Heat Exchangers

CHAPTER 11

Incropera F. P., DeWitt D. P., Bergman T. L., Lavine A. S. Principles of Heat and Mass Transfer, 7th Ed., Wiley, 2013 1
Types Lecture 1
Heat Exchanger Types
• Heat exchangers are heavily used in energy conversion and utilization.
• They involve heat exchange between two fluids separated by a solid and
encompass a wide range of flow configurations.

First: Concentric-Tube or double-pipe Heat Exchangers (parallel flow)

Parallel Flow Counterflow

 Simplest configuration.

 Superior performance associated with counter-flow.

Types (cont.)

Second: Cross-flow Heat Exchangers (perpendicular to each other)

Finned Unfinned
Both Fluids Unmixed One Fluid Mixed the Other Unmixed

 Commonly used in the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems.

 For cross-flow over the tubes, fluid motion, and hence mixing, in the transverse
direction (y) is prevented for the finned tubes, but occurs for the unfinned condition.
 Heat exchanger performance is influenced by mixing.
Types (cont.)

Third: Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

One Shell Pass and One Tube Pass

• The most common type of heat exchanger in industrial applications.

• Baffles are used to establish a cross-flow and to induce turbulent mixing of the shell-side
fluid, both of which enhance convection.
• The number of tube and shell passes may be varied, e.g.:

One Shell Pass, Two Shell Passes,

Two Tube Passes Four Tube Passes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyQ3SaU4KKU
 Types (cont.)

•More: Compact Heat Exchangers

 Widely used to achieve large heat rates per unit volume, particularly when one or both fluids is a gas.
 Characterized by large heat transfer surface areas per unit volume, small flow passages (Dh > 5 mm),
and laminar flow.

(a) Fin-tube (flat tubes, continuous plate fins)

(b) Fin-tube (circular tubes, continuous plate fins)
(c) Fin-tube (circular tubes, circular fins)
(d) Plate-fin (single pass)
(e) Plate-fin (multipass)

Plate heat exchanger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TTF4aU3Pcs

 Overall Coefficient
Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient
• An essential requirement for heat exchanger design or performance calculations.
• Contributing factors include
1. Convection associated with the two fluids,
2. Conduction of the intermediate solid,
3. The potential use of fins on both sides,
4. And the effects of time-dependent surface fouling.

• Lets start with one and two; Convection & Conduction

1
Recall Ch. 3 q  UA (T i T 0 )  (T i T 0 )
Rtot
Where;
1
 1 ln(Do / D i ) 1 
UA     
 hi Ai 2 kL ho Ao 
Also, 1 1 1
   R tot
UA U i A i U o Ao

U i Ai  U o Ao , but U i  U o unless A i  Ao

eg. when Rw  0  A i  Ao  U i  U o
 Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (continue)

• Third one: Fins resistance: θb θb

Also, q t = +
Rb Rf
q t = q b + Nqf = hAbθb + Nη f hAf θb

1 1
Rb  Rf 
hAb N f hAf

Ab  At  NA f

• If the heat transfer surface are finned from both sides (Rw = 0), then
Af
overall surface efficiency: o  1  1  f 
A
tanh  mL 
1
pin fin with adiabatic tip: f 
 1 1  mL
UA    
 ( o hA )i ( o hA )o 
2h
m= , where t is the fin thickness
kt
 Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (continue)

1
 1 R f, i
ln(Do / D i ) R f, o 1 
UA       
 i i
h A A i 2πkL A o h A
o o 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw6UuruIzk8 9
 Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (continue)

For the unfinned, tubular heat exchangers:

1
 1 R f, i ln(Do / D i ) R f, o 1 
UA       
 i i
h A A i 2πkL A o h A
o o 
 Detailed solution: https://youtu.be/dKaQD9uaFFY

