Problem Statement -

Calculate the shellside pressure drop for the following heat exchanger specification,

Process fluid = water

Inlet pressure = 4 barg
Inlet temperature = 500C
Outlet temperature = 300C
Tubeside flowrate = 50000 kg/hr
Shell diameter =22 inches
Number of baffles = 32
Baffle spacing = 6 inches
Tube diameter = 1 inch
Number of tubes = 10
Pitch = 1.25 inches, triangular pitch
Shellside roughness = 0.06 mm

Solution -

Calculation of shellside pressure loss is not as straightforward as the tubeside pressure drop
calculation. Presence of baffles in the shell poses a challenge in calculation of the pressure
drop on shellside. The shellside has to be approximated as a series of tube banks connected
by window zones, for estimating the exchanger shellside pressure drop. Exchanger pressure
drop has to be a summation of pressure drop estimated for crossflow across the tube banks
and pressure drop estimated for window zones. These pressure drop estimation values have to
be corrected by accounting for leakage through baffles and bypassing of tube bundles.

The sample problem presented here using a simplistic approximation which holds quite
accurate for large tube bundles. The equations used in the solution presented here also govern
the calculations performed by EnggCyclopedia's Heat Exchanger Shellside Pressure Drop
Calculator. Problem solving is performed in following 4 basic steps.

Step 1.

First step of problem solving requires determination the important physical properties of
given fluid (water) at given temperature and pressure conditions. Since, water density will be
lowest at inlet temperature (500C), which corresponds to highest volumetric flow. Hence for
conservative pressure drop estimate, physical properties of water are calculated at the inlet
conditions. UsingEnggCyclopedia's Liquid Density Calculator,

water density at 500C = 988.0 kg/m3 Using EnggCyclopedia's Liquid Viscosity Calculator,

water viscosity at 500C =0.53 cP

Step 2.

Next the effective area for the crossflow across tubes between baffles is calculated using
following equation,

Effective Area = Ae = Ds Bs (P-Dt) P

where, Ds = shell diameter

Bs = Baffle spacing
P = pitch (distance between center axes of two adjacent tubes)
Dt = Tube diameter

For our case, Ae = 0.0341 m2

Velocity of the crossflow then becomes,

V = Mass flow/(Ae3600)
V = 50000/(9880.03413600) m/s
V = 0.4127 m/s

Step3

Next, the effective diameter of fluid path is determined using following approximation,

De = 4 (P2 - ( Dt2/4) ) / Dt
De = 0.0484 m

And the factor fk is then calculated as a function of Reynold's number,

fk = 1.79(VD/)-1.9
fk = 0.2424 3.710-9

Step4
The shellside pressure drop is finally calculated using the following equation,

P = ( (N+1)fkDsV2 ) / ( 2De )
where, N = number of baffles

P = 0.0777 bar