Heat exchanger H.X.s is the equipment used to transfer the thermal energy between two or more
fluids at varying temperatures. The nature of this paper is an experimental study of the optimum
design for shell and tube heat exchanger as a condenser with high productivity of drinking
water for portable solar water distiller. The elaboration covers the aspects of considerations,
design, fabrication, and test of the shell and tube H.X. as a portable condenser for solar water
distiller system. The system consists of a portable stainless steel condenser, which is able to be
dismantled and assembled without tools. The experimental result establishes that the condenser
is able to produce 3.8 liter /hour of distilled water from vapor at 99.7˚C of inlet temperature and
4 liter/hour vapor flow rate, with 130 liter /hour as a condenser coolant water flow rate. The heat
efficiency of the condenser can be increased by means of minimizing the tube’s thickness and
vapor inlet pressure. There is no back pressure effect on the system and the pressure drop in
both sides of the condenser is reportedly of very low value and negligible, therefore, no need
for a pressure pump is to be eliminated.