Heat Exchangers Problems

General Equations, F-AT

ln
, and c, NTU methods

Problem 1.1 The tubes of a water-water heat exchanger are 25mm outside diameter
with 2 mm thickness. The water inside the tubes has a flow rate of 20 ton/h enters at
35C and is heated until 55C by a flow rate of 10 ton/h outside the tubes entering at
100C. The heat exchanger has one passage in the shell and the velocity inside the
tubes should be larger than 0.5 m/s. The global heat transfer coefficient can be
assumed as 1200 W/m
2
K. If the length of the tubes can not exceed three meters,
calculate:
a) The number of tubes per passage. (32)
b) The number of tubes passages. (2)
c) The lenght of the tubes. (2.6m)

Problem 1.2 Consider a heat exchanger with concentric tubes that is very long or for
a fixed lenght that the global heat transfer coefficient is very high. The hot and cold
fluids have similar specific heat and enter at 80C and 20C, respectively. The hot
fluid flow rate is the double of the cold fluid. For the co and counter flow:
a) Sketch the temperature profiles of both fluids along the heat exchanger.
b) Determine the outlet temperature for each fluid.
c) Determine the efficiency of the heat exchangers.

Problem 1.3 A shell and tube heat exchanger with respectively one and two
passages is designed to cool a flow rate of 15 kg/s of a fluid from 200C to 120 C
using a 37.5 kg/s flow rate of a fluid which increases its temperature from 60C to
80C. The specific heat of the hot and cold fluid is respectively 2500 and 4000 J/kg K.
The project global heat transfer coefficient is 500 W/m
2
K considering a fouling heat
transfer resistance in the external tube side of 0.3 m
2
K/kW.
a) Calculate the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger. (72m
2
)
b) At the startup of the heat exchanger (with clean surfaces) what is the expected
outlet temperatures of both fluids. (114C, 82C)
c) Calculate the outlet temperatures of the fluids for the project conditions if the inlet
temperatures are modified to 190C and 70C. (122C, 87C)
d) In an emergency situation if the cooling flow is reduced to 30 kg/s the global heat
transfer coefficient is reduced to 450 W/m
2
K. What are the new values for the
outlet temperature of both fluids? (128C, 83C)

Heat Exchangers Associations

Problem 2.1 With the objective of removing 25 kW from a water flow rate of
0.25kg/s initially at 80C using cold water flow rate of 0.125 kg/s to achieve a
maximum of 75 C, we want to know if it is possible to use heat exchangers (1x2) and
how many. The global heat transfer coefficient is assumed to be 400W/m
2
K.
a) Indicate the type of arrangement, the number of units and the area of each to
achieve the objectives.
b) If after a certain period the heat exchanged is reduced to 24 kW, estimate the
increase in heat transfer resistance due to fouling and compare with typical values.

Problem 2.2 In an association in series of three shell and tube (2x1) heat exchangers
the cold fluid in the shell has the maximum heat capacity
Max
C

= 36 kW/K and the

heat capacity ration is r=0.5. The global heat transfer coefficient is 60 W/m
2
K and the
efficiency of the association is 0.9. The inlet temperatures are 20C and 280C.
a) Calculate the efficiency of each unit and the heat transfer area. (393m
2
)
b) Calculate the outlet temperatures from the association (46C, 137C)
c) Calculate the heat exchanged in the association. (4212kW)
d) Calculate all the intermediate temperatures between the units. (40, 86, 75 and
156C)
e) After some operation time the hot fluid outlet temperature is 70C. What are the
possible causes for this? Estimate the parameters that are modified.
f) Calculate the heat that would be exchanged if the three units were associated in
parallel and the global heat transfer coefficient was 40 W/m
2
K.

Problem 2.3 An association of two shell and tube heat exchangers 4*2, with an
individual area of 96 m
2
have a project efficiency of 83% when the inlet temperatures
are 25C and 140C. The project heat transfer resistance is 2 m
2
K / kW. The flow
rates and specific heat capacities are presented in the following table.

Fluid Flow rate (kg/s) Specific heat (kJ/kg K)
Hot 6 1.73
Cold 9 1.54

a) What is the project heat transfer coefficient. (190W/m
2
K)
b) Determine the outlet temperature and the temperature between the units.
(T
ho
=45C, T
co
=97, T
hb
=83C, T
cb
=54C)
c) Calculate the global heat transfer coefficient if the outlet temperature of the hot
fluid is 50C. (U=140W/m
2
K)
d) What is the fouling heat transfer resistance in that situation? (3.8 m
2
K / kW)

Problem 2.4 Consider an association of two heat exchangers where the cold fluid
goes through the two units in series while the hot fluid passes in parallel. For a matter
of convenience of assembling one unit will work in co-flow while the other in
counter-flow.


