Numerical studies on shell-side performance of shell-and-tube evaporators with continuous helical baffles

In the present study, the shell-side flow and heat transfer characteristics of shell-and-tube dry expansion evaporator with continuous helical baffles were studied by Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD) method. The results indicated that, for the same volume flow rate, the j factors and f factors of evaporator with continuous helical baffles were only 1/3 and 1/4 of the evaporator with segmental baffles. However, the comprehensive performance j/f factor had 57% increases. If the maximal velocity ratio was higher than 2.4, the continuous helical baffles evaporator can have higher shell-side heat transfer coefficient than the segmental baffles evaporator.