A shell and tube heat exchanger is a class of heat exchanger designs. It is the most common type of heat exchanger in oil refineries and other large chemical processes and is suited for higher-pressure applications. As its name implies, this type of heat exchanger consists of a shell with a bundle of tubes inside it.

A shell and tube heat exchanger is a class of heat exchanger designs. One fluid runs through the tubes, and another fluid flows over the tubes (through the shell) to transfer heat between the two fluids.