Assessment of Real Heat Transfer Coefficients through Shell and Tube and Plate Heat Exchangers

The purpose of this paper is to present a procedure used in the assessment of the real heat transfer characteristic of shell and tube and plate heat exchangers. The theoretical fundamentals of the procedure are introduced as well as the measured data collection and processing. The theoretical analysis is focused on the adoption of criterial equations which, subjected to certain verification criteria presented in the paper, provide the most credible value of the convection heat transfer coefficients inside the circular and flat tubes. In the end two case studies are presented, one concerning a shell and tube heat exchanger operational at INCERC Thermal Substation and the other concerning a plate heat exchanger tested on the Laboratory Stand of the Department of Building Services and Efficient Use of Energy in Buildings of INCERC Bucharest.