Semiexplicit Method for Wall Temperature Linked Equations (Sewtle): A General Finite-Volume Technique for the Calculation of Complex Heat Exchangers

An in-depth analysis has been carried out on the discretization of a heat exchanger, the discretization of the governing equations, and the solution strategy for the resulting system of equations. An iterative global method to perform analysis of heat exchangers is proposed, called SEWTLE. This method provides flexibility to any flow arrangement or geometry, consideration of multiple streams, local evaluation of properties, friction factor, and heat transfer coefficient, and is characterized by good accuracy, high robustness, and fast computation time. In addition, three different numerical schemes for the discretization of the fluid and wall conservation equations at the cell level have been studied, and their advantages and disadvantages fully discussed.