The paper discusses the efficiency of recuperative heat exchangers. Thermodynamic efficiency has been selected as the measure of efficiency for recuperative heat exchangers. The authors present diagrams of experimental setups designed to investigate energy utilisation efficiency for various heat transfer agents flow patterns in ‘tube-in-tube’ and shell-and-tube heat exchangers. A methodology and procedure for determining the thermodynamic efficiency of heat exchangers are presented. The authors found that, in a counter-flow configuration, the thermodynamic efficiency is 5–10% higher than in a direct-flow one. At the specified heat transfer fluid flow rates, the thermodynamic efficiency of a tube-in-tube heat exchanger is 25–30% higher than that of a shell-and-tube. The experimental data obtained will subsequently enable the appropriate selection of heat exchanger type and the rational design of heat transfer agent flow patterns. It depens on the specific operating conditions of the heat exchanger, thereby significantly improving process efficiency.
Leontiev et al. (Tue,) studied this question.