Hairpin heat exchangers

Hairpin heat exchangers design

As a registered HTRI member (© Heat Transfer Research, Inc.), at SACOME we have a new design tool, the Xhpe package, being this software suite a specific program for the calculation of hairpin heat exchangers. Thanks to this tool, our technicians are able to carry out an in-depth analysis of the heat transfer process that occurs in the U bundles of this type of heat exchangers, by getting a more optimized and reliable design.

HTRI integrates this calculation software in addition to the well-known modules of Xjpe for the design of double tube heat exchangers (tube-in-tube), and Xist for the design of multitubular heat exchangers (shell & tube), included in the version 7 of Xchanger Suite, thus endowing our technical department with the latest developments and advances in the field of heat transfer.

What is the configuration of a hairpin heat exchanger?

This design apparently consists of two shells that share a common U-shaped tube bundle. But, in fact, both shells make up a single volume since they are directly interconnected by a U-shaped header.

Unlike multi-pass heat exchangers (multiple passes in tubeside), hairpin heat exchangers have the peculiarity that the shellside stream circulates countercurrent to the tubeside flow, in all passes. This, together with a smaller shell section, makes it a more efficient and economical design compared to a multiple pass heat exchanger when the process requires a temperature crossing between the cold and hot fluid.

Advantages of hairpin heat exchangers

It has a better thermal performance than a multi-pass heat exchanger, even for processes having very low EMTD (effective mean temperature difference).

As it is a U-tube design, metallic expansion joints are not required to absorb the differential expansion between the service channel and the product channel.

The U-radius of the hairpin itself is also an effective transfer length, unlike the elbow that would be needed to interconnect in series two shell and tube heat exchangers.

It allows a design with removable U-tube bundle but also completely welded.

The pressure drop in the product channel is lower than the one achieved in an equivalent multipass design.

It is a compact design, with low maintenance cost.

Technical documentation with regard to our tubular heat exchangers

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