Effects of Tube Arrangement on Flow Distribution in the Header of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

Abstract

The behavior of the fluid inside the internal circulation system of shell and tube heat exchanger is complex and there is a high number of influencing factors. The flow distribution is an important matter, because it has a significant influence on the performance of fluidic devices such as tubular heat exchangers. Non-uniformity of the flow distribution reduces the efficiency of the process, because some of the components become inefficient. In this paper, the influence of tubes arrangements on the flow distribution have been studied through numerical simulations. The results showed that arrangement of the tubes has an influence on the distribution of the flow. The arrangements of 45° and 60°, respectively, provide the flow with a good velocity distribution at a maximum number of tubes compared to the other arrangements. The results obtained are in good agreement with the existing results from the literature.