Heat Exchangers: Design Considerations

1. Heat Exchangers:Design Considerations

2. Parallel Flow Counterflow Heat Exchanger Types Types Heat exchangers are ubiquitous to energy conversion and utilization. They involve heat exchange between two fluids separated by a solid and encompass a wide range of flow configurations. • Concentric-Tube Heat Exchangers • Simplest configuration. • Superior performance associated with counter flow.

3. Finned-Both Fluids Unmixed Unfinned-One Fluid Mixed the Other Unmixed Types (cont.) • Cross-flow Heat Exchangers • 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.

4. One Shell Pass and One Tube Pass Types (cont.) • Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers • 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 Tube Passes Two Shell Passes, Four Tube Passes

5. Types (cont.) • 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, 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)

6. Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association

7. Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient Overall Coefficient 1 / U A = 1 / h1 A1 + dxw / k A + 1 / h2 A2 where U = the overall heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K) A = the contact area for each fluid side (m2) k = the thermal conductivity of the material (W/mK) h = the individual convection heat transfer coefficient for each fluid (W/m2K) dxw = the wall thickness (m)

8. Overall Coefficient • where • kw - Thermal Conductivity of Fluid • DH - Hydraulic Diameter • Nu - Nusselt Number • where: • ν : kinematic viscosity, ν = μ / ρ, (SI units : m2/s) • α : thermal diffusivity, α = k / (ρcp), (SI units : m2/s) • μ : dynamic viscosity, (SI units : Pa s) • k: thermal conductivity, (SI units : W/(m K) ) • cp : specific heat, (SI units : J/(kg K) ) • ρ : density, (SI units : kg/m3 ). • V : Fluid velocity (SI units m/s) • L : Pipe Internal Diameter (SI units m) n = 0.4 for heating (wall hotter than the bulk fluid) and 0.33 for cooling (wall cooler than the bulk fluid) 

9. Thermal Conductivity

10. Counter-Flow Heat Exchanger: Evaluation of depends on the heat exchanger type. A Methodology for Heat Exchanger Design Calculations - The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) Method - 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:

11. LMTD Method (cont.) • Parallel-Flow Heat Exchanger: • Note that Tc,ocan not exceed Th,ofor a PF HX, but can do so for a CF HX. • For equivalent values of UA and inlet temperatures, • Shell-and-Tube and Cross-Flow Heat Exchangers:

12. Overall Energy Balance Energy Balance • Application to the hot (h) and cold (c) fluids: • Assume negligible heat transfer between the exchanger and its surroundings • and negligible potential and kinetic energy changes for each fluid. • Assuming no l/v phase change and constant specific heats,

13. Case (a): Ch>>Cc or h is a condensing vapor • Case (b): Cc>>Ch or c is an evaporating liquid • Negligible or no change in • Negligible or no change in Special Operating Conditions Special Conditions • Case (c): Ch=Cc.