CFD Performance Analysis of Conventional Condenser by Incorporating Modification in Baffle Plates

Shell and tube heat exchanger is one of the most widely used heat exchanger in various industrial process and research fronts. From the various parameter baffle type selection is critical to control and improve the thermal and hydraulic performance of shell and tube type heat exchanger. In this thesis thermal and hydraulic performance of two types of baffle plate heat exchanger is analyzed by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using the commercial software ANSYS and Solid works. This thesis consist of a CFD analysis between segmental baffle and recently introduced helical baffle, for flow distribution, heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop at shell side when low shell side flow rates. For the analysis 3D model of both conventional segmental baffled heat exchanger and helical baffled heat exchanger generated. Meshing of models is done in ANSYS MESH. The models are then used to analyze flow characteristics and pressure drop of shell side flow using software solid works. After model is exported to stp file format and perform an CFD analysis in ANSYS FLUENT. CFD analysis shows that helical baffled heat exchanger has the uniform shell side flow, which reduces pressure drops and knocking in heat exchanger. Thermal analysis shows that same heat transfer rates can be achieved for higher tube side flow rates.