Flow of Refrigerant and Water in a Shell-and-Tube Evaporator in a Vapor-Compression Chiller
A shell-and-tube evaporator is one of the most common heat exchanger types used in vapor-compression chillers. This article examines the refrigerant and water flows, their thermal and hydrodynamic interactions, and design and operational considerations from a mechanical engineer’s perspective. General Description and Flow Configuration A shell-and-tube evaporator typically consists of a bundle of tubes placed inside a shell. In a typical chiller, the refrigerant flows inside the tubes while the chilled water (or brine) flows in the shell; depending on design, this...
