Air is to be heated by condensing steam. Two heat exchangers are available (i) a shell and tube heat exchanger and (ii) a finned tube heat exchanger. Tube side heat transfer area are equal in both the cases. The recommended arrangement is
A)Finned tube heat exchanger with air inside and steam outside
B)Finned tube heat exchanger with air outside and steam inside
C)Shell and tube heat exchanger with air inside tubes and steam on shell side
D)Shell and tube heat exchanger with air on shell side and steam inside tubes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Finned tube heat exchangers are more efficient for air heating applications because the fins increase the surface area for heat transfer, improving the efficiency. Placing air on the outside and steam inside the tubes allows for better heat transfer since the fins effectively disperse heat to the air as it passes over them.

Air Is to Be Heated by Condensing Steam