Experimental and CFD Investigation of an Epoxy-Based Thermally Conductive Polymer Composite U-Tube Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger: A Lightweight Alternative to Conventional Metal Systems

Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | Special Issue 02 | Page : 685 700
    By

    Pranay Karkal,

  • Yash Padhen,

  • Sunita Barve,

  • Pramod Kothmire,

  1. UG Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT Academy of Engineering, Alandi (D), Pune, Maharashtra, India
  2. UG Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT Academy of Engineering, Alandi (D), Pune, Maharashtra, India
  3. Professor, Department of Computer Engineering, MIT Academy of Engineering, Alandi (D), Pune, Maharashtra, India
  4. Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT Academy of Engineering, Alandi (D), Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers continue to play a critical role in industrial thermal systems; however, their conventional design based on fully metallic materials often leads to challenges related to weight, corrosion, and cost. In recent years, thermally conductive polymer composites have emerged as promising alternatives, offering improved corrosion resistance and design flexibility. In this study, the thermo-hydraulic performance of a U-tube shell-and-tube heat exchanger is investigated by partially replacing conventional metallic tube materials with an epoxy-based polymer composite reinforced with boron nitride and graphite fillers. A combined experimental and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach is adopted to evaluate the influence of material properties on heat transfer and flow behavior. The shell is maintained as mild steel to ensure structural strength, while the U-tube is modeled using both stainless steel and the developed polymer composite to enable direct performance comparison. The effective thermal conductivity of the composite is incorporated into the numerical model to capture realistic heat conduction behavior. Key performance parameters, including temperature distribution, heat transfer rate, Reynolds number, Nusselt number, friction factor, pressure drop, and effectiveness, are analyzed over a range of flow conditions. The results reveal that although the polymer composite exhibits lower intrinsic thermal conductivity than metals, the U-tube geometry induces strong secondary flows in the bend region, enhancing fluid mixing and compensating for conduction limitations. As a result, the composite-based configuration achieves competitive thermal performance with a noticeable reduction in system weight. The novelty of this work lies in integrating material-level thermal conductivity engineering with geometric enhancement in U-tube heat exchangers. The findings demonstrate that epoxy-based thermally conductive polymer composites can serve as viable, lightweight alternatives to traditional metallic materials, particularly in applications where corrosion resistance and weight reduction are critical.

Keywords: Epoxy-based composite; shell-and-tube heat exchanger; U-tube configuration; CFD; thermal conductivity; heat transfer enhancement; lightweight thermal systems

[This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Journal of Polymer & Composites (jopc)]

How to cite this article:
Pranay Karkal, Yash Padhen, Sunita Barve, Pramod Kothmire. Experimental and CFD Investigation of an Epoxy-Based Thermally Conductive Polymer Composite U-Tube Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger: A Lightweight Alternative to Conventional Metal Systems. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(02):685-700.
How to cite this URL:
Pranay Karkal, Yash Padhen, Sunita Barve, Pramod Kothmire. Experimental and CFD Investigation of an Epoxy-Based Thermally Conductive Polymer Composite U-Tube Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger: A Lightweight Alternative to Conventional Metal Systems. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(02):685-700. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=242884


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Special Issue Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
Special Issue 02
Received 13/04/2026
Accepted 04/05/2026
Published 14/05/2026
Publication Time 31 Days
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