• DECEMBER 2019

Heat Exchanger Analysis:

Design and Performance

How Heat Exchangers Work – Lesson 4

Analysis of Heat Exchangers

• Heat exchanger analysis problems generally present one of two different challenges:
1. Selecting a heat exchanger that will achieve a specified temperature change in a fluid stream of known mass
flow rate
2. Predicting the outlet temperatures of the hot and cold fluid streams in a specified heat exchanger

• In this lesson we will discuss two methods used in the analysis of heat exchangers:
‐ The log mean temperature difference (or LMTD) method, which is best suited for the first task
‐ The effectiveness-NTU method, which is best suited for the second task

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Analysis of Heat Exchangers (cont.)
• Heat exchangers operate with minimal change in their operating conditions
for long periods of time and thus can be modeled as steady-flow devices
• Applying overall energy balances to the hot and cold fluids:
𝑚ℎ 𝑐𝑝,ℎ 𝑞 𝑇ℎ,𝑜
𝑞 = 𝑚ℎ 𝑐𝑝,ℎ 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 𝑞 = 𝑚𝑐 𝑐𝑝,𝑐 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 𝑇ℎ,𝑖
𝑚𝑐 𝑐𝑝,𝑐
𝑞 𝑇𝑐,𝑜
𝑇𝑐,𝑖
• We can obtain an expression relating the total heat transfer rate 𝑞 to the
temperature difference Δ𝑇 between the hot and cold fluids, where Heat Transfer Surface Area
Section of a Parallel Flow Heat Exchanger
Δ𝑇 ≡ 𝑇ℎ − 𝑇𝑐

• Since Δ𝑇 varies with position in the heat exchanger, we need a rate equation
of the form:
q = UAΔ𝑇𝑚

where Δ𝑇𝑚 is the appropriate mean temperature difference

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Log Mean Temperature Difference

• The temperature difference between the hot and the cold fluid varies
along the heat exchanger and thus, for heat transfer analysis, we need a 𝑇ℎ 𝑑𝑞 𝑇ℎ + 𝑑𝑇ℎ
mean temperature difference Δ𝑇𝑚
• Let's consider a parallel-flow double-pipe heat exchanger. Applying an 𝑇𝑐 𝑇𝑐 + 𝑑𝑇𝑐 Heat Transfer
energy balance to a differential element of thickness 𝑑𝑥 in the hot and Surface Area
𝑑𝐴
cold fluids as shown:
𝑑𝑞 = −𝑚ሶ ℎ 𝑐𝑝,ℎ 𝑑𝑇ℎ ≡ −𝐶ℎ 𝑑𝑇ℎ 𝑑𝑞 = −𝑚ሶ 𝑐 𝑐𝑝,𝑐 𝑑𝑇𝑐 ≡ 𝐶𝑐 𝑑𝑇𝑐
𝑇ℎ,𝑖

𝑑𝑞 = 𝑈Δ𝑇𝑑𝐴
𝑑𝑇ℎ
𝑑𝑞 𝑇ℎ,𝑜
Δ𝑇1 Δ𝑇2
𝑑 Δ𝑇 = 𝑑𝑇ℎ − 𝑑𝑇𝑐 Δ𝑇
𝑇𝑐,𝑜
𝑑𝑇𝑐
2 2 Δ𝑇2 1 1
𝑑 Δ𝑇 1 1 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
න = −𝑈 + න 𝑑𝐴 ln = −𝑈𝐴 +
1 Δ𝑇 𝐶ℎ 𝐶𝑐 1
Δ𝑇1 𝐶ℎ 𝐶𝑐
Temperature variation along the Section
of a Parallel Flow Heat Exchanger

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Log Mean Temperature Difference (cont.)
• Substituting for 𝐶ℎ and 𝐶𝑐 , we get :
Δ𝑇2 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
ln = −𝑈𝐴 +
Δ𝑇1 𝑞 𝑞

• For a parallel-flow heat exchanger, Δ𝑇1 = (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) and Δ𝑇2 = 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 thus we obtain:

Δ𝑇2 − Δ𝑇1
𝑞 = 𝑈𝐴
Δ𝑇
ln Δ𝑇2
1

𝑞 = 𝑈𝐴Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚

Δ𝑇2 − Δ𝑇1
Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚 = Δ𝑇1 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,1 − 𝑇𝑐,1 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
Log mean temperature difference Δ𝑇 where Δ𝑇 ≡ 𝑇 − 𝑇 ≡ 𝑇 − 𝑇
ln Δ𝑇2 2 ℎ,2 𝑐,2 ℎ,𝑜 𝑐,𝑜
1

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Log Mean Temperature Difference (cont.)

