Author Topic: How do I model a shell and tube heat exchanger in CFX?  (Read 6099 times)

Offline pitney1

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I want to model a shall and tube heat exchanger in CFX. Please guide me.

Offline william

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Re: How do I model a shell and tube heat exchanger in CFX?
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2012, 09:32:31 PM »
The most efficient method is not to resolve the pipe thickness with the mesh. Instead, create fluid domains for the regions inside and outside the piping - with no gap in between the two. Now create a fluid-fluid domain interfaces to connect the two domains. When creating the domain interface, on the Additional Models tab panel set the Mass and Momentum option to No Slip Wall, set the Heat Transfer option to Conservative Interface Flux and use the Thin Material option providing a material and thickness.
Both fluid domains will see the interface as a thin wall. A 1D conduction assumption is used to model heat transfer through the wall (no in-plane conduction) using the thickness provided. The thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity is picked up from the material properties of the specified material.