CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE

DEPARTMENT

MECHANICAL TECHNICIAN
QUALIFICATION MODULE

HEAT EXCHANGER TRAINING

COURSE

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 INTRODUCTION
 A heat exchanger is a device in
which energy is transferred from
one fluid to another across a solid
surface. Exchanger analysis and
design therefore involve both
convection and conduction.
Radiative transfer between the
exchanger and the environment can
usually be neglected unless the
exchanger is un-insulated and its
external surfaces are very hot.

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 INTRODUCTION
 The basic unit is made up of a number
of tubes or plates through which fluid
flows at one temperature ( which
could be higher or the lower
temperature) while fluid at the second
temperature ( correspondingly) lower
or higher temperature flows over the
outside of the tubes or sheets. Detail
differences in the design of heat
exchangers allow for differences in
various parameters such as the
temperature of the hotter fluid, the
flow rate, the required temperature
loss from the hotter fluid and so on.

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Upon Reading this module you will learn:

 Different types of heat exchangers.

 Principle of operation.
 Design Features of heat exchangers.
 About Plate exchangers.
 About Fired heaters.
 Complete summary about exchangers.
 Definitions.

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 MAIN MENU

Types Of Heat Working

Exchangers Principles

Design
Fired Heaters
Features

Flash Cards

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 TYPES OF EXCHANGERS
 There are four main types of heat exchangers that are in common use:-
 Shell / Tube Heat Exchanger.
 Cooler and Condensers.
 Plate Heat Exchanger.
 Fired Heaters.

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
 Conduction
 Heat transfer by conduction
takes place when heat is able
to flow from a hotter point to
a cooler point via a solid
conductor. The effectiveness
of this form of heat transfer is
The transfer of thermal energy that
dependent upon the thermal
results from the collision of particles
conductivity of the conductor.

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

 Convection
 Heat transfer by conviction
takes place when a fluid at
one temperature flows over a
second fluid or solid at
different temperature. The
greater the velocity of relative Click Here

motion, the more heat is

transferred per unit of time.

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

 Radiation
 Heat transfer by radiation takes
place from a heated body at a
rate dependent upon the shape,
sizes, material color and
particularly the temperature of
the body. This process is
independent of any contact with
solid or fluid so that for example,
loss of heat by radiation is
possible across a vacuum.

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

 In heat exchangers, transfer

of heat by radiation is
usually negligible compared
with transfer through
conduction and convection it
is important to note that the
heat transfer rate is
proportional to:-

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

 The temperature difference

between hot and cold fluids.
 The conductivity of material
separating hot and cold fluids.
 The duration that the hot and
cold fluids are in ‘contact’ with
each other.
 The area of ‘contact’ between
hot and cold fluids.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 The more effective heat exchanger is one which:-
 Has materials of greater conductivity.
 Allows larger ‘contact’ area between the hot and cold fluids.
 Allows a longer duration of ‘contact’.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 These are achieved in practice by:-
 Building heat exchangers of highly conductive materials, such as:-
copper, aluminum, brass and other alloys.
 Using bundles of smaller tubes instead of using fewer large tubes
and by using finned tubes where possible.
 Designing for multiple passes of cold fluid.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 There are two main types of heat exchangers that
are in common use:-
 Shell / tube heat exchangers.
• One liquid or gas flows through the tubes and the other around
the tubes inside the shell.
• This exchanger has a wide application in industry and processing
in particular.

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 DESIGN FEATURES

 There are two main types of heat exchangers that

are in common use:-
 Coolers and condensers.
• The liquid or gas flows through tubes which usually have fins on
the outside over which cooling air or water is forced.
• Air coolers are used in application such as car radiators, oil
coolers for diesel engines and for larger installation where water is
scarce.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
Shell / Tube Heat Exchangers
 The shell and tube heat exchanger is commonly used in the food and
chemical process industries. This type of exchanger consists of a
number of tubes in parallel enclosed in a cylindrical shell. Heat is
transferred between one fluid flowing through the tubes and another
fluid flowing through the cylindrical shell around the tubes. Baffles are
included inside the shell to increase the velocity of the fluid to
improve the heat transfer.

