ABSTRACT

Heat exchangers are devices that provide the flow of thermal energy between two or more fluids at different temperatures. Heat exchangers are used in a wide variety of applications. These include power production; process, chemical and food industries; electronics; environmental engineering; waste heat recovery; manufacturing industry; and air-conditioning, refrigeration, and space applications. Heat exchangers may be classified according to the following main criteria:

1. Recuperators

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regenerators 2. Transfer processes: direct contact and indirect contact 3. Geometry of construction: tubes, plates, and extended surfaces 4. Heat transfer mechanisms: single-phase and two-phase 5. Flow arrangements: parallel-, counter-, and crossflows

The preceding five criteria are illustrated in Figure 1.1.