Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques Overview

This guide discusses heat transfer enhancement techniques applicable to shell-and-tube heat exchangers. It outlines the purpose of heat exchangers, which is to transfer heat efficiently, and introduces the concept of enhancement techniques that lead to smaller, more reliable, and easier-to-maintain heat exchangers. The document presents equations that describe the relationship between heat duty, overall heat transfer coefficient, and surface area. It details various advantages of enhancement, including reduced capital and operating expenses, lower energy costs, and improved performance. The guide categorizes enhancement techniques into four types: increasing surface area, enhancing turbulence, reducing fouling, and switching to non-tubular heat exchangers. It also addresses the associated costs of implementing these technologies and the necessary precautions to ensure mechanical reliability. The authors, Himanshu Joshi and Lou Curcio, bring extensive experience in heat exchanger design and fouling mitigation, and they indicate that future articles will delve into specific technologies for heat transfer enhancement.