The Science Behind Heat Exchangers
Heat exchangers are equipment designed for transferring heat through varying temperatures between two or more than two fluids — i.e., liquids, vapors, or gases. On the basis of the type of heat exchanger used, the heat transfer process can be gas-to-gas, liquid-to-gas, or liquid-to-liquid, and may occur via a solid separator that inhibits mixing or direct interaction in-between the mediums. Other design features, including building parts and materials, heat transfer modalities, and flow arrangements, also help to categorize and characterize the types of heat exchangers in Deutsch . Heat Exchanger Thermodynamics The layout of a heat exchanger is a thermodynamic activity— a science that plays around heat energy distribution, temperatures, and associations between different energy types. A good starting point for understanding heat exchanger thermodynamics is understanding the three ways in which heat can be carried, which are:...