HEAT
TRANSFER ENHANCEMENT TECHNIQUES IN PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS. RENEWABLE AND
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS, 101, 305–328. HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1016/J.RSER.2018.11.017

12