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1. tube bundle 4. baffle 7. tubesheet

2. shell 5. vent nozzle 8. drain nozzle EXIT
3. tube 6. inlet tubeside 9. shellside
 DESIGN FEATURES
 In general the colder fluid is passed through the tubes while the hot
fluid flows through the shell side of the exchanger.
 Shell / tube exchanger can be single pass, where the fluid enters at
one end, flows through and out at the other end OR they can be of
multi-pass. In multi-pass design there are divisions in the channel
heads and shell so that the fluids pass through the exchanger more
than once. This increases the time the fluids are in contact and allows
more effective heat exchanger.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 The hot and cold fluids usually enter the exchanger at the opposite
ends and flow through in opposite directions. This allows efficient heat
transfer and prevents thermal shock from the contact of a hot surface
and a cold liquid.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 These highly detailed scale models of common shell and tube heat
exchangers are valuable tools in teaching the operation and
maintenance of these fundamental pieces of process equipment.
Each model reflects design standards established by the Tubular
Exchanger Manufacturers Association; (TEMA) and the ASME.
Resultingly, these devices are accurate, "to-scale" replications of
typical heat exchangers.

U-Tube Heat Exchanger Multi-Pass, Fixed Tube Sheet,

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Heat Exchanger
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 DESIGN FEATURES

Multi-Pass, Floating Head, Kettle-type Re-boiler Heat

Heat Exchanger Exchanger

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 DESIGN FEATURES

 Shell / Tube and Fin Tube Coolers and Condensers.

 Shell / tube coolers and condensers are very similar
to the Shell / tube heat exchangers previously
described. The main difference is that the coolers
and condensers normally use sea water (or fresh
water on land) to cool or condense a liquid or vapor.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 Shell / Tube and Fin Tube Coolers and Condensers.
 The water is usually passed through the tube side of
the cooler, entering at the bottom and leaving at the
top. The sea water should not be heated to more than
120 deg. F or corrosion will be excessive. The heat
transferred to the water is usually lost. This is another
difference from a pure heat exchanger.
 Fin Tube Coolers and Condensers are designed and
made so that the heat transfer tubes are finned to
increase by several times the surface area for heat
transfer.

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 DESIGN FEATURES
 Air Coolers
 Air coolers cover a range from the
small and fairly simple type used to
cool water or oil in a car, to the large
and highly complex coolers used in
power station, large internal
combustion engines, turbines and
other industrial / process
applications. In all cases the main
elements are a heat transfer surface,
such as a finned tube, and a means
of forcing air over the surface, such
as a fan or blower. A typical large air
cooler is shown in the fig.
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 Plate Exchangers

 Flat Plate heat

exchangers:
 Are used to heat or cool
various fluids or gases.
Specifically, they are used for
refrigerant to fluid
applications, fluid to fluid, and
sometimes gas applications.
What is unique about Flat
Plate's technology is that it is
very compact, and it is widely
used in residential,
commercial and industrial
applications as a key system
component to transfer heat. HOME

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 FIRED HEATERS
 Introduction

 This introductory unit covers the

principal uses of heat in gas plant
operations, the various ways in which
heat is transferred and the major
components of a typical fired heater.

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 FIRED HEATERS
 Unit Objectives

 By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

- Recall at least three uses of fired heat in a processing plant.
- Explain the following methods of heat transfer: conduction,
convection and radiation.
- Identify the principal components of a direct fired heater
when provided with an appropriate illustration.

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 FIRED HEATERS

 HEAT
 Most people associate heat with a high temperature. In a
technical sense, however, heat is the transfer of energy
between an area of high molecular activity and an area of
lower molecular activity.

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 FIRED HEATERS

 HEAT
 Almost all substances possess a certain amount of kinetic
energy. In other words, the molecules that make up any
substance move about to some extent. The extent to
which the modules move about determines the
temperature of the substance, the more they move , the
higher the temperature. This idea can be illustrated by
comparing steam with a block of ice. Both are made of the
same substance, but the water molecules in the steam
move about freely, while the water molecules in the ice are
relatively stationary.

