Comprehensive review on exergy analysis of shell and tube heat exchangers

Heat exchangers (HEs) are used for several applications including chemical processes, power plants, air conditioning systems, etc. The performance of these devices could be influenced by different constituents such as the mass flow rates and temperatures of streams, characteristics of heat exchanger and thermo-physical properties of the fluid flows. Regarding the importance of entropy generation and second law analysis for heat exchangers, it is crucial to investigate different involving parameters to gain detailed insight into the defects of the system and potentials for performance enhancement. In this article, studies related to entropy generation and exergy analysis of shell and tube heat exchanger (as one of the most common types of HEs) are comprehensively reviewed and discussed. It can be concluded that modification in the thermos-physical properties of the fluids would lead to reduction in the entropy generation and consequently higher exergy efficiency. Furthermore, it is found that operating conditions of the heat exchangers, especially mass flow rates and temperatures of the streams, play key role in entropy generation.

Automated summary

This article comprehensively reviews and discusses studies on entropy generation and exergy analysis of shell and tube heat exchangers, finding that modifying the thermo-physical properties of the fluids can improve efficiency, and the operating conditions of the heat exchangers play a crucial role in entropy generation.