The Development Of Software System For Design And Type-Selection Of Shell-And-Tube Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is one kind of general important thermal equipment in the petroleum chemical industry production. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger is widely applied in the industrial production due to its simple structure, reliability and the operation flexibility. According to the requirement of Liyang Yunlong Chemical Equipment Group Co. Ltd., a design and type-selection system for the shell-and-tube heat exchanger was developed in this paper by using VB and AutoLISP language, and a helpful support tool was provided for the followed detailed design of heat exchangers.Starting from the situation of heat exchanger manufacture enterprises, the actual application of the CAD software for heat exchanger design was analyzed as well as the necessity of developing heat exchanger design and type-selection system. Based on the thermal theory for shell-and-tube heat exchanger's design and the functional demands of this system. the function modules were classified. A new method to realize the design and type-selection was proposed on the basis of analysis to the theory of heat exchanger's design. The standard model database was established by using Access, and the software for design and type-selection of heat exchanger was developed with VB programming so that the traditional trial method could be substituted.The detailed calculated results were provided in the form of Excel report to the designer by using OLE office automation technology, which fully used the function of processing tables of Excel. Finally, AutoLISP language was used to develop AutoCAD and the plan of heat pipes arrangement was simplified. Combining the calculated results with AutoCAD, partial drawings of shell-and-tube heat exchangers were generated automatically in AutoCAD. The functions of VB, Excel and AutoCAD were combined together in the system and the function of design and type-selection was realized for shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The developed system would be helpful to the further development of computer-aided design system for heat exchanger.The system would change the situation that the enterprise is restrained between the users and the research institutes. It would enable the enterprise to have the choice to carry on the selection of heat exchanger according to its actual production. With the advantages of operating easily and high practicability, the system has been put into use in the enterprise and good effect has been obtained. It would provide an important tool for the company to carry out the design of shell-and-tube heat exchangers rapidly and effectively.