Optimizing the thermal design of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger requires minimizing the heat-transfer area for a

given heat duty while remaining within the constraints of given shellside and tubeside pressure drops. The general
heat-transfer equation is shown in Equation (1), where the heat-transfer rate (Q) is given in terms of the overall heattransfer coefficient (U), the heat-transfer surface area (A) and the effective mean temperature difference, (T)e.
Q = UA(T)e (1)
For a given Q, A can be minimized by maximizing U, (T)e or both, subject to the constraints of the shellside and
tubeside pressure drops. Additional design constraints may stem from other factors, such as flow-induced vibration,
space limitations, and standard tube lengths and diameters as specified by the Tubular Exchangers Manufacturers
Association (TEMA) [1].