Shell-and-tube baffles: which is the most commonly used baffle type in industrial service?

Introduction / Context:
Baffles in shell-and-tube heat exchangers direct shell-side flow across the tube bundle, raise crossflow velocity, suppress bypassing, and support tubes mechanically. While many baffle schemes exist, one type is overwhelmingly used due to its balance of heat-transfer enhancement, pressure drop, fabrication simplicity, and fouling tolerance.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• General-purpose exchangers handling clean to moderately fouling services.
• Single- or multi-pass shell configurations with standard TEMA-style construction.

Concept / Approach:
The single-segmental (one-cut) baffle with about 25% cut provides strong crossflow and good heat-transfer coefficients with acceptable pressure drop and widely available design correlations. Larger cuts (e.g., 75%) reduce flow redirection and crossflow velocity, thereby lowering heat-transfer performance. Alternatives (orifice, disk-and-doughnut) are used for special constraints (e.g., very low pressure drop or vibration mitigation) but are less common overall.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
TEMA recommendations and vendor catalogs confirm the dominance of single-segmental baffles with cuts around 20–35%, with 25% as a common default.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 75% cut: Lower performance; used when pressure drop limits dominate.
• Orifice, disk-and-doughnut: Special-purpose designs; not the most common.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming baffle selection is purely thermal; vibration, erosion, and cleaning requirements often drive spacing and cut choice.

Final Answer:
25% cut segmental baffle