CHAPTER 3: Heat Exchanger

- To transfer heat energy from one fluid to

another either (recuperate/harness heat)
- To vaporize (boil) fluid
- To condense fluid
- To increase or decrease the temperature of
flowing fluid
Heat exchanger continues ..

Types of heat exchangers:

a) Double-pipe (counter or parallel flow)

b) Multi tube passes

c) Multi shell passes

Overall heat transfer coefficient

q UATm

U W/m 2 K = Overall heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)
Tm = Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD)

For inner tube,

1
Ui (3.1)
Ai ( Ri Rs Ro )
1
Ui (3.2)

Ai ln o
r
1
ri Ai
hi 2 k L Ao ho


Overall heat transfer coefficient continues ..
For the outer tube,
1 (3.3)
Uo
A0 ( Ri Rs Ro )
1 (3.4)
Uo
ro
Ao Ao ln
ri 1
Ai hi 2 k L ho

Fluid B

Fluid A TA TA
TB
Ti
Ti To
To
TB

1 2
 Example 3.1

Air at 2 bar and 200C flows inside a 25 mm schedule 80 steel

pipe (1% carbon) with h = 65 W/m2 K. A hot gas with h = 180
W/m2.K flows across the outside of the 1 m length pipe at 400C.
Calculate the overall heat-transfer coefficient inside and outside
of the tube.
Solution to Example 3.1

From Appendix A (Table A11)

ID = 2.42 cm = 0.0242 m
OD = 3.34 cm = 0.0334 m
From Table A2
k 42 W/mK k , A
Example 3.1 continues ..

A1 2 r d1
1 1
Ro 0.05294
h0 A0 180 0.0334
1 1
Ri 0.20146
hi Ai 65 0.0242
 Example 3.1 continues ..

ln (ro / ri ) ln 0.0334 / 2 / 0.0242 / 2

Rs 1.221 10 3
2 K L 2 42 1
1 1
Ui
Ai R1 Rs R0 0.0242 1 0.05294 0.20146 1.22110 3

51.46 W/m 2 K

1 1
Uo
Ao R1 Rs R0 0.0334 1 0.05294 0.20146 1.22110 3
37.28 W/m 2 K

U 3.91 W/K
3.5 Log Mean Temperature Difference
Recalling,

q UATm
where
Th 2 Tc 2 Th1 Tc1 (3.10)
Tm
ln Th 2 Tc 2 / Th1 Tc1

Th1 = the temperature of heating fluid at position 1

Tc1 = the temperature of cooling fluid at position 1

Th 2 = the temperature of heating fluid at position 2

Tc 2 = the temperature of cooling fluid at position 2
 LMTD continues ..

The application of LMTD (logarithmic average) in calculating

the heat transfer in heat exchange equipment is based on the
assumption that Cp does not change with temperature and hconv
is constant throughout the length of the tube inside the
equipment.
LMTD continues ..

Counter Flow

Parallel Flow
 Example 3.2

Water at the rate of 68 kg/min is heated from 35 to 75C by oil

having a specific heat of 1.9 kJ/kg K, flowing in a counter- flow
double-pipe exchanger. The oil enters the exchanger at 110C and
leaves at 75C. U is 320 W/m2. K. Calculate the heat-exchanger
area.
Example 3.2 continues ..

The total heat transfer is determined from the energy absorbed by

the water (energy balance):

q m w cw Tw 68 4180 75 35 11.37 MJ/ min

189.5 kW
Example 3.2 continues ..

Since all the fluid temperatures are known, the LMTD can be
calculated
Tm
Th 2 Tc 2 Th1 Tc1
ln Th 2 Tc 2 / Th1 Tc1

Tm
110 75 75 35
37.44 C
ln 110 75 / 75 35
Then, from

q UATm ,

1.895 10 5
A 15.82 m 2
320 37.44
3.6 Multi-pass
Multi-passcross
cross
flow
flow
heat
heat
exchanger
exchanger
For multi tube passes
Tm
Thi Tco Tho Tci (3.11)
ln Thi Tco / Tho Tci
where
Tho = the temperature of heating fluid at the outlet
Tci = the temperature of cooling fluid at the inlet
Thi = the temperature of heating fluid at the inlet
Tco = the temperature of cooling fluid at the outlet
Multi-pass flow continues ..

