Abstract:
This study investigates the design and thermal hydraulic performance of the shell and tubes heat exchanger using zonal baffle configurations. Simulations were carried out using ANSYS Fluent to evaluate the thermal performance and fluid flow characteristics on the shell side. The choice of two and four-zonal baffles configurations fills the gap left by previous studies that focused solely on three-zonal baffles. The findings reveal that the four-zonal baffles significantly improved heat transfer performance by 30% while reducing pressure drop by 27% than the two-zonal configuration, making it a promising candidate for further optimization. An ongoing optimization study is exploring the improvement of the four-zonal baffle by manipulating the number of baffles, baffle angle, and inlet mass flow rate. Preliminary results indicate that these parameters have a substantial impact on both thermal and hydraulic performances, suggesting a configuration with enhanced effectiveness. This numerical and experimental study aims to assist engineers in designing more effective heat exchangers and provides a foundation for further testing to validate the simulation and experimental results. Additionally, the study includes a detailed approach to the fabrication process, from design to manufacturing, and integrates electronic instrumentation for real-time data collection. Experimental results, including thermal performance, pressure drop, and effectiveness, are analyzed and compared with theoretical and literature predictions. The findings demonstrate that the four-zonal baffle enhances heat transfer while maintaining an lower pressure drop, thereby validating the effectiveness of the design.
