Shell and tube heat exchangers remain a core industrial solution because they combine a robust structure with a wide operating range. A tube bundle inside a cylindrical shell gives a large surface area and allows the two sides to be designed independently.
Strengths
- Wide temperature and pressure range
- Tube-side and shell-side materials can differ
- Bundle can be removed for cleaning in floating head and U-tube designs
- Pressure-bearing fabrication and inspection are well established
Applications
Typical duty includes process heating and cooling in chemical and petrochemical plants, auxiliary cooling in power plants, food and pharmaceutical heating or sterilisation, and HVAC water systems.
Selection discipline
The design still has to start from the medium, flow, temperature, pressure and cleaning requirement. A unit that is oversized for the duty wastes money; one that is undersized or has the wrong velocity will foul or erode.
Mazelu manufactures fixed tubesheet, floating head and U-tube exchangers and can build for pressure-bearing duty.