Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Heat Transfer Coefficient Determination Educational Pilot Plant

Introduction

The Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Heat Transfer Coefficient Determination Educational Unit Operations Pilot Plant is a self-contained, laboratory-scale system designed to demonstrate the fundamental principles of industrial heat transfer. Engineered specifically for engineering departments in higher education, this unit allows students to investigate the thermal performance of a standard shell-and-tube configuration under varying process conditions, such as co-current and counter-current flow regimes.

To ensure the equipment aligns with your specific laboratory space and syllabus requirements, LABPARK offers comprehensive customization options. Both the hardware layout (including sensor selection and piping configurations) and the software control interfaces can be modified to meet the unique educational objectives of your department.

Key Educational Functions and Advantages

• Industrial-Grade Process Visualization: Equipped with an industrial touchscreen workstation, the pilot plant exposes students to professional human-machine interfaces (HMI) and data acquisition software, bridging the gap between classroom theory and industrial process control.
• Comprehensive Heat Transfer Analysis: The system enables real-time calculations of the overall heat transfer coefficient ($U$) and the Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD), allowing students to analyze how flow rate adjustments of the hot and cold fluids affect thermal efficiency.
• Flow Regime Comparison: Utilizing manual or automated valve configurations, students can quickly switch between co-current (parallel) and counter-current flow paths to observe and compare temperature profiles and heat transfer rates.
• Digital Pre-Lab Support: A QR code is physically integrated onto the pilot plant frame. Students can scan it with mobile devices to view demonstration animations and instructional materials, optimizing pre-lab preparation.
• Integrated Assessment System: The accompanying software features an administrative platform for instructors to build question banks, generate exams, assign grade weights, and automatically compile student performance statistics.

Technical Specifications and Experimental Modules

Curriculum Mapping and Academic Integration

This pilot plant is designed to serve as a physical counterpart to standard undergraduate engineering curricula. It transitions abstract mathematical formulations into tangible, measurable physical parameters.

The experiments conducted on this unit directly correspond to key educational benchmarks in fields such as Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Food Engineering. Instructors can seamlessly integrate this hardware with standard reference textbooks:

• Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering: The pilot plant provides hands-on validation of concepts related to heat transfer in flowing fluids, shell-and-tube design equations, correction factors for multi-pass exchangers, and the calculation of fouling factors.
• Transport Processes and Unit Operations: Students can physically measure the convective heat transfer coefficients in tubes and shells, analyzing the empirical correlations (such as the Dittus-Boelter equation) discussed in classical transport phenomena.
• Chemical Engineering Design: The unit serves as a practical reference for process design exercises, enabling students to compare their theoretical heat exchanger designs with the physical constraints and performance metrics of a real pilot-scale system.

Tailored Customization Services

At LABPARK, we recognize that every university laboratory operates under distinct spatial and academic guidelines. To accommodate these needs, we provide tailored design services for this pilot plant. Our engineering team can customize the hardware—incorporating alternative materials, additional sensor types, or specific physical dimensions—as well as the software architecture, including custom data export formats and specific user access levels, to ensure the unit fits into your existing laboratory infrastructure.

About LABPARK

LABPARK has dedicated over 20 years to supporting higher education institutions by developing and manufacturing advanced experimental equipment. Our focus spans six key engineering domains: Chemical, Chemical Engineering, Biological, Food, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental fields.

Backed by a production and research base spanning 49,000 square meters, our engineering team holds 209 technical patents. To date, LABPARK has collaborated with more than 289 universities worldwide, delivering robust, curriculum-aligned pilot plants that prepare the next generation of engineers for industrial practice.

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