Performance Analysis and Optimization of Counter Flow Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Under Diff. Geometric Conditions Using ANSYS 15.0

Geometric dimensions of the shell and tube heat exchanger is varied and the temperature distribution is recorded at the outlet of the tubes and the shell using ANSYS 15.0 (Fluent and CFD), and thermal analysis of counter flow type shell and tube heat exchanger is done for its design and optimization. varying Number of tubes, Diameter of tubes, Thickness of tubes. The material used for tubes is copper due to its high thermal conductivity and fluid in tubes and the shell is water. The solutions from CFD shows that keeping the no. of tubes and thickness of the tubes as constant and increasing the diameter of the tubes, the temperature is increasing at the outlet of the heat exchanger tubes, performance of the heat exchanger is decreasing by increasing the diameter of the tubes. If we are going to increase the thickness of the tube by keeping the no. of tubes same and same diameter the temperature at the outlet is decreasing hence the performance of the heat exchanger increases by increasing the thickness of the tubes, the results are discussed for 27 different cases with taking diff geometric dimensions into consideration. Heat transfer rate is decreasing with increase in number of tubes and also decreasing with increase in the diameter of the tube, but the heat transfer rate is increases with increasing the thickness of the tubes. As per the requirement of heat exchange, the geometric dimensions and no. of tubes can be calculated for getting maximum efficiency and performance of the shell and tube heat exchanger.