(73b) Enhanced Baffle Design for Electric Heat Exchangers in Gas Applications

White Paper and Presentation Abstract for 2024 AIChE Spring Meeting Topical Conferences

Topical 11 – Third Topical Conference on Heat Exchangers

Enhanced Baffle Design for Electric Heat Exchangers in Gas Applications

Thermon is pleased to present its innovative implementation of Optimized Baffle Solutions for Electric Heat Exchangers in Gas Applications at the upcoming 2024 AIChE Spring Meeting Topical Conferences. This presentation highlights the development, testing, and validation of our unique baffle designs, which offer superior heat transfer performance, extended equipment life expectancy, and significant cost reductions.

The discussion focuses on the comprehensive testing and validation process employed to ensure the effectiveness and reliability of our new heater designs equipped with innovative flow modifiers. Through a combination of advanced software simulations using HTRI and Ansys CFD, as well as empirical test data obtained from our dedicated R&D test set-up, we have successfully verified the performance and efficiency of the optimized baffle design.

Our findings demonstrate remarkable enhancements in heat transfer coefficients, resulting in up to 4 times improved heat transfer efficiency compared to conventional designs. The optimized baffle design also enables higher heat fluxes, further maximizing heat transfer capacity and efficiency without compromising heater longevity, shell design temperatures and process fluid limitations.

Beyond performance improvements, our research has shown that the new baffle design significantly extends the life expectancy of electric heat exchangers, ensuring long-term reliability and reduced maintenance costs. Furthermore, with up to a 60% reduction in overall costs, the implementation of our optimized baffle design offers substantial economic benefits to end-users.

The presentation will delve into the detailed testing procedures, validation methodologies, and performance comparisons with conventional designs. Key aspects such as design considerations, installation guidelines, and operational implications will also be discussed, providing attendees with practical insights for applying this innovative solution in their own gas heat exchange applications.

Keywords: heat transfer, higher heat flux, longer life expectancy, cost reduction, improved heat transfer coefficients, electric heat exchangers, gas applications, baffle placement, validation process.