A correction factor, F is required in order to calculate the heat transfer for

exchanger with one shell and any multiple of two tube passes (Figure 10-8), two
shell and any multiple of four tube passes (Figure 10-9), single pass cross flow
heat exchanger with both fluid unmixed (Figure 10-10) and single pass cross
flow heat exchanger with one fluid mixed and the other unmixed (Figure 10.11).

q UFATm
Multi-tube pass flow continues ..
Multi-shell pass flow continues ..
Effectiveness

The heat transfer can be calculated using the effectiveness of

heat transfer - the ratio of actual heat transfer to the maximum
possible heat transfer.
actual heat ransfer Tact
Heat Effectiveness =
maximum possible heat transfer Tmax
Multi-pass flow continues ..

Example 3.3

Instead of the double-pipe heat exchanger of Example 3.2, it is

desired to use a shell-and-tube exchanger with the water making
one shell pass and the oil making two tube passes. Calculate the
area required for this exchanger, assuming that the overall heat-
transfer coefficient remains at 320 W/m2K
Example 3.3 continues ..

Solution
A correction factor from Fig.10-8 is needed with the LMTD
calculated on the basis of a counter-flow exchanger. The
parameters according to the nomenclature of Figure 10-8 are:

T1 = 35C
T2 = 75C
t1 = 110C
t2 = 75C
 Example 3.3 continues ..

t 2 t1 75 110
P 0.467
T1 t1 35 110

T1 T2 35 75
R 1.143
t 2 t1 75 110

F 0.81

q UFATm ,

1.895 105
A 19.53 m 2 (compare 15.82 m2)
320 0.81 37.44

*Knowing single pass area, multi pass are can be predicted at ease using the figure
 Example 3.4

Water at the rate of 4 kg/s is heated from 35 to 55C in a shell-

and-tube heat exchanger. On the shell side one pass is used with
water as the heating fluid 2 kg/s, entering the exchanger at 95C.
The overall heat-transfer coefficient is 1420 W/m2 K, and the
average water velocity in the 20 mm diameter tubes is 0.4 m/s,
considering constant heat capacity for water. Because of space
limitations the tube length must not be longer than 2.5m.
Calculate the number of tube passes, the number of tubes per
pass, and the length of the tubes, consistent with this restriction.
Example 3.4 continues ..

Assume one tube pass and check to see if it satisfies the condition of this
problem. The exit temperature of the hot water is calculated from,

. .
q m c c c T c m h c h T h

Th
4 4182 55 35 40 C
2 4182 (a)
Example 3.4 continues ..

Th1 95 40 55 0 C

The total required heat transfer is obtained from Eq. (a) for the
fluid:
q 4 4182 55 35 334.6 kW

For a counter flow exchanger

LMTD Tm
95 55 55 35
28.85 C
ln 95 55 / 55 35

q UA Tm

3.346 105
A 8.168 m 2 (b)
1420 28.85
 Example 3.4 continues ..

This is the area of tube wall = dL

The tube length for a single 20mm tube pass,
8.168
L 130 m (c)
having cross sectional area, 0.02
d 2
aCA 3.14 10 4 m 2
For a fluid, 4
Using the average water velocity in the tubes and the flow rate,
the total required flow area for the fluid would be,
.
m c av

4kg/s
A 0 .01 m 2

1000kg/m 3 0.4m/s (d)
 Example 3.4 continues ..

This is apparently much larger than a single tube calculated in

(c). Therefore more tubes must be used to transport the liquid.
The number of the required tubes can be calculated as follows:
A n aCA

n
0.01 31.83 (or n = 32 tubes.)
0.000314
 Example 3.4 continues ..

The new tube length that will fit the flow will be
130
L 4.063 m
32

However, the length is greater than the allowable 2.5m limit.

Thus, more than one tube pass must be designed. From

A for single pass is 8.168m2.

F for 2 passes (from the Figure) is 0.88

A1 pass 8.168
A2 passes 9.281 m 2
F 0.88
 Example 3.4 continues ..