a) Verify that the efficiency is independent of the order of the heat exchangers.
b) Deduce the equations for the efficiency as a function of r in the case of large heat
capacity NTU for the different cases that you can identify (1, 2A and 2B from
the theory) Compare the values of the efficiency for r
G
=0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0.
c) Calcule a eficincia do conjunto para as diversas condies indicadas na tabela:

NTU
Global
1.0 1.0 1.0 3 3 3
r
Global
0.25 0.25 0.75 0.25 0.25 0.75
Fluid in parallel
min
C

Mx
C

Mx
C

min
C

Mx
C

Mx
C

c
Counter-flow

c
Co-flow

c
Global

Heat exchanger with intermediate fluid or solid matrix

Problem 3.1 We want to plan the heating of combustion air from the flue gases but
the distance between the ducts is large so it is planned the instalation of a heat recover
system using an intermediate water circuit. Assume the following values:
Flue gases (FG): m =0.8 kg/s, c
p
=1.2 kJ/kg K, T
hi
=350C, T
ho
=245C.
Air: m =4 kg/s, c
p
=1 kJ/kg K, T
ci
=20C
Neglecting the heat losses in the pipes and from the heat exchangers:
a) Calculate the global efficiency of the regenerator (air/flue gases).
b) Assuming that the water flow rate is very large, calculate the efficiency of both
heat exchangers (Air/Water and FG/Water) considering that they are similar.
(If you do not calculate this consider 40%)
c) Calculate the average water temperature in this case.
d) If the water flow rate is finite ( m =2 kg/s, c
p
=4.2 kJ/kgK) calculate the minimum
and maximum water temperature indicating where they occur.
e) If the efficiency of the heat exchangers (Air/Water) and (FG/Water) are different
which one, should be larger to minimize the average water temperature.
Exemplify for a set of values.













3.2 Consider a solid matrix regenerator, 4 m in diameter with a height of 0.9m. The
matrix contains 5 ton of metal with a specific heat of 450 J/kg K and has a heat
transfer area of 3500 m
2
. 50 kg/s of flue gas enters at a temperature of 500C in one
side while a similar flow of air at 15C enters the other side in counter-flow. Consider
that both fluids have specific heat of c
p
=1.05 kJ/kgK and the heat transfer coefficient
between the gases and the solid matrix is 130 W/m
2
K.
a) Calculate which will be the average outlet temperature of air if the rotation
period is 40 s and 120 s? Compare the results obtained with the simplified
analysis and the results from the c-NTU graphs. Pay attention to the
definitions of AU in both analysis.
b) Evaluate the effects of the axial conduction in the regenerator efficiency,
knowing that = 1850 kg/m
3
, k= 1.4 W/mK, o= 7.1x 10
-7
m
2
/s.

Problems on concentric tubes heat exchangers

Problem 4.1 Dimension a concentric tube heat exchanger to promote the heat
transfer between two water streams with the following values: Q
Vh
= 3m
3
/h, T
hi
= 70C,
T
ho
= 64C, Q
Vc
= 4m
3
/h, T
ci
= 30C. For the pressure drop consider as criteria that the
pumping power for each fluid is lower than 0.5% of the heat exchanged.
Flue Gases Pre-heated air

Problem 4.2 The heat exchanger represented in the figure is used to heat a flow of 5
kg/s of Dowtherm fluid from 15 to 65 C using water that is cooled from 95 to 75 C.
The hot water circulates inside while the heat transfer fluid circulates outside the
tubes due to the higher viscosity.
1) What is the length of the heat exchanger required to perform the duty required?
2) What is the pressure drop in the heat exchanger assuming sections of 1m.
3) What is the outlet temperature of the heat exchanger if the length is 50m.
4) What is the new heat exchange area if the water circulates in parallel in four sets.
5) What is the purpose of the 32 fins mounted on the external surface of the tube.

Proprerties Dowtherm Water at 40C
Density kg/m
3
1044 969
Specific heat J/kgK 1622 4197
Condutivity W/mK 0.138 0.676
Viscosity Ns/m
2
2.7x10
-3
3.11x10
-4



