A heat-transfer laboratory experiment with shell-and-tube condenser

An in-house-designed undergraduate laboratory experiment for hands-on experiential learning of heat transfer in shell-and-tube heat exchangers is described. The experiment allows the student to identify and evaluate the factors that affect the rate of heat transfer in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The design affords convective heat transfer inside the tubes and condensation heat transfer outside the tubes. Experimental measurements are used to estimate the overall heat transfer coefficient at varying flow rates of the cold fluid, which is compared with that obtained from calculations using correlations available in the literature. A student survey was also conducted to evaluate their learning experience and to identity opportunities for improving the experimental program and the overall experience of the students. This feedback indicated that the vast majority of the students had an overall positive experience of the laboratory course, as it provided them with the opportunity of teamwork, leadership role, the spirit of industrial experience, and the ability to develop skills related to heat exchanger calculations.