1

Thermal Power Plant

Part of

Heat Exchangers
Dr. Tareq Al-hababi
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Sana'a University
Undergraduate Students 2023-2024
3
References
1. Yunus A. Çengel, & Robert H. Turner. Fundamentals of Thermal-fluid Sciences, 2nd edition,
McGraw-Hill Companies, 2005.

2. Abdul-Malik E. Momin. Lecture Notes in Heat Exchangers, Sana’a University, (2011-2012).

3. Holman, J, P. Heat Transfer, 10th edition, New York, McGraw-Hill, 2010.

4. Sadik Kakaç, Hongtan Liu, & Anchasa Pramuanjaroenkij. Heat Exchangers: Selection, Rating,
and Thermal Design, 3ed Edition, CRC Press, 2012.

5. Kuppan Thulukkanam. Heat Exchanger Design Handbook, Second Edition, CRC Press, 2017.

6. Theodore L. Bergman, Adrienne S. Lavine , Frank P. Incropera , & David P. DeWitt.

Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, 7th Edition, New York: J. Wiley, 2011.

7. A.K. Raja, Amit P. Srivastava, and Manish Dwivedi. Power Plant Engineering, New Age International
(P) Limited, Publishers, 2006.
4

Course Grades

The grades are distributed as:

• Final Exam (60 pts)

• Midterm Exam (20 pts)
• Homework (10 pts)
• Attendance (10 pts)

• TOTAL (100 pts)

5
Contents
▪ Heat Exchangers Design

▪ Heat Exchangers Equations Design

▪ Analysis of shell and tube Heat Exchangers

▪ General considerations of design and selection of the heat exchangers

▪ Radiation from gases and flames

▪ Thermal design of some components of steam generators (superheater, air preheater, and economizer)

▪ Thermal design of the surface condenser

▪ Study of Cooling towers (types and performance)

6
7
Outlines
1 Introduction
2 Heat exchangers classification
2.1 Recuperation and Regeneration
2.2 Transfer Processes
2.3 Geometry of Construction
2.3.1 Tubular Heat exchangers
2.3.2 Plate Heat exchangers
2.3.3 extended Surface Heat exchangers
2.4 Heat Transfer Mechanisms
2.5 Flow Arrangements
3 Applications
4 Selection of Heat Exchangers
5 Heat-Exchanger Design Considerations
8
1 Introduction
• Heat Exchanger Definition: A heat exchanger is a device that transfers heat between
two or more fluids at different temperatures.

• It can use water, air, gas, or liquid as the medium for heat transfer. Heat exchangers
are used in both cooling and heating processes.

• The fluids may be separated by a solid wall to prevent mixing or they may be in direct
contact.
9 1 Introduction
There are many different applications for heat exchangers, including:
Space applications

Refrigeration Power production

HEX Chemical and

Air-conditioning Applications food industries

Manufacturing
industry Electronics

Waste heat recovery

 2 Heat exchangers classification

Classification of Heat exchangers

Recuperators/ Transfer Geometry of Heat transfer Flow

regenerators processes construction mechanisms arrangements

Direct Single Parallel

Tubes
contact phase flows

Indirect Two Counter

Plates
contact phases flows

Extended Cross
surfaces flows

10
11
2 Heat exchangers classification
12
2.1 Recuperation and Regeneration
Recuperators heat exchangers:
The heat transfer occurs between two fluids, where the hot fluid (stream A) gives some of its
heat to the cold fluid (stream B).
The heat transfer occurs through a separating wall or through the interface between the streams
as in the case of the direct-contact-type heat exchangers.

Regenerators or storage-type heat exchangers:

The same flow passage (matrix) is alternately occupied by one of the two fluids.
The hot fluid stores the thermal energy in the matrix; during the cold fluid flow through
the same passage at a later time, stored energy is extracted from the matrix.
While the solid (matrix) is in the cold stream B, it loses heat; while it is in the hot stream A, it
gains heat, i.e., the heat is regenerated.

(Regenerators are compact heat exchangers).

13
Recuperators

Figure 1.2
Indirect-contact-type heat exchangers: (a) and (b) double-pipe heat exchanger; (c) shell-and-tube-type heat exchanger.
14
Regenerators

Figure 1.4 Figure 1.3

Rotary storage-type heat exchanger. Rotary regenerators: (a) disk-type
15 2.2 Transfer Processes
According to transfer processes, heat exchangers are classified as:
Direct contact type
• Heat transferred through direct contact between the hot and cold streams.
• There is no wall between the hot and cold streams.
• The heat transfer occurs through the interface between the two streams.
• The streams are two (immiscible) unmixable fluids (gas–liquid).
• Spray and tray condensers and cooling towers are good examples of such heat exchangers.
• Heat and mass transfer occur simultaneously.

Indirect contact type (transmural heat transfer)

• The thermal energy is exchanged between hot and cold fluids through a heat transfer
surface.
• There is a wall between the hot and cold streams.
• The cold and hot fluids flow simultaneously while the thermal energy is transferred
through a separating wall.
• The fluids are not mixed.
16
2.2 Transfer Processes (cont.)
Direct contact type Heat Exchanger

(a) tray condenser; (b) spray condenser.

