Comparison of Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient between Shell and Tube and Spiral Coil Heat Exchangers

Heat exchangers are used in many industries and power generation applications. The performance of heat exchangers depends on the operating parameters and the types of flow. The sudden pressure drop is one of the major problems encountered in heat exchanger, and this would significantly affect the efficiency and the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchanger. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating and analyzing the effects of operating parameters that cause pressure fluctuation and affect the overall heat transfer coefficient. Experimental study was carried out for two types of flows: co-current and counter concurrent flows. Comparisons of the overall heat transfer coefficients between shell and tube and spiral coil heat exchangers were made. It was observed that mass flow rate affected the overall heat transfer coefficient. Besides, the counter current flow was more efficient compared to the co-current flow with enhanced overall heat transfer coefficient. The maximum overall heat transfer coefficient for spiral coil heat exchanger counter flow was 2702.78 W/m(2).K, showing a higher heat transfer efficiency when compared to the shell and tube heat exchanger. Moreover, the spiral coil heat exchanger occupied less space as opposed to the shell and tube heat exchanger.