Example

“ “

𝑅𝑡𝑜𝑡 = 0.0532 K.m/W

𝑈𝑖 = 399 W/m2.K
𝑈𝑜 = 315 W/m2.K
 Analysis of Heat Exchangers
An engineer often finds himself in a position
1. to select a heat exchanger that will achieve a specified temperature change in
a fluid stream of known mass flow rate – so, the log mean temperature
difference (LMTD) method is the right one to use.
2. to predict the outlet temperatures of the hot and cold fluid streams in a
specified heat exchanger – so, the effectiveness-NTU method is to use.
i  fluid enthalpy
Overall Energy Balance
q  m h  i h ,i  i h ,o 

The rate of heat transfer in HX (neglect potential &
kinetic energy changes for each fluid, HX is insulated) is
q  m c  i c ,o  i c ,i 


q  m h c p ,h T h ,i T h ,o   C h T h ,i T h ,o 


q  m c c p ,c T c ,o T c ,i   C c T c ,o T c ,i 

Also, we have to relate q with temperature
difference between the two fluids:
C h ,C c  Heat capacity rates q  UA T m
 LMTD Method
Heat Exchanger Analysis
- The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) Method -
• A form of Newton’s law of cooling may be applied to heat exchangers by using a log-mean value of the
temperature difference between the two fluids:
T2  T1
q  UA T lm where Tlm  See 11.3.1 & 11.3.2
1n  T2 / T1 
Evaluation of T1 and T 2 depends on the heat exchanger type.
• Parallel-Flow Heat Exchanger: • Counter-Flow Heat Exchanger:

 Note that Tc,o cannot exceed Th,o for a PF HX, but can do so for a CF HX.
 For equivalent values of UA and inlet temperatures, T m ,CF  T m ,PF
Special Conditions
Special Operating Conditions


 Case (a): Ch >> Cc or h is a condensing vapor C h    . q  m hfg
– Negligible or no change in T h T h ,o T h ,i  .
 Case (b): Cc >> Ch or c is an evaporating liquid C c    .

– Negligible or no change in T c T c ,o T c ,i  . Table A.6

More interpretation: the heat capacity rate of a fluid during a phase-change process must
approach infinity since the temperature change is practically zero.
 Case (c): Ch = Cc.  T1  T 2  T m
Example 11.1 Detailed solution: https://youtu.be/lDl4tkaChD0

A counterflow, concentric tube heat exchanger is used to cool the lubricating oil for a large industrial gas turbine engine.
The flow rate of cooling water through the inner tube (Di = 25 mm) is 0.2 kg/s, while the flow rate of oil through the
outer annulus (Do = 45 mm) is 0.1 kg/s. The oil and water enter at temperatures of 100 and 30 oC, respectively.
How long must the tube be made if the outlet temperature of the oil is to be 60 oC?

q  m h c p ,h T h ,i T h ,o 

• Missing outlet or inlet temperatures?
• Overall heat transfer coefficient U?
q  m c c p ,c T c ,o T c ,i 

• ∆Tlm?

q  U A T m
Recall
Ch 8
General Considerations

Remarks on LMTD Method

• The LMTD method is very suitable for determining the size of a heat exchanger
that will fulfill the prescribed outlet temperatures when the mass flow rates and
the inlet and outlet temperatures of the hot and cold fluids are specified.
• So the task is to select a heat exchanger that will meet the prescribed heat transfer
requirements. The procedure to be followed by the selection process is:
1. Select the type of heat exchanger suitable for the application.
2. Determine any unknown inlet or outlet temperature and the heat transfer rate using an energy
balance.
3. Calculate the ∆Tlm .
4. Obtain (select or calculate) the value of the overall heat transfer coefficient U.
5. Calculate the heat transfer surface area As .

• The task is completed by selecting a heat exchanger that has a heat transfer
surface area equal to or larger than As .
Definitions

The Effectiveness – NTU Method

The second type of problem encountered in heat exchanger analysis is the
determination of the heat transfer rate and the outlet temperatures of the hot and cold
fluids for prescribed fluid mass flow rates and inlet temperatures when the type and
size of the heat exchanger are specified.