17
2.2 Transfer Processes (cont.)

Direct and indirect contact transfer heat exchangers are also called
Recuperators.

There are some examples of Recuperators:

➢ Tubular (double-pipe or shell-and-tube)
➢ Plate
➢ Extended surface heat exchangers
➢ Cooling towers
➢ Tray condensers

Cooling tower
18 2.3 Geometry of Construction

2.3.1 Tubular Heat Exchangers

a) Double-Pipe Heat Exchangers
b) Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers
c) Spiral-Tube-Type Heat Exchangers

2.3.2 Plate Heat Exchangers

a) Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers
b) Spiral Plate Heat Exchangers
c) Lamella Heat Exchangers

2.3.3 Extended Surface Heat Exchangers

a) Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger
b) Tubular-Fin Heat Exchangers
19
2.3.1 Tubular Heat exchangers

▪ Tubular heat exchangers are built of circular tubes.

▪ One fluid flows inside the tubes and the other flows on the outside of
the tubes.
▪ There is considerable flexibility in their design because the tube
diameter, the number of tubes, the tube length, and the tube
arrangement can be changed.
20
a) Double-Pipe Heat Exchangers
21 b) Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers
22
Shell-and-tube-type heat exchanger
23
b) Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers (cont.)
▪ Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are built of round tubes mounted in large cylindrical
shells with the tube axis parallel to that of the shell.

▪ They are widely used as oil coolers, power condensers, preheaters in power plants,
steam generators in nuclear power plants, in process applications, and in
chemical industry.

▪ One fluid stream flows through the tubes while the other flows on the shell side,
across or along the tubes.

▪ A number of shell- and tube-side flow arrangements are used in shell- and-tube
heat exchangers depending on heat duty, pressure drop, pressure level, fouling,
manufacturing techniques, cost, corrosion control, and cleaning problems.

▪ The baffles are used in shell-and-tube heat exchangers to promote a better heat-
transfer coefficient on the shell side and to support the tubes.
24
b) Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers (cont.)
25
c) Spiral-Tube-Type Heat Exchangers

Spiral-Tube-Type Heat Exchangers

26
2.3.2 Plate Heat exchangers

▪ Plate heat exchangers are built of thin plates forming flow channels.
▪ The fluid streams are separated by flat plates which are smooth or
between which lie corrugated (wavy) fins.
▪ Plate heat exchangers are used for transferring heat for any
combination of gas, liquid, and two-phase streams.
▪ These heat exchangers can further be classified as Gasketed plate,
spiral plate, or lamella.
27
2.3.2 Plate Heat exchangers

Gasketed plate Heat Exchanger Spiral plate Heat Exchanger Lamella Heat Exchanger
28
2.3.3 extended Surface Heat exchangers

▪ Extended surface heat exchangers are devices with fins on the

primary heat transfer surface (tubular or plate) with the object of
increasing heat transfer area.
▪ As we know, that the heat-transfer coefficient on the gas side is much
lower than those on the liquid side, finned heat transfer surfaces are
used on the gas side to increase the heat transfer area.
▪ Fins are widely used in gas-to-gas and gas-to-liquid heat exchangers
whenever the heat-transfer coefficient on one or both sides is low and
there is a need for a compact heat exchanger.
▪ The two most common types of extended surface heat exchangers are
plate-fin and tube-fin heat exchangers.
29
2.3.3 extended Surface Heat exchangers

Fin types in plate-fin echangers Tube-fin heat exchanger

 2.3.3 extended Surface Heat exchangers

30
31
2.4 Heat Transfer Mechanisms
Heat exchanger equipment can also be classified according to the heat transfer
mechanisms as:
1. Single-phase convection on both sides
2. Single-phase convection on one side, two-phase convection on other side
3. Two-phase convection on both sides
32
Classification According to Phase of Fluids
Gas–Liquid
Gas–liquid heat exchangers are mostly tube-fin-type compact heat exchangers with the liquid on the tube side. The
radiator is by far the major type of liquid–gas heat exchanger, typically cooling the engine jacket water by air. The
air flows in crossflow over the tubes. The heat transfer coefficient on the air side will be lower than that on the liquid
side. Fins will be generally used on the outside of the tubes to enhance the heat transfer rate.

Liquid–Liquid
Most of the liquid–liquid heat exchangers are shell and tube type and other. Both fluids are pumped through the
exchanger, so the principal mode of heat transfer is forced convection. The relatively high density of liquids results
in very high heat transfer rate, so normally fins or other devices are not used to enhance the heat transfer. In certain
applications, low-finned tubes, microfin tubes, and more heat transfer devices are used to enhance the heat transfer.

