12 replies to this topic

[Celopsin.Khan]

I am new to this website, I wanted to share a few spreadsheets, dont know whether this where I should share the file or not. So guide me. 

Here attached is a Spreadsheet to Design a Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger with minimum number of inputs and most of the work being done by the spreadsheet itself. Hope you find it useful.

Attached Files

•  Design of Shell & Tube HX (unprotected for expert excel users).xlsx   5.23MB   25455 downloads

Edited by Art Montemayor, 25 March 2014 - 08:29 AM.

[Poe]

Great !!!! Thanks for Sharing

Edited by Poe, 31 January 2014 - 11:44 AM.

[fedi.abdeljawed]

Great , well done and thnaks for sharing

[Ajay S. Satpute]

Great work indeed!!!

 

I did not check the accuracy of this model. Has it been reviewed by someone?

 

You need to contact Chris Haslego. Your file should be in DOWNLOAD section of this site. 

 

Regards.

 

Ajay S. Satpute

[Celopsin.Khan]

Nope not reviewed by anyone   I sent a copy to Chris, but he could nt open this file correctly was his reply due to compatibility issues maybe. 

This file is compatible with MS Excel 2007 on wards and this file has freezed panes and all cells except data entry ones are locked maybe that was the reason.

 

u can unlock the sheets in excel.

[Chris Haslego]

I've unprotect, unfrozen panes, and tried everything to get this workbook to work properly, but I simply don't have any luck.  The text boxes are misaligned, buttons don't seem to work.  I'm running Excel 2007 on Windows 8.  My inability to properly evaluate the spreadsheet is why I haven't posted it in the Download section.  

[agungpn]

hmm, can't download, the link is dead

[gegio1960]

Celopsin,

I had the opportunity to quickly review your worksheet and I've appreciated some good aspects and highlighted some areas of "naivety".

I encourage you to go ahead by this way and propose other worksheets to the community.

Some outcomes and comments of my review are listed below:

- the overall aspect is very clear. You've visually differentiated input cells from calculated ones and calculations cells are protected.

- the choice cells for the unit of measures are a plus (but sometimes they create confusion...)

- you can improve the visual understanding of the data by showing only the meaningful number of decimals

- K, kg/m², J/s.... are not used by engineers

- there's no added value in showing g=9.8

- you should state (in the help section, for instance) that the worksheet is only suitable for single phase flow and one shell only. They're quite significant limitations

- all the links seems working (I don't understand Chris comment on this aspect)

- the references and equations are documented and clearly written in the help section

I hope the above is helpful to you.

Good luck!

[Celopsin.Khan]

I've unprotect, unfrozen panes, and tried everything to get this workbook to work properly, but I simply don't have any luck.  The text boxes are misaligned, buttons don't seem to work.  I'm running Excel 2007 on Windows 8.  My inability to properly evaluate the spreadsheet is why I haven't posted it in the Download section.  

 

Yes I know that as u already mailed me in that aspect,   I m sorry in that aspect. But I think that if u r facing everything misaligned then u probably have zoomed in or out. In 2007 it would work only with 100% zoom. Check ur zoom bar in the status bar at the bottom of excel.

 

Also Here I have added a new file in the first post of this thread with all sheets unprotected and unfreezed, the only problem now would be, that if someone accidentally changes the formulas, he would blame me in the end that my app is flawed 

 

hmm, can't download, the link is dead

 

Dear, I just checked the link and its perfectly working. Kindly check again.

 

Celopsin,

I had the opportunity to quickly review your worksheet and I've appreciated some good aspects and highlighted some areas of "naivety".

I encourage you to go ahead by this way and propose other worksheets to the community.

Some outcomes and comments of my review are listed below:

- the overall aspect is very clear. You've visually differentiated input cells from calculated ones and calculations cells are protected.

- the choice cells for the unit of measures are a plus (but sometimes they create confusion...)

- you can improve the visual understanding of the data by showing only the meaningful number of decimals

- K, kg/m², J/s.... are not used by engineers

- there's no added value in showing g=9.8

- you should state (in the help section, for instance) that the worksheet is only suitable for single phase flow and one shell only. They're quite significant limitations

- all the links seems working (I don't understand Chris comment on this aspect)

- the references and equations are documented and clearly written in the help section

I hope the above is helpful to you.

Good luck!

 

Thanks gegio1960,

I really wanted someone to tell me that as my teachers and mates were too busy reviewing my work  . You are very right about your comments, I made this app with little knowledge of Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers in my 5th Semester, 3rd Year of Chemical Engineering (now I m in my final year searching jobs) and in the process of making this app (i.e 44 days) I learnt much about Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers.

