Shell and tube heat exchangers have emerged as mainstays in a variety of industrial settings. As the market for such solutions continues to grow, organizations must consider how they will prepare their maintenance and operations teams to properly handle the solutions.
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers Basics
Shell and tube and heat exchangers can use existing resources and thermal energy to manage temperatures of materials within a facility, creating efficiency that makes them extremely attractive. Most of the work is done naturally without requiring the large amounts of energy used for rapid heating or cooling in alternative ways.
In short, they work by:
This closed-loop environment allows for temperature regulation and management. For example, if a process requires an extremely hot chemical and a nearby supply line is creating steam as exhaust, the steam can be piped into the shell while the chemical is sent through the tubes. The steam would heat the chemical to the necessary levels while the steam would be cooled, allowing for a safer release or energy capture.
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Use on the Rise
A study from MarketsandMarkets found that the global market for shell and tube heat exchangers will achieve a value of approximately $7.05 billion by 2020. This amounts to expansion at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 5 percent for the period of 2015 to 2020, with efficiency among the top reasons for the solution’s rise.
Other factors contributing to market growth, according to MarketsandMarkets, include:
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Maintenance
A few key issues to consider when handling shell and tube heat exchangers include:
