TEMA Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger Design

TEMA Mechanical & Process Parameters

This calculator solves for the bundle size ($N_t$, $D_s$) and checks pressure drops and heat transfer rates using:

Standard TEMA bundle equations: Links $D_s$ to tube count $N_t$ depending on passes and layout pitch.
Shell side Kern method: Accounts for baffle spacing $B$ and clearance to evaluate film coefficient and friction.
Tube side Sieder-Tate correlation: Computes convection film coefficients for laminar and turbulent regimes.

📝 Configuration

🚀 Process Streams Configuration

Hot Fluid Location:

Number of Shell Passes ($N_{shell}$):

🔴 Hot Fluid Temperatures

Inlet Temp ($T_{in}$) [°C]:

Outlet Temp ($T_{out}$) [°C]:

🔵 Cold Fluid Temperatures

Inlet Temp ($t_{in}$) [°C]:

Outlet Temp ($t_{out}$) [°C]:

⚙️ Mass Flow Rates

Shell side flow ($m_s$) [kg/s]:

Tube side flow ($m_t$) [kg/s]:

📦 Fluid Physical Properties (at Avg Temp)

Shell-side Fluid

Density ($\rho_s$) [kg/m³]:

Specific Heat ($C_{p,s}$) [J/kg·K]:

Viscosity ($\mu_s$) [Pa·s]: Note: 1 cP = 0.001 Pa·s

Conductivity ($k_s$) [W/m·K]:

Tube-side Fluid

Density ($\rho_t$) [kg/m³]:

Specific Heat ($C_{p,t}$) [J/kg·K]:

Viscosity ($\mu_t$) [Pa·s]:

Conductivity ($k_t$) [W/m·K]:

🏗️ Tubes Bundle Sizing Geometry

Tube OD ($d_o$) [mm]:

Wall Thickness ($t_w$) [mm]:

Tube Length ($L$) [m]:

Tube Pitch ($P_t$) [mm]: Typically 1.25 × OD (23.81 mm)

Tube Layout (Pitch Type):

Tube Passes ($N_p$):

Baffles & Fouling Resistance

Baffle Spacing ($B$) [mm]:

Wall Cond. ($k_w$) [W/m·K]:

Shell Fouling ($R_{fs}$) [m²·K/W]:

Tube Fouling ($R_{ft}$) [m²·K/W]:

Sizing Equations Summary (TEMA-Kern):
• Shell Diameter: $D_s = d_o (N_t / K_1)^{1/n1}$
• Shell Flow Area: $A_s = D_s \cdot C \cdot B / P_t$, where $C = P_t - d_o$
• Shell equivalent diameter $D_e$ for Triangular layout: $D_e = \frac{4 (\frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} P_t^2 - \frac{\pi d_o^2}{8})}{\frac{\pi d_o}{2}}$
• Shell film HTC: $Nu_s = 0.36 \cdot Re_s^{0.55} \cdot Pr_s^{1/3}$
• Tube film HTC: $Nu_t = 0.027 \cdot Re_t^{0.8} \cdot Pr_t^{1/3}$ (Sieder-Tate turbulent)
• Design Loop: Find minimum $N_t$ multiple of $N_p$ such that $A_{provided} \ge A_{required}$

📊 Results & Visual Sizing

Configure inputs and click "Size TEMA Shell-and-Tube Exchanger" to view animated flows, temperature plots, and heat transfer sheets.

📘 Calculation Methodology (TEMA & Kern Method)

Mathematical Model

Standard process sizing for shell-and-tube heat exchangers utilizes the Kern method to calculate shell-side convective coefficients and pressure drops, combined with TEMA bundle relations for mechanical layout sizing:

$$D_s = d_o \cdot \left(\frac{N_t}{K_1}\right)^{1/n_1}$$ $$\Delta P_{shell} = \frac{f_s G_s^2 D_s (N_b + 1)}{2 \rho_s D_e}$$ $$\frac{1}{U_{overall}} = \frac{1}{h_s} + R_{fs} + R_w + \frac{d_o}{d_i} R_{ft} + \frac{d_o}{d_i h_t}$$

Assumptions:

Bulk viscosity and wall viscosity are assumed comparable ($(\mu / \mu_w)^{0.14} \approx 1.0$).
Steady-state operation, constant fluid properties evaluated at their bulk mean temperatures.
No heat loss to surroundings (fully insulated shell).

Worked Engineering Example

Problem Statement:
Cool organic fluid on shell side ($m_s = 2.0$ kg/s, $C_p = 2100$ J/kg·K) from 90°C to 40°C using water on tube side ($m_t = 3.0$ kg/s, $C_p = 4180$ J/kg·K) entering at 20°C. Setup a 1-2 triangular layout with 19.05 mm tubes, and check the sized tubes bundle count $N_t$.

Engineering Steps:
1. Evaluate heat load $Q$:
$$Q = 2.0 \times 2100 \times (90 - 40) = 210,000 \text{ W}$$ 2. Find water outlet temperature $t_{out}$:
$$t_{out} = 20 + \frac{210,000}{3.0 \times 4180} = 36.7^\circ\text{C}$$ 3. Evaluate LMTD correction factor $F$ for 1 shell pass, 2 tube passes:
$$P \approx 0.24, \quad R \approx 3.0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad F \approx 0.90$$ 4. Iteratively search for $N_t$ (tube count) that satisfies $A_{provided} \ge A_{required}$ by solving the coupled $h_s, h_t, D_s$ loop.

⚙️ Shell-and-Tube Design (TEMA Level)