Heat Exchanger

An Overview of the Different Types 

What specifically is a heat exchanger? It is a device that assists in the transfer of heat from one fluid to another. Some of these devices have different setups than others. For example, there may be a wall separating the fluids to prevent them from mixing. Some devices may have the fluids in contact with each other as well.

At home, you will have several appliances that contain these devices. This would include an air conditioner, refrigerator and a space heater if you happen to have one of these. In addition, your car’s radiator is a type of heat exchanger as well. The radiator works by cooling the hot radiator fluid and using the airflow over the radiator.

There are three specific primary flow arrangements with heat exchangers. These are cross-flow, counter-flow and parallel-flow. Each works in a specific manner. In the cross-flow device, the exchanger moves the fluid in a perpendicular method.

In the parallel-flow method, the fluids come in the same end and as the name states are parallel to each other as they flow through to the other side. In a counter-flow heat exchanger, the fluids enter the exchanger from opposite ends. The most efficient method is the counter-flow method because it transfers the most heat.

Now, we will focus on the different designs of heat exchangers available. Specifically, there are four different ones. The four are intermediate fluid and solid, shell and tube, regenerative and plate.

The shell and tube heat exchanger is the most common type. One fluid will run through the tube while the other fluid runs over it, which causes it to be heated or cooled.

In the plate heat exchanger, the fluid flows through baffles, this causes the fluids to be separated by plates. This specific type of exchanger is more efficient than the shell and tube type.

In a regenerative heat exchanger, the fluid flows through the exchanger cyclically and changes direction on occasion. The regenerator can be made with the plate design or shell and tube design.

Lastly, the intermediate fluid or solid heat exchanger uses fluids or solids to hold the heat and then move it to the other side so it can be released. An example of this method would be the cooling of gases and the removal of impurities at the same time.

This is a brief overview of the different types of heat exchanger available today.

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