TABLE OF CONTENTS We have discussed basic concepts of heat exchanger and air cooler design and operation in earlier chapters. From time to time various innovative ideas to improve the basic shell and tube exchanger or air cooler design have been developed. During our seminars, we are often asked for comments on the feasibility of using one or other of these different designs. Therefore, dear reader, in this chapter we offer you our comments regarding a variety of attempts at heat exchanger and air cooler design innovation that have been developed over the last 50 years or so, such as:
Smooth high alloy tubes
Low finned tubes
Sintered metal tubes
Spiral heat exchanger
Tube inserts
Twisted tubes
Helical tube support baffles
Caution: Whereas all the designs we include have found some successful applications, the key to success here is to find the right application, and as ever we will add the further cautionary note that the best approach is most often to copy a successful application or design rather than to innovate. Therefore, dear reader, please use caution when attempting to use any innovative designs or applications where they have not already been used with success. Ask around if you have an idea to improve heat exchange on your process unit; see if you can find someone else who already had success with the same approach.
Use of smooth high alloy tubes in otherwise corrosive service has been common practice since the 1950s. Tube metallurgy...
