Shell Tube Heat Exchanger For Air Cooled Chiller

Shell Tube Heat Exchanger For Air Cooled Chiller

In air-cooled chillers, shell tube heat exchangers serve as critical components for heat transfer between refrigerants and secondary fluids (e.g., water or glycol). Their robust design and adaptability make them ideal for industrial and commercial applications requiring high efficiency, reliability, and resistance to harsh operating conditions.

Structure Overview

Shell-Side: The shell houses the tube bundle and accommodates the refrigerant (e.g., R410A, R134a) undergoing phase change. Baffles (segmental or helical) guide the refrigerant flow to enhance turbulence and heat transfer efficiency .

Tube-Side: The tubes carry the secondary fluid (e.g., chilled water), which is cooled by the evaporating refrigerant. Advanced designs use enhanced tubes (e.g., rifled or micro-fin tubes) to increase the heat transfer area by 30–50% compared to smooth tubes .

Heat Transfer Mechanism

Evaporator Mode: Refrigerant evaporates in the shell, absorbing heat from the tube-side water. The use of inner grooved tubes (e.g., 25–30 grooves/mm) increases the refrigerant-side heat transfer coefficient by 20–30% .

Condenser Mode: In air-cooled chillers, the shell tube heat exchanger acts as a condenser, where the refrigerant condenses on the tube surface, releasing heat to the ambient air via the chiller’s fan system.