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 FIRED HEATERS
 HEAT
NOTE: In theory, any substance contains heat as long as
there is some molecular activity within the substance. There
is a temperature, however, at which all molecular activity
ceases and at which a substance contains no heat energy.
This temperature, which is approximately – 459 degree
Fahrenheit ( -273 degrees on the Celsius scale) is known as
absolute zero.

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 FIRED HEATERS
 There are three ways in which heat can be transferred
from one substance to another: by radiation, conduction
or convection.

Radiation Conduction Convection

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 FIRED HEATERS
 Direct Fired Heaters
In a typical direct fired process heater,
like the types shown in figure below,
heat radiates from burners in the firebox
to process heating tubes in the
surrounding area. This section of the
heater is referred to as the radiant
section because almost all of the heat
transfer occurs due to radiation. The
process heating tubes in the upper
section of the heater, on the other hand,
are heated by convection as rising
gasses pass through the section and out
the heater stack. This part of the heater
is therefore called the convective
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section.
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 FIRED HEATERS
 Indirect Fired Heater
The indirect heaters uses a
liquid, usually water, to conduct
heat from a fire tube to the
process flow tubes. Since an
indirect heater using a water bath
is limited to an operating
temperature which is less than
the boiling temperature of water
(212 deg. F), this type of heater
has a rather limited use in gas
processing operations.

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 FIRED HEATERS
 Waste Heat Exchanger:
A waste heat exchanger operates
like the convection section of a
direct fired heater. It consists of
finned process flow tubes (the
fins improve heat transfer by
increasing the surface area of
each tube), insulated ducting
which directs engine exhaust
gases around the tubes and a
stack which discharges the gases
at a safe height. Some types of
waste heat exchangers are
equipped with burners which are
lit to provide supplemental heat
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when necessary.
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 FIRED HEATERS
 Summary
Energy accounts for about two thirds of the costs of operating a gas processing
plant. Furnace fuel accounts for a larger share of these costs.
Fired heaters serve a variety of purpose in a typical gas processing plant. These
are used to generate the stripping vapors used in distillation and fractionation.
They are used to regenerate amine and glycol used in gas sweetening and
dehydration service. And they are used in some location to produce steam, which
is both a source of power as well as heat.

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 FIRED HEATERS
 Summary
In a gas fired heater, heat is transferred from the gas burners by radiation, or a
combination of radiation and convection, to tubes which contain the process to be
heated. A heater using all radiation heat transmission will normally yield a heat
transfer efficiency of around 40 to 50 percent. This efficiency can be increased to
around 70 to 80 percent when hot flue gases are used for convective heat transfer.

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 FIRED HEATERS
 Summary
A fired heater requires abundant supplies of air and fuel to operate. Fuel flow is
usually controlled using automatic process temperature controls, while heater
draft is set using air registers and the stack damper. In addition to these controls,
a fired heater is also equipped with automatic and manual shutdowns, which cut
of fuel flow to the heater in the event of abnormal conditions that could pose a
hazard to either the heater itself, operating personnel, or related plant process.

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 Definitions

FIRED HEATERS

The following terms are commonly used when operating a fired heater.
Some of them may be used in other gas processing operations as well.
BTU: British Thermal Unit. One BTU is the amount of heat energy required to raise
the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. The heat energy
in fuel gas is usually measured and stated in BTUs.

Calorie: The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one gram
of water by one degree Celsius. It is the metric equivalent of the British Thermal
unit. (See BTU)

Calorimeter: An instrument used to measure the potential heat energy in natural

gas or any other combustible substance. Measurements are usually provided in
British Thermal Units (BTUs) but can also be provided in calories.

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 Definitions

FIRED HEATERS

The following terms are commonly used when operating a fired heater.
Some of them may be used in other gas processing operations as well.
Carbon Dioxide: A colorless, odorless, gaseous compound of carbon and oxygen
(CO2).

Carbon Monoxide: A colorless, odorless, gaseous compound consisting of carbon

and oxygen (CO). It is a product of incomplete combustion and is poisonous to
breathe.

Coke: A solid carbon residue obtain through destructive distillation of

hydrocarbons.

Combustion: The burning of a gas, liquid or solid in which the fuel is oxidized to
produce heat.