• The analysis performed for parallel flow is also applicable to a counter-

flow arrangement. However, the endpoint temperatures in the case of a 𝑇ℎ 𝑑𝑞 𝑇ℎ + 𝑑𝑇ℎ
counter-flow exchanger must be defined as:
𝑇𝑐 + 𝑑𝑇𝑐 𝑇𝑐 Heat Transfer
Δ𝑇1 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,1 − 𝑇𝑐,1 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜
Surface Area
Δ𝑇2 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,2 − 𝑇𝑐,2 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 𝑑𝐴

• For the same inlet and outlet temperatures, the log mean temperature
difference for a counter-flow configuration is higher than that for a 𝑇ℎ,𝑖

parallel-flow configuration, i.e., Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚,𝐶𝐹 > Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚,𝑃𝐹

Δ𝑇1 𝑑𝑇ℎ
• A counter-flow arrangement needs a lower surface area compared to a 𝑑𝑞 𝑇ℎ,𝑜
parallel-flow configuration for the same amount of heat transfer. 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 Δ𝑇
Δ𝑇2
𝑇𝑐,𝑖
𝑑𝑇𝑐

Temperature variation along the Section

of a Counter Flow Heat Exchanger

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LMTD – Use of a Correction Factor
• The LMTD relation developed in the previous slides is limited to parallel-flow and counter-flow heat exchangers.
• Similar expressions for cross-flow and multipass shell-and-tube heat exchangers can also be developed but are
too complicated due to the complex flow conditions involved.
• In such cases, the equivalent temperature difference can be related to the log mean temperature difference
relation for the counter flow case with the help of a correction factor, 𝐹:

Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚 = 𝐹Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚,𝐶𝐹

• Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚,𝐶𝐹 is the LMTD for the case of a counter-flow heat exchanger with the same inlet and outlet temperatures.
• The correction factor, 𝐹, depends on the geometry of the heat exchanger and the inlet and outlet temperatures
of the hot and cold fluid streams.
• In general 𝐹 ≤ 1, and the limiting value of 1 corresponds to a counter-flow heat exchanger.
• 𝐹 is a measure of the deviation of the Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚 from the corresponding values for the counter-flow case.

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LMTD – Correction Factor 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
Δ𝑇2
Consider a shell and tube heat exchanger, where the heat transfer
rate can be computed using: 𝑇ℎ,𝑜

𝑞 = 𝑈𝐴FΔ𝑇𝑙𝑚,𝐶𝐹

𝑇ℎ,𝑖
where Δ𝑇2 − Δ𝑇1
Δ𝑇𝑙𝑚,𝐶𝐹 = Δ𝑇1
Δ𝑇
ln Δ𝑇2 𝑇𝑐,𝑜
1
1.0
Δ𝑇1 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,1 − 𝑇𝑐,1 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜
0.9

Correction Factor 𝐹
Δ𝑇2 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,2 − 𝑇𝑐,2 ≡ 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
0.8
And 𝐹 is obtained from Correction Factor charts as shown.
0.7
𝑇1
𝑡2 0.6 𝑇1 − 𝑇2

4.0

1.0
3.0

2.0
Note that T and t represent the shell and 𝑅=
𝑡2 − 𝑡1
tube side temperatures, respectively. 0.5
𝑡1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
𝑡2 − 𝑡1
𝑇2 𝑃=
𝑇1 − 𝑡1

