Analysis of the backpressure-surface area in smoke tube heat exchangers

The design of heat exchangers is crucial to achieving the highest efficiency. Gas engine usage increases in the industry to cover electrical power requirements. The gas engine systems are equipped with heat exchangers to increase efficiency. However, there is a lack of study on backpressure and heat transfer coefficient. In this study, the effect of backpressure on heat exchanger calculations is shown and explained why they are crucial in heat exchanger selection. For this purpose, a shell and smoke-tube heat exchanger configuration for a gas engine is considered and thermal calculations are carried out. The dimensions of the heat exchanger are determined and according to the analysis, capacity values are shown. It is shown the increase in back pressure decreases the required surface area of the heat exchanger and the overall heat transfer coefficient of the system increases.