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 Definitions

FIRED HEATERS
Conduction: The transmission of thermal energy through a medium from an
area of high temperature to an area of lower temperature. Conduction dose not
involve movement of the medium itself.

Convection: The transmission of the thermal energy by actual physical

movement of a substance in which the energy is stored.

Damper: A movable plate used to regulate the flow of flue gas through a furnace.
Draft: 1. An air current in a confined space, such as in a cooling tower or
furnace. 2. The difference between atmospheric pressure 14.7 psia) and some
lower pressure in a confined space that causes air flow, such as exists in a
furnace.

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 Definitions

FIRED HEATERS
Excess Air: The amount of air in a combustion process greater than the amount
needed to ensure complete combustion (fuel oxidation).
Flame Detector: A photoelectric sensing device which senses the presence of a
flame in a heater or similar fired device. Also known as a “fire eye”

Flashback: 1. Momentary backward burning of a flame into the tip of a torch or

burner. 2. Rapid combustion of a material occurring in an area where the
combustion was not intended.
Flue: A channel or passage for conveying combustion product from a furnace.

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 Definitions

FIRED HEATERS
Flue Gas: The gaseous combustion products from a furnace.
Hanger: A bracket that supports the process flow tube in a fired heater.
Heat: A form of energy associated with the motion of atoms and molecules.
Heat can be transferred through a solid or fluid medium by conduction,
through a fluid medium by convection, and through space by radiation.

Hot Spot: A localized area whose temperature is higher than its

surroundings.

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 Definitions

FIRED HEATERS
Kinetic Energy: The energy which a body possesses because of its motion.
Pilot Burner: A small burner used to ignite a larger burner.
Radiation: The energy transmitted by electromagnetic waves through space or
some medium. Also known as radiation energy.

Refractory: A material, such as fireclay or silica, that has a high melting point. The
interior of a fired heater is lined with refractory to prevent damage to its outer skin.

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 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 Need more information?

 Ask your Colleagues, Team leader, Engineer or MAC.
 Read more information books on Heat exchangers for more knowledge
and skills.

Thank you!!!

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 QUIZ
1) Heat exchangers facilitates the continuous transfer of heat from one
moving fluid to another moving fluid. Fluid can be liquids, gases or
vapors.

TRUE FALSE

The Answer is True

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 QUIZ
2) There are four main types of heat exchangers that are in common use:-

 Shell / Tube Heat Exchanger.

 Cooler and Condensers.
 Plate Heat Exchanger.
 Fired Heaters.

TRUE FALSE

The Answer is True

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 QUIZ
3) The picture shown below works on a principle of operation called
“Convection”

TRUE FALSE

The above picture shows you

the principle of operation called
“Conduction” HOME

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 QUIZ
4) The picture shown below works on a principle of operation called
“Radiation”

TRUE FALSE

The Answer is True

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 QUIZ
5) Name the 3 principles of operation in which the heat can be transferred ?

 Conduction.
 Transmission.
 Convection.
 Radiation.

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 QUIZ
6) In general the colder fluid is passed through the shell while the hot fluid
flows through the tube side of the exchanger.

TRUE FALSE

In general the colder fluid is

passed through the tubes while
the hot fluid flows through the
shell side of the exchanger.

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 QUIZ
7) Identify from the picture below, which kind of shell & tube heat
exchanger it is?

 Kettle-type Re-boiler Heat Exchanger.

 Multi-Pass, Floating Head, Heat Exchanger.

Right Answer
 U-Tube Heat Exchanger.

 Multi-Pass, Fixed Tube Sheet, Heat Exchanger.

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 QUIZ
8) Plate type heat exchangers are very compact, light in weight and costs
less.

TRUE FALSE

The Answer is True

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 QUIZ
9) What kind of heater is shown in the picture below?

 Direct Fired Heater.

Right Answer
 Indirect Fired Heater.

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 QUIZ
10) The more effective heat exchanger is one which?

 Has materials of greater conductivity.

 Allows larger ‘contact’ area between the hot and cold fluids.
 Allows a longer duration of ‘contact’.

TRUE FALSE

The Answer is True

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