What is a Tube and Fin Heat Exchanger?

The surface area of a particular space can have a substantial impact on the amount of heat that is transferred. Tube and Fin heat exchangers are specifically designed to assist with heat transferability.

A Tube and fin heat exchanger is a tube that has extended fins protruding from it along the side of the tube, that increase the transferability of heat to the surrounding area or fluid. It can do this because of the additional space that the fins provide. 

For maximum thermal exchange, each fin must be properly affixed to the tube. Larger fins will also produce more conductivity. But with the larger fins will come a pressure drop and for the tube fin heat exchanger to work optimally, there must be a balance between the surface area and the pressure.

They are used in a variety of industries and are particularly useful for driers, air heaters, air conditioning, oil coolers, generator coolers, waste heat recovery, and diesel charge air coolers, etc.

Types of Tube and Fin Heat Exchangers

There are a wide variety of tube and fin heat exchangers with different designs, but the two main types found in industry are the longitudinal and transverse fins. 

Longitudinal fins are best suited in applications where the flow around the outside of the fins is flowing in a direction streamlined with the tube’s position. The fins will be positioned lengthways to the tube. The geometries of the fins can also be flat or tapered, depending on the heat needs for a particular application.

Transverse fins are specifically designed for turbulent gas flows and are designed as a hollow metal disk, or fin, and are spaced along the length of the tube. These tubes can also be of the tapered or flat variation.

There are also several specific designs of fins, such as the elfin fin, the bulleted fins, L finned tubes, LL fins, KL fins, Embedded G finned tubes, Extruded fins, and wire fin tubes.

Centromac has the best solutions for you. Contact us today for a quotation and to discuss our services.

Quite simply, air conditioning takes the hot air in a room and pump it outside, while exchanging that heated air for cool air.

With the help of the liquid coolant, the air conditioner uses three main components to keep the air cool, being the evaporator, the compressor, and the condenser.

The heated air is first drawn into the air conditioning system through return ducts where it then passes through a filter, used to remove dust and other particles from the air. The heated air then flows over the evaporator coils where it is cooled by the coolant, absorbing the heat from the air. The coolant then changes into a warm gas from a liquid as a result of the heat. The cool air is then blown back into the room.

From here the coolant flows to the compressor, which controls the volume of the gas, and causes an increase in pressure and temperature, so that condensation can take place. The coolant then travels back to the evaporator to begin the process again.

The Benefits of Using an Air Conditioner

There are several health benefits to using an air conditioning system. An important benefit is that the air is cleaner. The air conditioner allows the air to move through a filter that removes all dust and other particles from the air. This also helps reduce the risk of allergies from particles in the air and reduces the risk of a person having an asthma attack.

Having an air conditioner also reduces the risk of illness due to heat, such as heatstroke, thereby keeping us healthy.

It also reduces the risk of dehydration as less liquid is lost due to sweating and evaporation.

With regulated temperatures, it is also possible to have a better night’s sleep with an air conditioner.

It is also arguable that your house is more secure as windows need not be opened while the air conditioner is in use. And with fewer windows open, there are fewer insects in the room, and any insects that do enter, are filtered out by the air conditioner itself.

The mechanism for an air conditioning system is complex but also simplistic, and with all these added benefits, it could add great value to your life. Maintaining your air conditioner is just as important. Centromac can help you! Contact our offices today to find out more about our air conditioning services offered.

A shell and tube heat exchanger is made up of a range of tubes that are housed within a cylinder. These tubes are called the tube nest or tube bundle. Each tube then passes through several baffles, where some are fixed and others are free-floating, to further assist in the heat exchange needed. Although requiring a higher surface area, shell and tube heat exchangers are very efficient with heat exchange.

How Does a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Work?

The fluid within the tube will be kept at high pressure, higher than the surrounding liquid. There are two main parts to the shell and tube heat exchanger, being the tube side and the shell side. Each side will contain its own liquid medium. Each liquid will enter the tube through its own section. The cooling process then begins as soon as the cool water enters in through the tubes, while the hotter substance is kept in the shell section. As the two fluids will not mix, this method of cooling is known as an indirect method.

Turbulent flow will be the mechanism of movement of the liquids through the shell and tube heat exchanger. This movement assists in preventing any build-up on the inside of the walls of the heat exchanger. The baffles are the aspects that create the turbulent flow between the liquids.

Advantages of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

The simple design of the shell and tube heat exchangers makes them easy to maintain, contributing to them being slightly more cost-effective than the use of other heat exchangers.

They are also suitable for higher temperatures and pressures than other heat exchangers. To assist in preventing leakage and mixing of the two chemicals or fluids, the tube walls can also be double walled. That being the case, the design of the shell and tube heat exchanger is such that leaks are easily able to be found and isolated.

Centromac has all the information that you need to make the best decision on the right heat exchanger for you. Contact our offices today to find out more about our products and services.

Refrigerators have served a great and advantageous purpose for us since their invention. Refrigerators are helpful in that they keep food cold, and slow the growth of bacteria so that the food can last longer.

In 1755 was the first time we were introduced to the refrigerator, with its first functioning invention being made by William Cullen, a professor in Scotland. Before this, people simply used the tools that they had available to them, like ice, to regulate temperatures and to keep food fresh.

How does Refrigeration Work?

A thermostat is a mechanism in a refrigeration system that determines and senses the temperature of the refrigerator at any given point. It then also indicates to the compressor whether to switch on or off, depending on the identified temperature.

Refrigerators contain coolant gas which is used to absorb the heat of the surrounding items and air and cool it down. As the coolant absorbs the heat, it evaporates and forms into a gas. The air and items in the fridge are then allowed to cool down as the liquid coolant is turned into a vapour. For the evaporation to take place, and for the heat to be absorbed, it is controlled by a capillary tube which reduces the pressure within the refrigerator. 

With this, the compressor also works to assist in changing the coolant back from a vapour back into a liquid and does so by increasing the temperature as well as the pressure, to cause the process of condensation. As the air compresses, the temperature increases. The compressor is considered the heart of a refrigeration system and will pump to circulate the coolant around the refrigerator.

The condenser, situated at the back of the fridge, then cools the condensed coolant down and it becomes a liquid again. The liquid coolant then makes its way back to the evaporator again where the process will start again.

For all your refrigeration needs, repairs, services, and more, contact Centromac today for more information.