Numerical Study of a Heat Exchanger of the Energy Laboratory of the University of Piura

Marcelo-Aldana D.; Olivares R.L.M.; Paulini J.U.; Vergara A.Z.; Freyre I.M. · TEMSCON LATAM 2025 - Technology and Engineering Management Society Conference (2025) · DOI: 10.1109/temsconlatam65810.2025.11238421

Resumen

The University of Piura has developed a single-pass counterflow shell and tube heat exchanger module for the laboratories of the Heat Transmission course of the Mechanical-Electrical Engineering Academic Program. After more than four years of inoperability, the need to perform a diagnosis and propose improvements was identified. With this objective, two numerical models were validated, the Bell-Delaware mathematical model and the CFD simulation, with the purpose of analyzing possible improvements without requiring the physical implementation of each alternative. The experimentation was carried out by testing hot water in the pipes and cold water in the casing, considering a 25% baffle cut-off. For the numerical analysis based on Bell-Delaware and CFD, EES and ANSYS FLUENT software were used, respectively, comparing the values of heat transfer, global transfer coefficient and outlet temperatures with the results obtained in the experimental test. The results showed a margin of error between 0.24% and 9.52%, which indicates that the models adequately represent the thermodynamic behavior of the laboratory heat exchanger, allowing its application to evaluate future improvements of the system.

Instituciones: Universidad de Piura