CHAPTER 4

Geometrical Heat Exchanger

Calculations
Contents
4.1 Calculation Formula
4.1.1 Heat exchanger area A
4.1.2 Tube-side ow cross section aT
4.1.3 Flow velocity wT in the tubes
4.1.4 Shell-side cross section across
4.1.5 Shell-side cross stream velocity wC
4.1.6 Shell-side longitudinal stream cross area aw in the bafe window
4.1.7 Number of tube rows in cross stream ncross between the windows
4.2 Tube-Side Calculations
4.2.1 Flow velocity wT in the tubes for a volumetric ow VT (m3/h)
4.2.2 Number of tubes per pass tP for a given ow velocity wT
4.2.3 Required number of tubes per pass tP for a given Reynolds number Re
4.2.4 Required ow velocity wT for a given Reynolds number Re
4.3 Shell-Side Calculations
4.3.1 Flow cross section across for the ow across the tubes
4.3.2 Flow cross section aw for the longitudinal ow in the bafe cuts
4.3.3 Average ow cross section aav on the shell side
4.3.4 Shell-side ow velocities wav
4.3.5 Required bafe spacing B for a given cross stream velocity wcross
4.3.6 Number of bafes nB with given bafe spacing B
4.3.7 Determination of the total vertical tube rows ntv
4.3.8 Determination of the tube rows ncross in the cross stream between the bafe
windows with the segment height H

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4.1 CALCULATION FORMULA

4.1.1 Heat exchanger area A


A n  do  p  L m2
n total number of tubes
do tube outer diameter (m)
L tube length (m)

Heat Exchanger Design Guide

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803764-5.00004-3

2016 Elsevier Inc.

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Heat Exchanger Design Guide

4.1.2 Tube-side ow cross section aT

aT

n
p
2
 di2 
m
nP
4

tP tubes per pass

di tube inner diameter (m)

4.1.3 Flow velocity wT in the tubes

wT

VT
m=s
aT  3600

VT tube-side volumetrical ow (m3/h)

4.1.4 Shell-side cross section across


across B  Di  nacr  do m2

nacr

Di  sR
DH

sq
sq

B bafe spacing, ca. 0.2  Di (m)

Di shell inner diameter (m)
nacr number of tubes in the middle across the ow direction
sR edge strip (m)
sq tube middle gap across the ow direction (m) pitch T
DH outer limit diameter (m) envelope of tube pattern

4.1.5 Shell-side cross stream velocity wC

wcross

VShell
m=s
across  3600

VShell shell-side volumetric ow (m3/h)

4.1.6 Shell-side longitudinal stream cross area aw in the bafe window

aw Di2  C  nw  do2 

p
2
m
4

16  x2  13  x3
p
12  x  x2

with x

H
Di

C geometrical calculation factor

H segment height (m)
nw number of tubes in the bafe window
The number of tubes nw lying in the baff le cut can be determined by calculation from
the segment height H and the distance of the tube rows from the middle.

Geometrical Heat Exchanger Calculations

A tube layout is more appropriate.

According to the equation above, the tubes lying in the segment have to be subtracted
from the segment area.
As a rst approximation, the window area which is not covered with the tubes can be
estimated with the free room factor NF.
NF 1 

n  do2
Di2


aw Di2  C  NF m2

n total number of tubes

The calculation with NF gives a little lower ow cross sections in the window because
the edge strip was not considered.
In order to reduce the effect of the edge strip, especially with small shell diameters, the
outer limit diameter DH should be used instead of the shell inner diameter Di.
NF 1 

n  do2
2
DH


aw Di2  C  NF m2

For the shell side, the following designs should be strived for:
across aw

x H/Di 0.2 bis 0.25

B/Di 0.2

Calculation factors C for different x-values:

x [ H/Di

0.20
0.21
0.22
0.23
0.24
0.25
0.26
0.27
0.28
0.29
0.30

0.1117
0.1197
0.1279
0.1363
0.1448
0.1534
0.1621
0.1709
0.1798
0.1889
0.1980
VShell
m=s
aw  3600
p
aav across  aw m2
VShell
m=s
wav
aav  3600
LB
nB
Ba

Longitudinal stream ow velocity ww in the window

Average shell-side ow cross section aav
Average shell-side ow velocity wav
Number of bafes nB

ww

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Heat Exchanger Design Guide

a bafe thickness (m)

B bafe spacing (m)
L tube length (m)
B

Check calculation for the baffle spacing B

L  nB  a
m
nB 1

4.1.7 Number of tube rows in cross stream ncross between the windows
ncross

Di  2H  SG  nP  1
1
sl

nP number of tube passes

SG strips of the pass partition plates for the pass partition
sl tube middle clearance longitudinal to ow direction
Cross and longitudinal clearances (T tube pitch)
Square

Rotated square 45

Cross ow sq
Longitudinal ow sl

sq T
sl 0.866 T

sq T
sl T

sq 1.414 T
sl 0.707 T

Triangular

Square

Flow

Triangular

Flow

Tube middle spacing

Flow

68

Rotated
square

4.2 TUBE-SIDE CALCULATIONS (FIGURE 4.1)

4.2.1 Flow velocity wT in the tubes for a volumetric ow VT (m3/h)
wT

VT
m=s
2827  di2  tP

VT

MT
3  
m h
rT

tP

n
nP

Geometrical Heat Exchanger Calculations

Figure 4.1 Tube-side ow in heat exchanger.

