The pass partition of an exchanger is typically located on which component?

• A. Inside the shell
• B. At the nozzle
• C. On the channel head
• D. On the channel head flanges

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how shell-side flow is split into multiple passes. In many shell-and-tube exchangers, the shell-side fluid is directed through several passes across the tube bundle to improve heat transfer and control temperatures. That separation into distinct passes is created by pass partitions, which are internal plates located inside the channel head. They form the boundaries that divide the flow path into successive shell-side passes and stay fixed to the channel head so the flow can be redirected from one pass to the next and then collected again into the outlet.

The partitions aren’t placed inside the shell itself, nor at the external nozzles, and they aren’t on the channel head flanges. The channel head is specifically where these internal flow-dividing barriers are installed to create and manage the multiple passes.