ShellandTubeWärmetauscher

Shell-and-tube heat exchanger is a type of heat exchanger used to transfer heat between two fluids. It consists of a bundle of tubes inside a shell. One fluid flows through the tubes (tube side) and the other flows around the tubes inside the shell (shell side). The two fluids are separated by the tube walls to prevent mixing. The device can operate over a wide range of temperatures and pressures and is common in chemical processing, power generation, oil refining, and HVAC.

Construction and variants: The main components include the shell, a bundle of tubes, end caps, baffles to direct shell-side flow, and nozzles for inlets and outlets. There are fixed-tube sheet designs where tubes are fixed to the end caps, and U-tube designs whose tubes are bent at one end to allow thermal expansion. Multi-pass configurations route the tube-side fluid through the tubes multiple times to increase heat transfer.

Operation and performance: The heat transfer is driven by temperature difference; fouling reduces efficiency; design choices affect pressure drop and maintenance intervals. Shell side usually handles higher flow volumes and may experience higher fouling potential; tube side is easier to clean.

Advantages and limitations: High pressure/temperature capability, mechanical robustness, wide turndown and simple maintenance; but bulky, higher initial cost, and possible fouling; less compact than some modern heat exchanger types for small-scale use.