Numerical simulations were performed on flow and heat transfer performances of heat exchangers having six helical baffles of different baffle shapes and assembly configurations

i.e.

two trisection baffle schemes

two quadrant baffle schemes

and two continuous helical baffle schemes. The temperature contour or the pressure contour and velocity contour plots with superimposed velocity vectors on meridian

transverse and unfolded concentric hexagonal slices are presented to obtain a full angular view. For the six helix baffled heat exchangers

the different patterns of the single vortex secondary flow and the shortcut leakage flow were depicted as well as the heat transfer properties were compared. The results show that the optimum scheme among the six configurations is a circumferential overlap trisection helix baffled heat exchanger with a baffle incline angle of 20° (20°TCO) scheme with an anti-shortcut baffle structure

which exhibits the second highest pressure drop Δp

o

the highest overall heat transfer coefficient K

shell-side heat transfer coefficient h

o

and shell-side average comprehensive index h

o

/Δp

o

.