The conception and operation of a shell and tube heat exchanger are rather simple and are grounded on the inflow and thermal contact of two liquids. The name of a shell and tube heat exchanger serves as an explanation of the process, which is the swapping of temperature between two fluids. In a heat exchanger, a heated or hot fluid will flow around a cold fluid and transfer heat in the direction of the inflow of the cold fluid.
In any situation where two pieces of material make contact, there will be an exchange or transfer of heat through a conductive face. The process of a shell and tube heat exchanger provides a place for two fluids to change or transfer heat through conductive essence.
In the shell and tube heat exchanger process, one fluid flows through the tubes while the other fluid flows through the shell. In the illustration below, which is of a straight tube shell and tube heat exchanger, the shell bay for the shell fluid to enter is at the top with the bay for the tube fluid at the nethermost right.
A shell and tube heat exchanger has two chambers or sections the shell side and the tube side. When working with a shell and tube heat exchanger, it’s important to decide on which side the hot fluid will enter and on which the cold fluid will enter; this decision is appertained to as fluid allocation.
When there’s a difference in pressure between the fluids, the lower pressure fluid enters through the shell bay since the tubes are designed to handle high pressure.