Gas–Gas
This type of exchanger is found in exhaust gas–air preheating Recuperators, rotary regenerators, intercoolers, and/or
after coolers to cool supercharged engine intake air of some land-based diesel power packs and diesel locomotives,
and cryogenic gas liquefaction systems. In many cases, one gas is compressed so that the density is high while the
other is at low pressure and low density. Compared to liquid–liquid exchangers, the size of the gas–gas exchanger
will be much larger, because the convective heat transfer coefficient on the gas side is low compared to the liquid
side. Therefore, secondary surfaces are mostly employed to enhance the heat transfer rate.
33
2.5 Flow Arrangements
Heat exchangers may be classified according to the fluid-flow path through the heat
exchanger. The three basic flow configurations are as follows:

a) Parallel-flow
b) Counter-flow
c) Cross-flow
34
2.5 Flow Arrangements (Cont.)

a) Parallel-flow
In parallel-flow heat exchanger, the two fluid streams enter together at one end, flow
through in the same direction, and leave together at the other end.

Fluid 2-outlet

Fluid 1-inlet Fluid 1-outlet

Fluid 2-inlet

Parallel-flow heat exchanger

35
2.5 Flow Arrangements (Cont.)

b) Counter-flow
In counter-flow heat exchanger, two fluid streams flow in opposite directions.

Fluid 2-inlet

Fluid 1-inlet Fluid 1-outlet

Fluid 2-outlet

Counter-flow heat exchanger

36
2.5 Flow Arrangements (Cont.)
c) Cross-flow
In a single cross-flow heat exchanger, one fluid flows through the heat transfer
surface at right angles to the flow path of the other fluid.
In the Cross-flow arrangements there are two types:
▪ Both fluids unmixed
▪ One fluid mixed and the other unmixed.

Cross-flow heat exchanger. (a) Both fluids unmixed ; (b) One fluid mixed and the other unmixed
37
2.5 Flow Arrangements (Cont.)
Cross-flow heat exchanger

Temperature distribution for unmixed–unmixed crossflow arrangement.

38
2.5 Flow Arrangements (Cont.)
▪ Multipass flow arrangements are frequently used in shell-and-tube heat exchangers with
baffles.
39
2.5 Flow Arrangements (Cont.)
The main difference between the flow arrangements lies in:

1. The temperature distribution along the length of the heat exchanger.

2. The relative amounts of heat transfer under given temperature specifications.

3. For specified heat exchanger surfaces a counter-flow heat exchanger requires minimum area, a

parallel-flow heat exchanger requires maximum area, and a cross-flow heat exchanger requires

an area in between

(𝐴𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 > 𝐴𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 > 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 ).

40
3 Applications
41
3 Applications (Cont.)
42
3 Applications (Cont.)

▪ Heat exchangers are used in many applications as in the process, power, air
conditioning, refrigeration, heat recovery, and manufacturing industries.

▪ In the power industry, various kinds of fossil boilers, nuclear steam generators,
steam condensers, regenerators, and cooling towers are used.

▪ In the process industry*, two-phase flow heat exchangers are used for vaporizing,
condensing, freezing in crystallization, and as fluidized beds with catalytic
reactions.

▪ The air conditioning and refrigeration industries need large amount of

condensers and evaporators.

*Process industry: an industry, such as the chemical or petrochemical industry, that is concerned with
the processing of bulk resources into other products
43
3 Applications (Cont.)
▪ There have been considerable developments in heat
exchanger applications.

▪ One of the main stages in the early development of boilers was the
introduction of the water-tube boilers.

▪ The demand for more powerful engines created a need for boilers
that operated at higher pressures, and, as a result, individual
boilers were built larger and larger.

▪ The boiler units used in modern power plants for steam pressures
above (80 bar) consist of furnace water-wall tubes, super heaters,
and such heat recovery accessories as economizers and air heaters.

▪ The development of modern boilers and more efficient

condensers for the power industry has represented a major
milestone in engineering.
44
4 Selection of Heat Exchangers
The proper selection depends on several factors:
▪ Heat transfer rate
▪ Cost
▪ Pumping power
$
𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 𝑃𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟, 𝑘𝑊 × 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, ℎ × (𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦, )
𝑘𝑊ℎ

▪ Size and weight

▪ Type
▪ Material selection, such as copper, aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel, nickel
alloys, ceramic, polymer, and titanium.
▪ Other considerations (Leak-tight, ease of servicing, low maintenance cost, safety and
reliability, and Quietness).
45
5 Heat-Exchanger Design Considerations
The following factors are almost always considered:
1. Heat-transfer requirements 2. Cost 3. Physical size 4. Pressure-drop characteristics

▪ By forcing the fluids through the heat exchanger at higher velocities the overall heat-
transfer coefficient may be increased, but this higher velocity results in a larger pressure
drop through the exchanger and correspondingly larger pumping costs.

↑ (overall heat−transfer coefficient, U)

At higher velocity ⇒ ቊ
↑ (pressure drop) ⇒ ↑ pumping costs

▪ If the surface area of the heat exchanger is increased, the overall heat-transfer coefficient
will increase ; however, the pressure drop and the cost of the exchanger will increase
46

Homework (1)

(Due date: Wednesday, August 9, 2023)

1. Define the heat exchanger?

2. What are the most important classifications of heat exchangers?
3. Why are baffles used in shell-and-tube heat exchangers?
4. What are enhanced surfaces and what are the advantages of enhanced surfaces?
5. What are the main selection criteria of a heat exchanger?
6. What are the heat-Exchanger Design Considerations?
47

Thank You!