Importance of shell and tube heat exchanger in oil & gas industries.?
Oil condensate is not a common term for petroleum. The only condensate I am familiar with is gas condensate and it is very similar to gasoline. In any case, the choice of what is on the shell side or tube side of any exchanger is dependent on the characteristics of each fluid and what makes for the best design. Typically a fluid that is very viscous or tends to foul the exchanger is placed on the tube side for ease of cleaning. If you could describe the characteristics of the oil condensate and the other fluid in the exchanger, maybe a better explanation of why it is on the shell side and not the tube side.
As in many industries, shell and tube exchangers are use in the oil and gas industry to heat fluid streams, they are used to cool fluid streams, they are used to condense vapors into liquids and they are used to boil liquids. They are one of the primary heat exchanger methods used in the oil and gas industries. The various process streams can be heavy components like crude oil to very light components like methane, ethane or propane. Petrochemicals such as glycols, various polymers and plastics also can be considered products of the oil and gas industries and these industries also use shell and tube exchangers for similar purposes.
