CHAPTER 10

HEAT EXCHANGERS

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Heat exchange between two different bodies at
different temperatures occur in many engineering
applications. Such kind of heat exchange takes
place in devices called heat exchangers.
10.1 HEAT EXCHANGER TYPES
Typically these are classified according to flow
arrangement and type of construction. The simplest
type is the concentric tube (or double pipe) shown
in figchp10\fig10.1.pptx (a) and (b) with parallel or
counter flow arrangement.
Another type is the cross flow (perpendicular to each
other) and they could be finned or unfinned tubular
heat exchangers as shown in figchp10\fig10.2.pptx
(a) and (b). 2
These are differentiated by the mode of flow which
result in mixed or unmixed situation. If we look at
the finned heat exchanger, externally the fluid is
prevented from flowing in the y direction which
otherwise would have resulted in mixing. This is the
unmixed (externally). Internally the flow is also
limited to the x- direction only. This is also
unmixed case (internally). With the same type of
explanation, the heat exchanger in (b) mixed
externally, while it is unmixed internally.
Another common configuration is the shell-and-tube
heat exchanger shown in figchp10\fig10.3.pptx
which is one shell and one tube pass (simplest
form). Baffles are used
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(a) to increase the convection coefficient of the shell side
fluid (b) to support the tubes.
Multiple shell passes and tube passes are shown in
figchp10\fig10.4.pptx .
A special and important class of heat exchangers is used
to achieve a very large (≥ 400 m2/m3 for liquids and ≥
700 m2/m3 for gases) heat transfer surface area per unit
volume (figchp10\fig10.5.pptx ). These are termed as
compact heat exchangers. They have dense arrays of
finned tubes or plates and are typically used when at
least one of the fluids is a gas. The tubes may be flat
or circular and fins may be plate or circular. Parallel
plate heat exchangers may be finned or corrugated and
may be 4
used in single-pass or multipass. Flow passages
associated with compact heat exchangers are
typically small (Dh ≤ 5 mm), and the flow is usually
laminar.
10.2 THE OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER
COEFFICIENT
It is to be recalled from chapter 3 that the overall heat
transfer coefficient was defined in terms of the
convective resistances and conduction resistances as
1 1 1 1 1
= = = + Rw +
UA U c Ac U h Ah ( hA)c ( hA)h

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where Rw is the resistance of the wall (tube). This will
be true for clean and new tubes. But operating tubes
have a film or scale formed on the surface and these
bring additional thermal resistances. This is termed
as the fouling factor and designated by Rf. And with
inclusion of this resistance on the inside and outside
of the tube, the relation becomes
1 1 1 1 R'f' ,c R'f' ,h
1
= = = + + Rw + +
UA U c Ac U h Ah ( hA)c Ac Ah ( hA)h

Moreover if both the inside and outside surfaces are

finned, the above equation becomes
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 1 1 1 1 R'f' ,c R'f' ,h 1
= = = + + Rw + +
UA U c Ac U h Ah (o hA)c (o Ac ) (o Ah ) (o hA)h

Where q = ηohA(Tb –T∞)

And the overall fin efficiency was given by
Af
o  1  (1   f )
A
Some representative values of fouling factors and and
overall heat transfer coefficients are given in tables
10.1 and 10.2 respectively. TABLES1&2.docx
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Heat Exchanger Analysis: Use of the Log Mean
Temperature Difference
For heat transfer occurring between a hot and cold
fluid as shown in figchp10\fig10.6.pptx, the energy
balance on the cold and hot fluid will give the total
heat transfer rate as
q  m
 h (hh,i  hh,o )  m
 c (hc,o  hc,i )
For no change of phase and constant specific heats
q  m
 hc p,h (Th,i  Th,o )  m
 cc p,c (Tc,o  Tc,i )
Where the temperatures refer to mean temperatures.
The total heat transfer can also be based on the
temperature difference ΔT between the hot
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and the cold fluids given by
ΔT ≡Th – Tc
But this temperature difference varies throughout the
flow and an appropriate mean temperature
difference must be used. If we use an overall heat
transfer codfficient, U, that will account for the
thermal resistance due to convections on both sides
and the interface conduction, then
q = UA ΔTm
Methods for determining this ΔTm will be seen below

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Parallel-Flow Heat Exchangers
Using subscripts 1 and 2 at inlets and exits,
respectively, and applying energy balance on the
control volumes (figchp10\fig10.7.pptx ) will give
dq  m h c p ,h dTh  Ch dTh
dq  m c c p ,c dTc  Cc dTc
Ch and Cc are heat capacity rates which are products
mass flow rate and the respective specific heats.
The heat transfer crossing the partition between the
hot and cold fluid is expressed as
dq = U(ΔT)dA ΔT = Th – Tc (local)
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 dq dq 1 1
d(ΔT) = dTh – dTc =    dq  
C h Cc  C h Cc 
And substitution of dq gives
1 1
d(ΔT) = -U(ΔT)dA   
C C  h c 
d ( T ) 1 1
 U    dA
T  C h Cc 
2 d ( T ) 1 1 2
1 T
  U     dA
 h
C C c
1

