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________________?

Question

Accepted Answer

Finned tube heat exchanger with air outside and steam inside. For heating air using condensing steam, placing the air outside and steam inside a finned tube exchanger maximizes heat transfer efficiency.