Exergy analysis of a shell and tube heat exchanger using DETHE software

In this paper, a sensibility study of irreversibility due to geometrical parameters variation of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger is proposed by using an exergy analysis. The irreversibility calculation model has been implemented on design tubular heat exchangers (DETHE) software, where thermohydraulic calculations are based on Bell-Delaware method. A prior evaluation of thermohydraulic results of DETHE is provided against a commercial software. Through an exergetic analysis in the study case, formulation to be implemented in the software for irreversibility calculation is developed. A real case study of a heat exchanger located in a pre-heat train of atmospheric crude distillation unit is analysed. Irreversibility results due to key design parameters variation for this heat exchanger are provided and discussed.