Inside a shell and tube condenser, the refrigerant flows in the shell from top to bottom. This makes sense because liquid is denser than vapour and will drop to the bottom of the shell where it can then be further cooled by the incoming water.

The components of a shell and tube heat exchangers include the shell, shell cover, tubes, channel, channel cover, tube sheet, baffles, and nozzles. In the shell and tube heat exchanger process, one fluid flows through the tubes while the other fluid flows through the shell.

Shell and tube heat exchangers are better-equipped to handle demanding pressure and higher temperature environments. Shell and tube heat exchangers have a lesser likelihood of corrosion failure. Shell and tube heat exchangers have a robust design, which allows for greater durability and an increased lifespan.