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Condensers and Boilers
• Two special types of heat exchangers commonly used in practice are condensers and boilers.
• In these heat changers one of the fluids undergoes a phase-change process, and thus the rate of heat transfer can
be expressed as
𝑞 = 𝑚ℎ ሶ 𝑓𝑔 where 𝑚ሶ is the rate of evaporation and ℎ𝑓𝑔 is the enthalpy of
vaporization
• During a phase-change process the fluid absorbs or releases a large amount of heat at a constant temperature,
and as a result the heat capacity rate of the fluid approaches infinity since the temperature change is practically
zero. 𝐶 = 𝑚𝑐 ሶ 𝑝→∞ when Δ𝑇 → 0 𝑄 = 𝑚𝑐 ሶ 𝑝 Δ𝑇 is a finite quantity

• Therefore, in heat exchanger analysis, a condensing or a boiling fluid is modeled as a fluid whose heat capacity
rate is infinity. 𝑇 Condensing Fluid 𝑇

𝑄ሶ
Cold Fluid Hot Fluid
𝑄ሶ

Boiling Fluid

Inlet Outlet Inlet Outlet

Condenser 𝐶ℎ → ∞ Boiler 𝐶𝑐 → ∞

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Effectiveness – NTU Method

• LMTD is easy to use in heat exchanger analysis when the inlet and the outlet temperatures of hot and cold fluids
are known or can be determined from the energy balance.
• If only the inlet temperatures are known, use of the LMTD method requires a cumbersome iterative procedure. It
is therefore preferable to use an alternative approach called the effectiveness–NTU (or NTU) method.
• This method is based on a dimensionless parameter called the heat transfer effectiveness 𝜀:
𝑞
𝜀≡
𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥

• The actual heat transfer rate is given by:

𝑞 = 𝐶𝑐 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 = 𝐶ℎ (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 )
• The maximum possible heat transfer rate for a heat exchanger can be estimated using the maximum temperature
difference, i.e., Δ𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖

𝐶𝑐 < 𝐶ℎ : 𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐶𝑐 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) 𝐶ℎ < 𝐶𝑐 : 𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐶ℎ (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )

𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )

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Effectiveness – NTU Method (cont.)

• Substituting these relations, we can get the following expressions for effectiveness:
𝐶ℎ (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 ) 𝐶𝑐 (𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )
𝜀= 𝜀=
𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )
• Thus, if we know 𝜀, 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 and 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 , we can easily calculate the actual heat transfer rate using the following
expression:
𝑞 = 𝜀𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )

• For any heat exchanger:

𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝜀 = 𝑓 𝑁𝑇𝑈,
𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥

• Here 𝑁𝑇𝑈 (number of transfer units) is a dimensionless parameter given by:

𝑈𝐴
𝑁𝑇𝑈 ≡
𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛

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Effectiveness – NTU Method (cont.)
• The effectiveness of a heat exchanger depends on the geometry of the heat exchanger as well as the flow
arrangement.
• Let's determine the effectiveness-NTU relation for a simple parallel flow heat exchanger. Assuming 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝐶ℎ , we
get
𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 using 𝑞 = 𝑚ℎ 𝑐𝑝,ℎ 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚ሶ ℎ 𝑐𝑝,ℎ 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
𝜀= = =
𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑚ሶ 𝑐 𝑐𝑝,𝑐 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜
𝑞 = 𝑚𝑐 𝑐𝑝,𝑐 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖

𝑇ℎ,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 𝑈𝐴 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑙𝑛 =− 1+ → = exp −𝑁𝑇𝑈 1 +
𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥

• Rearranging and simplifying we obtain the following expression for a parallel-flow heat exchanger,
𝐶
1 − exp −𝑁𝑇𝑈 1 + 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝜀=
𝐶
1 + 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑚𝑎𝑥

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Effectiveness – NTU Method (cont.)
• Similar expressions can be developed for different heat exchanger configurations as shown in the table below:

Flow Arrangement Relation

1 − exp[−𝑁𝑇𝑈(1 + 𝐶𝑟 )]
Parallel flow 𝜀=
1 + 𝐶𝑟

1 − exp[−𝑁𝑇𝑈(1 − 𝐶𝑟 )]
Counter-flow (𝐶𝑟 < 1) 𝜀=
1 − Cr exp[−𝑁𝑇𝑈(1 − 𝐶𝑟 )]

