Finned Tube Heat Exchanger for 800°C High-Temperature Air Cooling

We engineered a custom finned tube heat exchanger to cool high-temperature process air from approximately 800°C down to 40–50°C, while maintaining very low air-side pressure drop and stable water-side operation without steam generation.

Project Operating Conditions

Air Side

• Inlet temperature: ~800°C

• Outlet temperature: 40–50°C

• Pressure: Slightly above ambient

• Requirement: Minimal pressure drop

Water Side

• Inlet temperature: 35–40°C

• Outlet temperature: ≤80°C

• No steam formation permitted

Engineering Challenges

1. Extremely high inlet air temperature

2. Large temperature gradient

3. Oxidation resistance at elevated temperature

4. Low allowable air-side pressure drop

5. Controlled water-side temperature below boiling

Design Solution

• High-Temperature Tube Material
  Alloy steel or stainless steel tubes selected for thermal stability and oxidation resistance at 800°C.

• Optimized Finned Geometry
  Carefully selected fin spacing and height to balance:

High heat transfer surface area

Low airflow resistance

Reduced fouling risk

• Multi-Row Crossflow Arrangement
  Ensures efficient heat transfer while distributing thermal stress.

• Controlled Water Circuit
  Water flow rate optimized to absorb 35–40 kW while maintaining outlet temperature below 80°C, preventing steam generation.

Thermal Performance

• Heat duty: 35–40 kW

• Stable cooling from 800°C to near ambient

• Safe water outlet temperature (<100°C)

• Low air-side pressure drop through optimized fin pitch

Key Advantages

• Suitable for extreme high-temperature air streams

• Non-pressurized air operation

• Compact and robust construction

• No steam formation on water side

• Customizable for industrial furnaces, kilns, or exhaust systems

This project demonstrates our capability to design reliable finned tube heat exchangers for demanding high-temperature air cooling applications.