In Need of a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger?
July 7, 2010
A shell and tube heat exchanger is just what it sounds like. Well, provided you’re familiar with heat exchangers, it should be just what it sounds like. If you’re not, a heat exchanger is basically a device used for efficient transfer of heat. Common uses are found in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, and other large scale operations like power plants, petroleum refineries, and sewage treatment. But, let’s get back to shell and tube heat exchangers.
A shell and tube heat exchanger, obviously, is a type of heat exchanger. It’s also, and perhaps not so obviously, the most common type of heat exchanger found in oil refineries and other large chemical processes. So, how do they work? Basically, they consist of a larger outer tube (the shell) with a bundle of smaller tubes (the tube) inside of it. The set of tubes found inside the shell—called a tube bundle—can be composed of several types of tubes: plain, longitudinally finned, etc. Since you have an outer shell as well as a tube bundle, multiple liquids or gasses can pass through at once for heating. Essentially as they flow through together, one will emit heat through the tubing, heating the liquid or gas.
The key benefits of our shell and tube heat exchangers include:
- Ultimate in ultra-purity and chemical inertness
- Unidirectional shell and tube side flows allow for complete purging
- Stagnant pockets are eliminated during continuous or batch operation.
- Unit can be operated in true counterflow or in parallel flow mode.
So, if you feel you may be in need of a shell and tube heat exchanger, let us help you out. With expertise, we’ll be sure to help you select the right sizes and materials for any of your shell and tube heat exchanger needs.
