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Z. Liu et al.
exchangers. Shokouhmand and Hasanpour [3] found that reducing the uneven distribution can improve the thermal efficiency of the plate heat exchangers. Corrugation
has a great influence on the heat transfer efficiency of plate heat exchangers. Islamoglu and Parmaksizoglu [4] found that increasing in the height of the corrugation
leads to an increase in the coefficient of friction and a reducing in heat transfer efficiency. Grijspeerdt et al. [5] used CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software to
build optimized corrugated model of plate heat exchanger. Galeazzo et al. [6] used
CFD to perform simulation calculations and found that turbulence in the flat flow
channel is only partially generated, and the main state is laminar. The flow state of
non-Newtonian fluid in the plate heat exchanger was also studied by Femandes et al.
[7]. The sequence of chemical reactions also has a certain impact on fluid flow [8].
Barbaryan et al. [9] used numerical analysis methods to design low fluid pressure
safety valves. Nagaraju et al. [10, 11] studied the flow state of magnetic fluid in pipes.
Under the combined action of the plate-side pressure, shell-side pressure and
temperature field, a possible failure mode of the heat exchangers is cracking owing
to insufficient structural strength [12]. So it is needed to perform strength assessment
for the heat exchangers. Yang Xirong simulated the stress distribution on U-shaped
heat exchangers [13]. Hoseinzadeh et al. [14] conducted life fatigue analysis on heat
exchangers in power plants. Fen Xiao [15] performed stress analysis on fixed tubeplate heat exchangers. Regarding the influences of the working environment on the
heat exchangers, Gagliardia [16] studied the plate heat exchangers working in the
river and found that its failure reason was related to the upstream water treatment
process.
As the structure of plate heat exchangers is complicated, it is hard to perform
accurate design with the traditional method or so-called design-by rules. So in this
paper, finite element method was used to perform stress analysis for a plate heat
exchanger under different load cases. Two methods, namely stress category method
and limit analysis method, are applied based on ASME VIII-2 to perform strength
assessment of the heat exchanger.
12.2 Finite Element Modelling
12.2.1 Geometry and Grid Models of the Plate Heat
Exchanger
The basic design parameters of the plate heat exchanger are listed in Table 12.1. As
shown in Fig. 12.1 for the structure, the heat exchanger is composed of curved plate,
pipes, shell, supports, etc.
Solid186 with the software ANSYS was used to mesh the plate heat exchanger.
The total number of grids is 1526053. The mesh quality was checked in terms of
skewness, and the average value was 0.14, meaning that the mesh quality is good.
Z. Liu et al.
exchangers. Shokouhmand and Hasanpour [3] found that reducing the uneven distribution can improve the thermal efficiency of the plate heat exchangers. Corrugation
has a great influence on the heat transfer efficiency of plate heat exchangers. Islamoglu and Parmaksizoglu [4] found that increasing in the height of the corrugation
leads to an increase in the coefficient of friction and a reducing in heat transfer efficiency. Grijspeerdt et al. [5] used CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software to
build optimized corrugated model of plate heat exchanger. Galeazzo et al. [6] used
CFD to perform simulation calculations and found that turbulence in the flat flow
channel is only partially generated, and the main state is laminar. The flow state of
non-Newtonian fluid in the plate heat exchanger was also studied by Femandes et al.
[7]. The sequence of chemical reactions also has a certain impact on fluid flow [8].
Barbaryan et al. [9] used numerical analysis methods to design low fluid pressure
safety valves. Nagaraju et al. [10, 11] studied the flow state of magnetic fluid in pipes.
Under the combined action of the plate-side pressure, shell-side pressure and
temperature field, a possible failure mode of the heat exchangers is cracking owing
to insufficient structural strength [12]. So it is needed to perform strength assessment
for the heat exchangers. Yang Xirong simulated the stress distribution on U-shaped
heat exchangers [13]. Hoseinzadeh et al. [14] conducted life fatigue analysis on heat
exchangers in power plants. Fen Xiao [15] performed stress analysis on fixed tubeplate heat exchangers. Regarding the influences of the working environment on the
heat exchangers, Gagliardia [16] studied the plate heat exchangers working in the
river and found that its failure reason was related to the upstream water treatment
process.
As the structure of plate heat exchangers is complicated, it is hard to perform
accurate design with the traditional method or so-called design-by rules. So in this
paper, finite element method was used to perform stress analysis for a plate heat
exchanger under different load cases. Two methods, namely stress category method
and limit analysis method, are applied based on ASME VIII-2 to perform strength
assessment of the heat exchanger.
12.2 Finite Element Modelling
12.2.1 Geometry and Grid Models of the Plate Heat
Exchanger
The basic design parameters of the plate heat exchanger are listed in Table 12.1. As
shown in Fig. 12.1 for the structure, the heat exchanger is composed of curved plate,
pipes, shell, supports, etc.
Solid186 with the software ANSYS was used to mesh the plate heat exchanger.
The total number of grids is 1526053. The mesh quality was checked in terms of
skewness, and the average value was 0.14, meaning that the mesh quality is good.