1 −1
1 1 + exp − 𝑁𝑇𝑈 1 1+ 𝐶𝑟2 2
Shell and tube one shell pass 𝜀1 = 2 1 + 𝐶𝑟 + 1 + 𝐶𝑟2 2 × 1
1 − exp − 𝑁𝑇𝑈 1 1+ 𝐶𝑟2 2
𝑛 𝑛 −1
1 − 𝜀1 𝐶𝑟 1 − 𝜀1 𝐶𝑟
Shell and tube 𝑛 shell pass 𝜀𝑛 = −1 − 𝐶𝑟
1 − 𝜀1 1 − 𝜀1

1 0.22 0.78
Cross-flow (single pass) 𝜀 = 1 − exp 𝑁𝑇𝑈 {exp −𝐶𝑟 𝑁𝑇𝑈 − 1}
𝐶𝑟

𝜀 = 1 − exp(−𝑁𝑇𝑈)
All exchangers (𝐶𝑟 = 0)

𝐶𝑟 ≡ 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 /𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥

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Effectiveness – NTU Method (cont.)
These expressions can also be represented graphically where the total number of transfer units are plotted along
the x-axis and the effectiveness along the y-axis:

1.0 0.0
0.25
0.50
0.8 0.75
1.00
𝑇ℎ,𝑖 or 𝑇𝑐,𝑖
𝑇𝑐,𝑜 or 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 0.6
𝜀
0.4
𝑇𝑐,𝑖 or 𝑇ℎ,𝑖
𝑇ℎ,𝑜 or 𝑇𝑐,𝑜
0.2

0 1 2 3 4 5
𝑁𝑇𝑈

Effectiveness of a shell and tube heat exchanger with two shell passes and any multiple of four tube passes

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Effectiveness – NTU Method (cont.)

• For most heat exchanger design calculations, it is more convenient to use 𝜀 − 𝑁𝑇𝑈 relations of the
form:
𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑁𝑇𝑈 = 𝑓 𝜀,
𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥

Flow Arrangement Relation

𝑙𝑛[1 − 𝜀(1 + 𝐶𝑟 )]
Parallel flow 𝑁𝑇𝑈 = −
1 + 𝐶𝑟

1 𝜀−1
Counter-flow (𝐶𝑟 < 1) 𝑁𝑇𝑈 = ln
𝐶𝑟 − 1 𝜀𝐶𝑟 − 1

−
1 𝐸−1
𝑁𝑇𝑈 1 = − 1 + 𝐶𝑟2 2 ln
𝐸+1
Shell and tube one shell pass 2
𝜀1 − 1 + 𝐶𝑟
𝐸= 1
1 + 𝐶𝑟2 2

All exchangers (𝐶𝑟 = 0) 𝑁𝑇𝑈 = −𝑙𝑛(1 − 𝜀)

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Heat Exchanger Design and Performance Calculations
• Design Problem: Specify a specific heat exchanger • Performance Calculation: Analyze an existing
type and determine the size when the fluid inlet heat exchanger to determine the heat transfer
temperature and flow rates are known, and the rate and the fluid outlet temperature for
desired hot and cold fluid outlet temperatures are specified flow rates and inlet temperatures.
prescribed.
• Typically used when we want to use off-the-
• Typically used when we want to design a custom- shelf heat exchanger from a vendor.
built heat exchanger for a particular application.
• Solution:
• Solution: ‐ Calculate NTU and (𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 /𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥 )
‐ Calculate 𝜀 and (𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 /𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥 ) ‐ Using the appropriate equation, obtain the 𝜀 value
‐ Using the appropriate equation, obtain the NTU value ‐ Determine q using 𝑞 = 𝜀𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥
‐ Determine A (Area) required for heat transfer ‐ Determine fluid outlet temperatures

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Summary

• In this lesson we talked about the analysis of heat exchangers and discussed how we can perform
design and performance calculations.
• We investigated heat transfer in a heat exchanger using two methods:
‐ Log mean temperature difference
‐ Effectiveness – NTU method
• Lastly, we looked at the procedure used in heat transfer design and performance calculations.

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