I started this work, with just a urge of solving a Numerical Problem (Example 8.2 of Binay K. Dutta) and later I added conditional formatting and auto indexing of the Shell Dia (which was the toughest part) ...  I added the choice of units not keeping in mind that this would be used by engineers, I just opened Hysys and checked different sets of units and hence added mine  . Later I added an interface to this app which I created in Adobe Photoshop.

 

So this was how I made it. I shared it only when this forum wont let me see any download links   and required me to post first. So I thought of sharing this (else I thought, as 1 yr has passed, that this is completely useless work)

 

I have a few other excel sheets too as I try to solve my every problem on excel, but I havent shared them too as they have a limited context. They cant be understood by everyone as they are too complex with no proper interface, but they can tell u only that u can do anything with excel.

 

Thanks again

Edited by Celopsin.Khan, 18 March 2014 - 09:11 AM.

[Art Montemayor]

Saad:

 

I’ve looked at and reviewed your workbook and my conclusions are that it needs more work in order to be useful and worthwhile for any engineer.  I started with some comment call-outs on your “home” page, but ran out of time to do the detailed type of comments that are needed on the rest of the sheets.  There is a lot of work that has to be done on this workbook in order to have a real working tool.  You seem to have spent more time on the artwork than on the substance of the topic.  Briefly, my comments are:

• Like gegio, I find the lack of using significant figures in your calculation results as amateurish and not engineering.  You waste a lot of valuable cell length to show ridiculously long decimals that have no engineering value.  The workbook is already extremely large (5+mBytes) for this application - probably because of the artwork and colorings.
• You don’t give instructions that are needed to follow your algorithm and calculation procedure.  Engineers already know the basic calculation method(s) to use, but you have to state what variables are able to be used: do we have to give all four temperatures involved?  What are the vital, minimum inputs required to arrive at a finished process design?
• Your “help” section is nothing more than cut-and-paste information from what appears to be a text book – which is OK; but it doesn’t have any nomenclature definitions and references to where the formulas are applicable.  You just paste formulas and don’t explain what they are for – and where.
• You should explain what your algorithms are and how they are applied – together with assumptions and explanations about any inaccuracies in using (for example) many tube passes, baffle cuts, low velocities, etc., etc.
• You use a lot of space for the different wire gauges used traditionally in describing condenser tube wall thicknesses.  All you really need is a measured wall thickness – either in mm or inches – and this is standard in condenser tubes nowadays.  Kern and Ludwig are excellent sources for basic theory and data – but some of their information is dated from the 1950’s and really should be updated for use in computer applications.
• Like Chris, I also can’t get input boxes to work – or should they work?  I am using Excel 2010 and it gives me the same results reported by Chris.
• Always mark your work product with a dated Revision Number.  That is the organized, engineering way to keep your work organized and accurately identified as to author, date, revision, and checking done.  Otherwise, you create confusion.

Like gegio, I commend you for your effort, but unfortunately your product lacks – in my opinion – the basic requirements of knowing your subject matter first and foremost before applying it to a computerized calculation method.  Doing the math is the easy thing – like the art work.  However, doing the logical, step-wise, methodical, and accurate application of engineering methods is the hard – but necessary – and important part.  And the computer is useless in this important function.

 

I hope these comments help you improve your product and keep you enthused in your work.

 Shell & Tube HX Design (Rev1).xlsx   5.23MB   3478 downloads

 

[Celopsin.Khan]

Thanks I really appreciate ur review. I have answered your call-outs. 

Attached Files

•  Shell & Tube HX (Ver 1.0.1).xlsx   5.23MB   4783 downloads

[yantime]

Hello, 

 

I suggest that you have to hear them and follow their advice because it's true as an engineer you need to be simple and you have to understand what are you doing step by step. Forget about art and try to concentrate in what is really important . This is my advise.

 

Best regards 

 

[Neelakantan]

The effort is worth commending; 

 

that said,  I also find it difficult to input in the cells; finally I managed by using a notepad to type and then paste; something is not probably matching settings that you are using in your default (normal excel template) and I am using; I tried the zoom and also the alternate fonts! that was no go!

 

now coming to the issue of using an excel sheet.... hmm I remember the days when I wrote for vessel sizing (obviously much simpler issue compared to exchanger); later I moved to turbopascal (remember these structured programming,?) which I used to import into the VB for excel; but later I realised, may be I am re-inventing; to whom I am writing these sheets; most companies will have commercial software....? 

 

though I can still use them(I mean the excel sheets) the basic fact remains that excel is a calculation tool but with not a good interface! I actually used the comment/context help on mouse-hovering over the cell... remember the events in VB?

 

for intrepid student users, it is a good tool and the effort is seen and appreciated;

 

best wishes

neelakantan