The number of tubes per pass is still 32 because of the velocity

requirement. For the two-tube-pass exchanger the total surface
area is now related to the length by
A2 passes 2 n d L
9.281
L2 passes 2.309 m
2 32 0.0628

This length is within the 2.438m requirement, so the final design

selection is:

Number of tubes per pass = 32

Number of passes =2
Length of tube per pass = 2.309 m
3.7 Number of transfer unit (NTU)
NTU method is an alternative strategy for designing a heat
exchanger, especially when heat capacities of the flowing fluid
are known or the effectiveness, , of the heat exchanger that will
be designed is made known beforehand. The procedures in using
the NTU method are described below, UA
NTU N
C min
(1) Find the Cmin and Cmax
where,
o
o

Cmax m b Cb Cmin m a Ca
higher lower

o o
m a mass flowrate of fluid A m b mass flowrate of fluid B
C a heat capacity of fluid A C b heat capacity of fluid B
 Effectiveness continues ..

(2) Find C
C min
where, C
C max

(3) Find, using

Tact Tmin' q
, or alternatively
Tmax T max qmax

where,

q max C min Tmax

Knowing , use Figure 10-12 to 10-17 to find NTU.

A more accurate value can be obtained using equations from
Table 10.4
Effectiveness continues ..
 Effectiveness continues ..

Using the NTU-Cmin-A-U relationship, A can be calculated from,

NC min
A
U

Note that the use of effectiveness (NTU) approach to

design a heat exchanger obviates the need to apply the correction
factor as normally practiced in LMTD.
Example 3.5

Hot oil at 100C is used to heat air in a shell-and-tube heat

exchanger. The oil makes six tube passes and the air makes one
shell pass; 2.0 kg/s of air are to be heated from 20 to 80C. The
specific heat of the oil is 2100 J/kg K, and its flow rate is 3.0
kg/s. Calculate the area required for the heat exchanger for
U = 200 W/m2 K.
 Example 3.5 continues ..

Solution

C1 mh c h 3.0 2100 6300 W/K

.
C 2 mc cc 2.0 1009 2018W/K
Example 3.5 continues ..

Therefore, C2 = Cmin
So the air is the minimum fluid and
Cmin 2018
C 0.3203
Cmax 6300

The effectiveness is
Tact Tmin' 80 20
0.75
Tmax Tmax 100 20

Now, we may use either Figure 10-16 or the analytical relation

from table 10-4 to obtain NTU. Using the equation,

N 1 0.3203
2 1 / 2
ln

2 / 0.75 1 03203 1 0.32032 1/ 2

1.99
2 / 0.75 1 0.3203 1 0.3203
2 1/ 2

 Example 3.5 continues ..

With U = 200, the area is

Cmin
A NTU
U

1.99 2018
200
C 0.3203
20.09 m 2
0.75
Example 3.6
A shell-and-tube heat exchanger with one shell pass and two tube
passes is used to heat 5.0 kg/s of water from 30C to 80C. The
water flows in the tubes. Condensing steam at 1 bar is used in
the
shell side (Cmax>>Cmin). Calculate:

a. The area of the heat exchanger, if the overall heat-transfer

coefficient is 900 W/m2 K.
b. Suppose this same exchanger is used with entering water at
30C, U=900, but with a water flow rate of 1.3 kg/s. What
would the exit water temperature be under these conditions?
Example 3.6 continues ..
Solution
a.
q 5.0 4180 80 30 1.045 10 6 W
(80 30)
0.7143
(100 30)

For C0 (Cmax>>Cmin).
N ln( 1 ) 1.253
C min
A NTU
U

A
1.253 5 4180
900
2
A = 29.09 m
Example 3.6 continues ..
UA
b. N
C min

N
900 29.09 4.818
1.3 4180
1 e N 0.992

from

Tact

Tmax

Tact 0.992100 30 69.4C

Tco 69.4 30 99.4C

Heat exchanger class problem

A shell-and-tube heat exchanger is used as an ammonia

condenser with ammonia vapor entering the shell as 50C as a
saturated vapor. Water enters the single-pass tube arrangement at
20C and the total heat transfer required is 200 kW. The overall
heat-transfer coefficient is estimated from Table 10-1 as 1000
W/m2 K (ammonia condenser, water in tubes).

a. Determine the area to achieve a heat exchanger effectiveness

of 60 percent with an exit water temperature of 40C.
b. What percent reduction in heat transfer would result if the
water flow is reduced in half while keeping the heat
exchanger area and U the same?
Solution to heat exchanger problem continues ..

Solution

a. The mass flow can be calculated

from the heat transfer with
.
q 200 kW m w cw Tw
. 200
mw 2.39 kg / s
4.18 40 20

Water is the minimum fluid and

.
cmin m w cw 2.39 4.18 10 kW/K
 Solution to heat exchanger problem continues ..

