Shell and tube heat exchangers, also known as tube bundle heat exchangers, are a type of intermediate wall heat exchanger where the wall surface of the tube bundles enclosed in the shell serves as the heat transfer surface. These heat exchangers are simple in structure, cost-effective, have a wider flow cross-section, and are easy to clean scale. However, they have a low heat transfer coefficient and occupy a large area. They can be manufactured using various structural materials, primarily metals, and can be used under high temperature and high-pressure conditions, making them a widely used type.

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers include fixed tube plate steam-water heat exchangers, expansion joint shell-and-tube steam-water heat exchangers, floating head steam-water heat exchangers, U-tube shell-and-tube steam-water heat exchangers, bellows-type shell-and-tube steam-water heat exchangers, and sectioned water-water heat exchangers. The main control parameters of shell-and-tube heat exchangers are heating surface area, hot water flow rate, heat exchange capacity, and heat medium parameters.