Simulation of a tube and shell heat exchanger with COMSOL-Multiphysics®

Abstract

Shell and tube heat exchangers are ideal for applications with extreme conditions of temperature, pressure and corrosive fluids. Its conformation consists of tubes, tube sheets, baffles, channel covers, connections and shell; these can take various forms, which will depend on the desired task, pressure drop, thermal stress, the need to prevent leaks, pressures, temperatures, fluid corrosion, and maintenance, among other factors. Each of the exchangers used in industries have advantages and disadvantages, for example; evaporators, vaporizers and boilers have almost the same operation since they work with liquid fluids that are superheated in order to convert the fluid into steam, but it should be mentioned that in the case of the first two, they work with liquid fluids of different nature. This paper shows the results obtained from the simulation with the COMSOL-Multiphysics® program in order to establish the appropriate variables for the operation of a heat exchanger, in addition to comparing the theoretical results and the results obtained with the simulator.