(Cmax>>Cmin)
Solution to heat exchanger problem continues ..

The value of NTU is obtained from the last entry of Table 10-4,
with = 0.6:
N ln 1 ln 1 0.6 0.916
So that the area is calculated as
C min N 10000 0.916
A 9.16 m 2
U 1000
b. When the flow rate is reduced in half, the new value of NTU is
UA 1000 9.16
N 1.832
Cmin 10000 / 2
Solution to heat exchanger problem continues ..

And the effectiveness is computed from the last entry of Table 10-3

1 e N 0.84

The new water temperature difference is computed as

Tw Tmax 0.84 50 20 25.2C (Compare 20C)

The new heat transfer is

10000
q c min Tw 25.2 126 kW
2
So, by reducing the flow rate in half we have lowered the heat
transfer from 200 to 126 kW, or by 37 percent.
3.8 Compact Heat Exchanger
A compact heat exchanger normally possesses a very high
surface area per unit volume. 4 common types of compact heat
exchangers are
Finned flat tube exchanger (Figure 10.18a)

Finned circular tube exchanger (Figure 10.18b)

Finned corrugated rectangular exchanger (Figure

10.18c)
Finned corrugated triangular exchanger (Figure
10.18d)
For compact heat exchanger, the mass velocity, G, is given by
ratio of mass flow rate to the free flow area,
.
m u A (3.12)
G
Ac Ac
which is related to Reynolds number in the following manner,
Dh G
Re

where Dh is the hydraulic diameter, and the ratio of free flow
area to frontal area is given by
Ac
(3.13)
A
The correlation between Stanton numbers and heat transfer
coefficient in compact heat exchanger is,
h
St
Gc p
Knowing the entrance, 1 and exit, 2 specific volumes in the
exchanger, the pressure drop can be calculated using correlation,
 A vm
p
v1G 2
2gc
1
2 v2
v

1 f
A v
(3.14)
1 c 1

where m is the mean volume and f is the friction factor

obtainable from the chart.

Example 3.7
Air at 1 atm and 300K enters a finned flat tube heat exchanger
with a velocity of 15m/s. Calculate the heat transfer coefficient.

Solution
From Table A5, the properties of air are as follows:
= 1.1774 kg/m3 = 1.98310-5 kg/m.s
cp = 1.0057 kJ/kgC Pr = 0.708
From Figure 10.19
Ac
0.697
A
Dh 0.0118ft 3.597 mm
.
m u A 1.1774 15
G 38.18kg/m 2 s
Ac Ac 0.697

Re

Dh G 3.597 10 3 38.18
6. 926 10 3

1.983 10 5

From Figure 10.19

h
StPr 2/3 0.0036 Pr 2 / 3
Gc p

h
0.0036 38.181005.7
174 W/m 2 C
0.708 2 / 3
3.9 Radiation - Revisited

All the examples attempted so far have been simplified to the

point where convection coefficient (h) or overall heat transfer
coefficient (U) has been conveniently provided. In practices, h
(prior to obtaining U) must be determined by first understanding
the types or properties of the flow (laminar/turbulent) and
applying the appropriate formulae as briefed in the convection
revisited sub heading. There are various cases where radiation
takes place in the heat exchanger system that must be accounted
for. For this, earlier definition on calculation of heat transfer due
to radiation must be applied and added to the energy calculated
for the heat exchanger system design. Please recall that radiant
energy per unit area,
Eb1 Eb 2
q rad (3.15)
Requiv
where Requiv is the equivalent resistance due to space (shape
factor) and surface (thermal conductivity of surface
material)

3.10 Furnace
Furnaces (also called fired heaters) are often used to heat,
vaporize and/or react process stream at high temperatures
and high flow rates. It has been designed using either
rectangular or cylindrical steel chambers lined with
firebrick.
The process fluid flows through tubes that are arranged in a
so-called radiant section around the inside wall or furnace
enclosure.
In this section, heat transfer to the outer surface of
the tubes is predominantly by radiation from combustion
gases
resulting from burning of the furnace fuel with air.

To recover as much energy as possible from the combustion

gases, a so-called convection section, where the gases flow
over a bank of extended-surface tubes, surmounts the
radiation
section.
In this section, heat transfer from the gases to the
tubes is predominantly by forced convection.