I- Heat exchanger effectiveness, ε:

q
  actual heat transfer rate 0   1
q max max. possible heat transfer rate
Example:
• Maximum possible heat rate:

q  C c T c ,o T c ,i   C h T h ,i T h ,o 

ΔT max  T h ,i T c ,i

q max  C min T h ,i T c ,i 

C h if C h  C c Cmin  Ch  213.1 W K

C min  or
C c if C c  C h qmax  14.92kW
 II. Number of Transfer Units, NTU

NTU  UA
A dimensionless parameter whose
magnitude influences HX performance: q  with  NTU
C min

q  C c T c ,o T c ,i   C h T h ,i T h ,o   C min T h ,i T c ,i 

• Performance Calculations: • Design Calculations:

  f  NTU,C min / C max  NTU  f   , C min / C max 

Cr Cr
Table 11.3 or Figs. 11.10 - 11.15 Table 11.4 or Figs. 11.10 - 11.15

• For all heat exchangers,   with  C r

• For Cr = 0, a single ε – NTU relation applies to all HX types.

  1  exp   NTU  or NTU  1n 1   

Problem 11.16: The hot and cold inlet temperatures to a concentric tube heat exchanger are Th,i = 200oC, Tc,i = 100oC, respectively.
The outlet temperatures are Th,o = 110oC and Tc,o = 125oC. Is the heat exchanger operating in a parallel flow or in a counterflow
configuration? What is the heat exchanger effectiveness? What is the NTU? Phase change does not occur in either fluid.

1- From energy balance on each fluid:

C h 125  100 
q  C h T h ,i T h ,o   C c T c ,o T c ,i     0.278
C c  200  110 
2- From effectiveness definition:
q Ch T h ,i T h ,o 
   90  0.9
q max Cmin T h ,i T c ,i  100

3- NTU: (Table 11.4 or Fig. 11.11)

NTU  1 ln    1   2.79  2.8  from Fig. 11.11

Cr  1   Cr  1 
 Problem 11.32: A single-pass, cross-flow heat exchanger uses hot exhaust gases (mixed) to heat water
(unmixed) from 30 to 80oC at a rate of 3 kg/s. The exhaust gases, having thermophysical properties similar to
air, enter and exit the exchanger at 225 and 100oC, respectively. If the overall heat transfer coefficient is 200
W/m2 K, estimate the required surface area.

1- From energy balance on each fluid:

q  C c T c ,o T c ,i   12,552 80  30   627,600 W
q  627,600 =C h  225  100   C h  5,021 W/K
Ch
 0.4  C r
Cc

2- From effectiveness definition:

q Ch T h ,i T h ,o 
   125  0.614
q max Cmin T h ,i T c ,i  195

3- NTU: Table 11.4 (eq. 11.34b)

NTU   1 ln  Cr ln 1     1  1.2  UA  A  30.2 m 2

Cr Cmin
Problem 11.18
 Selection of Heat Exchangers
• The uncertainty in the predicted value of U can exceed 30 percent. Thus, it is natural to tend to
overdesign the heat exchangers.
• Heat transfer enhancement in heat exchangers is usually accompanied by increased pressure drop,
and thus higher pumping power. Therefore, any gain from the enhancement in heat transfer
should be considered against the cost associated with pressure drop.
• Usually, the more viscous fluid is more suitable for the shell side (larger passage area and thus
lower pressure drop) and the fluid with the higher pressure for the tube side.
• The suitable selection of a heat exchanger depends on several factors: Heat transfer rate, cost,
pumping power, size and weight, type, materials.
• Annual cost of electricity associated with the operation of the pumps and fans:

Operating Cost  Pumping power  kW   Hours of operation  h   Unit cost of electricity  SR 

 kWh 
Summary
• Types of Heat Exchangers
• The Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient
o Fouling Factor
• Analysis of Heat Exchangers
• The Log Mean Temperature Difference Method
o Counter-Flow Heat Exchangers
o Multipass and Cross-Flow Heat Exchangers
• The Effectiveness-NTU Method
• Selection of Heat Exchangers