4.2.2 Number of tubes per pass tP for a given ow velocity wT

tP

VT
2827  di2  wT

4.2.3 Required number of tubes per pass tP for a given Reynolds

number Re
tP

VT
2827  n  Re  di

4.2.4 Required ow velocity wT for a given Reynolds number Re

wT
di tube inner diameter (m)
r density (kg/m3)
n kinematic viscosity (m2/s)
VT volumetric throughput (m3/h)
MT mass throughput (kg/h)
Re Reynolds number

Re  n
m=s
di

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Heat Exchanger Design Guide

nP number of tube passes

tP Tubes per pass
Example 1: Tube-side calculations
MT 5000 kg/h
n 2 mm2/s

r 850 kg/m3
di 16 mm

VT 5000/850 5.88 m3/h

Calculation of the required ow velocity for Re [ 5000

wT

Re  n
5000  2  106
0:625 m=s

0:016
di

Required number of tubes tP per pass for wT [ 0.625 m/s

tP

5:88
13 Rohre mit di 16 mm
2827  0:0162  0:625

Required number of tubes tP per pass for Re [ 5000

tP

5:88
13 Rohre
2827  2  106  5000  0:016

4.3 SHELL-SIDE CALCULATIONS (FIGURE 4.2)

4.3.1 Flow cross section across for the ow across the tubes (Figure 4.2)


across B  Di  nacr  do m2
B bafe spacing (m)
do outer diameter of the tubes (m)
Di shell inner diameter (m)
DH outer limit diameter (m)
nacr number of tubes in cross ow on the center line
T pitch (m)
s Di  DH edge strips between shell and tube bundle

4.3.2 Flow cross section aw for the longitudinal ow in the bafe cuts
aw AS  nW  do2  p=4
AS area of the bafe cut (m2)
For H=Di 0:2/AS 0:112  Di2
For H=Di 0:25/AS 0:154  Di2

Geometrical Heat Exchanger Calculations

Number of tubes in cross

stream on the center line

Number of vertical
tube rows
Number of tubes in
the baffle window
Segment height H = 80 mm

Segment height H = 80 mm

Number of tube rows

between windows

Baffle spacing B

Segment height

Figure 4.2 Shell-side ow in heat exchanger.

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Heat Exchanger Design Guide

nw number of tubes in the bafe window

H segmental height height of the bafe cut
If the number of tubes in the segment is not known, the longitudinal stream cross
section aw can be determined with the NF factor.
n  do2
n total number of tubes
Di2


NF  AS m2

NF 1 
aW

Notice: Equal ow cross sections will be preferably desired for the cross and longitudinal ow.

4.3.3 Average ow cross section aav on the shell side

aav

p
2 
across  aW m

4.3.4 Shell-side ow velocities wav

Average velocity wav
wcross
ww

VShell
VShell

p m=s
3600  aav
3600  aacross  aw

VShell
m=s crossflow velocity through the bundle
3600  across

VShell
m=s longitudinal flow velocity through the window
3600  aw

4.3.5 Required bafe spacing B for a given cross stream velocity wcross
B

VShell
m
3600  wcross  Di  nacr  do

4.3.6 Number of bafes nB with given bafe spacing B

nB

LB
Ba

L  nB  a
m
nB 1

4.3.7 Determination of the total vertical tube rows ntv


Di  do  SG  np  1
ntv
sl
SG stripes for pass partitions
nP number of tube passes

Geometrical Heat Exchanger Calculations

4.3.8 Determination of the tube rows ncross in the cross stream

between the bafe windows with the segment height H
ncross

DH  do  2H  nP  1  SG
1
sl

Example 2: Shell-side Calculations

Heat exchanger DN 400 with 106 tubes 25  2 in triangular pitch T 32 mm
Di 400 mm
L4m
a 5 mm
nP 4
DH 373 mm for
nP 2
n 106
A 8.32 m2/m
DH 369 mm for
nP 4
n 88
A 6.91 m2/m
Bafe spacing B 0.2  Di 0.2  400 80 mm
Segment height H 0.2  Di 0.2  400 80 mm
H/Di 0.2 AS 0.112  D2i 0.112  0.42 0.0179 m2

SG 25 mm

Calculation of the ow sections:

nacr

Di
400
12 Tubes

32
T

NF 1 

n  do2
106  0:0252
1
0:586
2
0:42
Di

across B  Di  nacr  do 0:08  0:4  12  0:025 0:008 m2

aw NF  AS 0:586  0:0179 0:0105
p
aav 0:008  0:0105 0:0092 m2

Calculation of the shell-side ow velocities for VShell [ 20 m3/h

20
0:694 m=s
3600  0:008
20
0:604 m=s

3600  0:0092

wcross
wav

ww

20
0:53 m=s
3600  0:0105

Determination of the number of bafes nB for a [ 5 mm

nB

LB
4000  80

46 baffles
Ba
80 5

Check calculation of the bafe spacing B for a [ 5 mm

B

L  nB  a
4000  46  5
80 mm

nB 1
46 1

Estimation of the total vertical tube rows ntv for nP [ 2

nTV

DH  do  SG  nP  1
373  25  10  2  1

12:2
0:866  T
0:866  32

Only even numbers are possible: ntv vertical 12 tube rows.

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Heat Exchanger Design Guide

Determination of the vertical tube rows ncross between the bafe cuts for nP [ 2
DH  do  nP  1  SG  2  H
1
0:866  T
373  25  2  1  10  2  80

1 7:42
0:866  32

ncross

Only even numbers are possible: ncross vertical seven tube rows between the windows.

Example 3: Calculation of ncross for the data in Figure 4.3

ncross

442  25  4  1  15  2  109:6
1 7:76
22:6

Only even numbers are possible: ncross vertical seven tube rows between the windows.

Figure 4.3 Floating Head Heat Exchanger DN 500 with sealing strips to reduce the bypass stream.