An OpenFOAM-based model for heat-exchanger design in the Cloud

•An OpenFOAM CFD model for the simulation of heat exchangers has been developed.•Its user-friendly interface and high automation enable its use by non-expert users.•The results of the CFD model have been validated with measurement tests.•The difference between measured and calculated heat transfer is less than 4.5%.•The design of an existing heat exchanger has been improved using this CFD model. This paper presents a CFD tool, implemented in OpenFOAM and executed in a Cloud environment, to simulate the performance of shell and tube heat exchangers. In spite of the well-known benefits that CFD techniques can bring, these methods are seldom used by small heat exchangers manufacturers as they are unaffordable to them. The high capital costs (licenses and computing resources) and the high level of expertise required hinder a more widespread usage of these techniques. The characteristics of this tool, such as its user-friendly interface, the high level of automation and its implementation in a Cloud environment, allow to overcome the barriers that prevent the access to CFD techniques by most potential users. The CFD model presented in this paper has been validated successfully with measurements in a existing heat exchanger. Further, it has been used to re-design such heat exchanger, achieving a 30% volume reduction, while maintaining its thermal performance.