HEX-IQ Engine

Intelligent Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger Sizing & Diagnostics

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Hot Side (Shell)

Flow (kg/h)

Cp (kJ/kg·K)

Inlet T (°C)

Outlet T (°C)

Density (kg/m³)

Viscosity (Pa·s)

k (W/m·K)

Fouling (m²K/W)

Cold Side (Tube)

Flow (kg/h)

Cp (kJ/kg·K)

Inlet T (°C)

Outlet T (°C)

Density (kg/m³)

Viscosity (Pa·s)

k (W/m·K)

Fouling (m²K/W)

Exchanger Geometry

Shell Passes

Tube Passes

Tube Count

Length (m)

Tube OD (m)

Tube ID (m)

Pitch (m)

Shell ID (m)

Wall k (W/m·K)

Baffle Spc. (m)

Baffle Cut (%)

Sealing Strips

Tube-Bfl Clr (mm)

Shell-Bfl Clr (mm)

Tube Layout

Heat Load

-

Dirty U-Value

-

W/m²·K

Req. Area

-

m²

F_t Factor

-

Dim.

Hydraulics & Pressure Drop

Parameter	Tube Side	Shell Side
Velocity (m/s)	-	-
Pressure Drop (bar)	-	-

Thermal Design Specs

Clean U-Value: -

LMTD (°C): -

Area Available (m²): -

Overdesign (%): -

Bell-Delaware Penalty Factors

Jc (Window) -

Jl (Leakage) -

Jb (Bypass) -

Engineering Theory & Tool Guidance

Total Heat Duty (Q): The total rate of thermal energy transferred between the shell and tube side fluids.
LMTD & Correction Factor (F): The true driving force for heat transfer, automatically mathematically adjusted for multi-pass flow configurations.
Clean vs. Fouled U-Values: Compares the theoretical maximum heat transfer capability of a brand-new exchanger against its real-world, long-term operational performance constraint.

Pressure Drop (ΔP): The frictional pressure loss calculated for both the shell and tube sides, an essential metric for sizing upstream pumps and compressors.
Fluid Velocities: Calculated speeds of the fluids to ensure they remain within the optimal operational window—fast enough to mitigate debris fouling, but slow enough to prevent tube erosion.

Temperature Cross Alerts: Detects if the cold fluid outlet temperature inappropriately exceeds the hot fluid outlet temperature, instantly indicating a potential need for multiple shells arranged in series.
Mechanical Integrity Warnings: Flags excessive dynamic pressure profiles or velocity issues that could eventually lead to catastrophic mechanical failure of the tube bundle.