HEAT EXCHANGER: The heat exchanger is a device in which heat from a hot fluid is transferred to a cold fluid.

The temperature of the cold fluid decreases and that of the hot fluid increases. Heat exchangers are designed for various types and are used for different purposes. Heat exchangers are given different name when they serve special purposes, boiler, evaporator, super heater condensers and coolers may all be consider heat exchangers.

Some important types of heat exchangers are: Single pass 1-1 exchanger

I.e. have one head pass and one tube side pass 1-2 parallel counter flow

I.e. have one shell side pass and two tube sides pass. 2-4 exchanger

I.e. have two shell side pass and four tube side pass.

BAFFLES: Baffles are used in the shell to direct the fluid stream across the tubes, to increase the fluid velocity and to improve rate of heat transfer. The most commonly used baffles are the single segmental baffle. The baffle cut is the height of the segment removed to form the baffle expressed as a percentage of the baffle disc diameter. The baffle cuts from 15 to 45 percent are used. A baffle cut of 20 to 25 percent will be the optimum giving the good heat transfer rates.

TUBES: Tube diameter in the range 5/8 inch to 2 inch is used. At the same plant some heat exchangers are used to rube diameters of 5/8 to 1 inch. Steel tubes for heat exchangers are covered by BS 3606 the standards applicable to other materials are given in BS 3274. The length of the tubes used are 6ft, 8ft,

12ft or 16ft. such tubes in the heat exchanger either arranged in the triangular, square or rotated square. The triangular and rotated square are given the higher heat transfer rates The shortest centre to centre distance between the adjacent tubes is called pitch. While the shortest distance between the two tubes is called the clearance. The fluid in the tube is usually directed to the flow back and forth in a number of passes, through the groups of tubes arranged in parallel to increase the length of the flow path.

TANKS: During the earliest days cylindrical tanks have been used for he bulk storage of the crude petroleum and its products. Within the royal Dutch shell group the types and sizes of the tanks used for bulk storage have long been standardized. Such tanks are of all steel construction with but welded shells and lap welded bottoms and roofs, they are manufactured in the size ranging from 10 to 160 feet in diameter, 6 to 60 feet in height and 11 to 3000 cubic meters in capacity. For storing lubricating oil or fuel oil, tanks are operated at atmosphere pressure, but for storing low flash point (volatile) products such as gasoline and certain chemicals, it is necessary to maintain the slight pressure in the vapor space of the tank in order to reduce evaporation losses or alternatively to eliminate the vapor space by using a floating roof or blanket of plastic material.

BUBBLE CAPS: In bubble cap type of tray the vapors travel up the column by bubbling through a bath of reflux liquid that is contained on each plate. If plate steel is employed the plate must be sealed in to the tower shell by means of packing. Cast iron is more resistant to corrosion or least is thicker than steel. The shape of the slots has little or no effect. The shape of bubble is produced regardless of the shape of the slot. At low velocities flat disk shaped bubbles are produced and at high velocities a channeling appear to occur and a continuous elongated bubble space extends through the liquid. Exceedingly small caps 1 inch diameter and tray spacing of 4 inches have been installed for very low temperature operations in which the area of the heat loss must be kept to the minimum. The bubbles extended out from the slots by not more than 1 inch and the caps are spaced 1 to 3 inch apart.