A calculation method for helical baffled heat exchanger design and experimental validation

Correlations for predicting flow and heat transfer characteristics at the shell side of a helical baffled heat exchanger were summarized by referring to relevant literatures. A series of correction factors were applied to flow and heat transfer correlation equations of ideal tube bank to obtain the shell-side pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient of specific helical baffled heat exchangers. Based on the correlations and Bell-Delaware method, a calculation method for shell-side flow and heat transfer performance was proposed, which can be used for the design and check of helical baffled heat exchangers. Meanwhile, the shell-side pressure drop and overall heat transfer coefficient of an actual oil cooler with helical baffles were tested and applied to the verification of the calculation method. Results show that the proposed design method can basically meet the requirements for engineering application.