( T ) 2 1 1  Th ,i  Th ,o Tc ,o  Tc ,i 
ln  UA    UA  
(T )1  C h Cc   q q 


UA
(Th,i  Tc,i )  (Th,o  Tc,o )   (T1  T2 11)
UA
q q
This will give
T2 UA
ln  (T2  T1 )
T1 q
(T2  T1 )
q  UA  UATm
T2
ln
T1
Form the above it follows that the mean temperature
difference is expressed as the log mean temperature
difference, ΔTlm defined by
(T2  T1 ) (T1  T2 )
Tlm  
T2 T1
ln ln
T1 T2
T1  Th ,1  Tc ,1  Th ,i  Tc ,i
T2  Th , 2  Tc , 2  Th ,o  Tc ,o 12
The Counter-Flow Heat Exchanger
As shown in figchp10\fig10.8.pptx the flows are in
opposite directions. Same type of analysis will give
the same result, using the same numbering systems.
ΔT1 ≡ Th,1 – Tc,1 = Th,i – Tc,o
ΔT2 ≡ Th,2 – Tc,2 = Th,o – Tc,i
Example 10.1 examples.docx
Special Operating Conditions
When one of the fluids undergoes a phase change,
theoretically its specific heat has an infinite value.
This will also push the heat capacity to have an
infinite value. These types of heat transfer occur13
in condensation and evaporation. These are shown in
figchp10\fig10.9.pptx . The heat transfers between
inlet and outlet are determined by using enthalpy
changes.
Another special case for a counter flow is for the case
Ch = Cc. This results in ΔT1 = ΔT2 = ΔTlm.

Multipass and Cross Flow Heat Exchangers

Here flow conditions are more complicated and for
practical applications the counterflow equation is
used with a correction factor F as
ΔTlm = F ΔTlm,CF
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The correction factor F is given in figchp10\fig10.10-
13.pptx. The graphs give as a function of P and a
parameter R defined as
t o  ti Ti  To
P R
Ti  ti to  ti
(Capital letter for shell fluid)

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Heat Exchanger Analysis:
The Effectiveness-NTU Method
If all the inlet and outlet are either given or can be
determined (outlet temperature by energy balance),
then the log-mean temperature method (LMTD) is
preferable. If only the inlet temperatures are known,
the LMTD method will require iterative procedures.
An alternative approach is the effectiveness-NTU or
NTU method.
Definitions
Effectiveness requires the determination of the
maximum possible heat transfer rate, qmax.
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This will involve the maximum temperature difference
(Th,i – Tc,i) which one of the fluids will have to
undergo. Simple application of the First law
suggests that the fluid with minimum heat capacity
C will undergo this temperature change. It could be
Cc or Ch.
The above argument suggests that
qmax =Cmin(Th,i –Tc,i)
Effectiveness is defined as

q

qmax
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From the energy balance equations, it follows that
Ch (Th ,i  Th ,o ) Cc (Tc ,o  Tc ,i )
 or  
Cmin (Th ,i  Tc ,i ) Cmin (Th ,i  Tc ,i )
And this gives the heat transfer as
q = εCmin(Th,i – Tc,i)
This is an alternate approach for heat exchanger
analysis which requires the knowledge of ε, Th,i , Tc,i
.
For any heat exchanger it can be shown that
 Cmin 
  f  NTU , 
 Cmax  18
NTU is the number of transfer units, widely used for
heat exchanger analysis, defined as
UA
NTU 
C min

Effectiveness-NTU Relations
To develop the relation between ε and NTU, consider
parallel flow heat exchanger with Cmin = Ch. This
gives
Th ,i  Th ,o

Th ,i  Tc ,i
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Form energy balance equation
Ch Cmin Tc ,o  Tc ,i m h c p ,h
  
Cc Cmax Th,i  Th,o m c c p ,c
Reconsider the equation (slide 11)
T2  1 1 
ln  UA  
T1  C h Cc 
Which can be expressed for parallel flow as
 Th ,o  Tc ,o  UA  Cmin 
ln   1   Cmin  Ch
 Th ,i  Tc ,i  Cmin  C max 

Th ,o  Tc ,o   Cmin 
 exp  NTU 1  
Th ,i  Tc ,i   Cmax 
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The left hand expression can be written as
Th ,o  Tc ,o Th ,o  Th ,i  Th ,i  Tc ,o

Th ,i  Tc ,i Th ,i  Tc ,i

Determine Tc,o as (slide 8) and substitute.

Cmin
Tc ,o  Tc ,i  (Th ,i  Th ,o )
Cmax
Cmin
(Th ,o  Th ,i )  (Th,i  Tc ,i )  (Th ,i  Th,o )
Th,o  Tc ,o Cmax

Th ,i  Tc ,i Th,i  Tc ,i
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Putting in the definitions
Th ,o  Tc ,o Cmin  Cmin 
   1    1   1  
Th ,i  Tc ,i Cmax  Cmax 
Substitution of the left hand expression in the previous
exponential equation gives
  Cmin   Cmin 
exp NTU 1    1   1  
  Cmax   Cmax 
From which for parallel flow HX
  Cmin  
1  exp NTU 1   
  Cmax  

Cmin
1
Cmax 22
Precisely the same result is obtained if Cc = Cmin.
Similar expressions have been developed for a variety
of heat exchangers and the results are given in
TABLES3&4.docx. Cr = Cmin/Cmax . These are
also shown graphically in
figchp10\fig10.14&15.pptx figchp10\fig10.16.pptx
figchp10\fig10.18.pptx figchp10\fig10.19.pptx. In
deriving the equation for n-shell passes, NTU is
equally distributed between all shell passes, NTU =
n(NTU)1. ε1 for one shell pass will be NTU/n.
Example 10.2 examples.docx
.
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An alternative ε-NTU relations given by
NTU = f(ε, Cmin/Cmax)
is given in TABLES3&4.docx
Example 10.3 examples.docx

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