Problemas sobre heat exchangers de corpo and feixe tubular

Problem 5.1 - Consider a shell and tube heat exchanger with an internal diameter of
the shell of 31'' and 3m long tubes. This heat exchanger is to cool a flow rate of 10
kg/s of a hydrocarbon initially at 150 C, using a flow rate of 13 kg/s of water at 30
C. The hydrocarbon flows on the outer tubes while the water circulates inside the
tubes making two passes. The heat exchanger tubes have an outside diameter and
thickness of 2.1mm (BWG14) and are arranged in a square with a ratio pitch/diameter
of 1.25.
Proprieties of fluids: Water c
p
= 4.2 kJ/kg K = 0.0007 kg/m s
Hydrocarbon c
p
= 2.75 kJ/kg K = 0.031 kg/m s

a) Estimate the heat exchange area indicating the assumptions made.
(If you do not solve, consider the value of 100m
2
for the rest of the problem)
b) Indicate the maximum number of baffles recommended for this heat exchanger
according to TEMA standards. (If you do not indicate consider 15)
c) Calculate the Reynolds number for flow inside and outside of the tubes that would
enable the calculation of the heat transfer.
d) Indicate the criteria that can be used to decide the flow of the hydrocarbon outside
and the water inside the tubes.
e) Considering that the hydrocarbon is cooled until 70C when the heat exchanger is
clean, calculate what is the expected outlet temperature assuming a heat transfer
resistance of 0.5 K m
2
/ kW.
Problem 5.2 A shell and tube heat exchanger of class C, has copper alloy tubes of
diameter 1" BWG14 with a length of 16 ft, arranged in a triangle with a spacing of 1"
. The heat exchanger body diameter is 25". The fluid that circulates in the tubes
makes two passages. The two currents are water the cold water with a flow rate of 1.3
kg /s entering at 15 C, while the hot fluid flow rate is 1.8kg/s entering at 86 C. The
convection coefficients and fouling resistances for the interior and exterior of the
tubes is estimated as
Inner fluid; h=552W/m
2
K and R
suj
m
2
K/kW = 1.5.
Outside fluid h=427W/m
2
K and R
suj
=1.0 m
2
K/kW.
a) What is the number of rods required and its diameter?
b) What is the recommended number of flow baffles?
c) What is the number of tubes and their heat transfer area?
d) Determine the overall coefficient of heat transfer.
e) What is the thermal power transferred under these conditions

Problem 5.3 A shell and tube heat exchanger 2x1, has a shell diameter of 17", the
tube bundle consists of tubes " BWG16, with a length of 16ft, arranged in diamond
with a spacing of 1". The heat exchanger cools a water flow rate of 2kg/s from
seawater at 95C at the expense of 1.5 kg/s of treated cooling water which is available
at 20C. The convection coefficients are 500 W/m
2
K for sea water and 600 W/m
2
K
for treated cooling water.
a) What is the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger?
b) Is it possible to cool the sea water until at least 65 C in this heat exchanger?
c) What is the best solution if both fluids flow rates are doubled and the sea water has
to reach 60C?

Problem 5.4 A shell and tube heat exchanger 2x1 is designed to cool a hydrocarbon
by water. The hydrocarbon circulates outside the tubes while the water circulates in a
total of 620 tubes "BWG16 steel. The tubes are arranged in diamond shape with a
pitch of 1 "and have a length of 2.4 m. There are seven baffles.
The known characteristics are shown in the table below.
Hidrocarbon Cooling Water
Flow rate (kg/s) 5 10
Inlet temperature (C) 210 25
Heat transfer resistance (m
2
K/kW) 0.35 0.17
Specific heat (kJ/kg K) 2.75 4.2
Viscosity (kg/ms) 0.03 0.0007
Density (kg/m
3
) 800 1000
a) Calculate the Reynolds number for both flows and comment the results.
b) Assuming that the global heat transfer coefficient for the design situation is
350W/m2K, calculate the efficiency of heat exchanger and the outlet temperature
of the hydrocarbon.
c) With clean surfaces, calculate the outlet temperature of the hydrocarbon.
d) In the case the hydrocarbon flow rate is doubled using the same flow of water,
compare the use of three alternatives: 1) two units in series, 2) two units in parallel
and 3) two units with the water in series and the hydrocarbon in parallel. Assume
that the heat transfer coefficient is similar and estimate the heat transfer efficiency
for each case. Comment on the expected variation of transfer coefficient and
pressure drop.

Problems on plate heat exchangers

Problem 6.1 A plate heat exchanger has 11 thermal plates with an area of 0.04 m
2

each. They are connected in U with a single passage for each fluid. The flow rates,
specific heat and inlet temperature of both fluids are in the following table. The
design fouling resistance for each side is 0.1 m
2
K/kW and the outlet temperature of
cold fluid is expected to be 65 C.

Fluid Flow rate
(kg/s)
Specific heat
(kJ/kg K)
Inlet temperature
(C)
Hot 0.20 1.73 120
Cold 0.45 1.54 30

a) Draw the flow of the two streams in the heat exchanger and determine the total
number of plates, including the endplates.
b) What is the design overall heat transfer coefficient.
c) When the outlet temperature of the hot fluid is 60 C what is the value of the
fouling heat transfer resistances.
d) Determine the variation in the heat exchange if the hot fluid makes two passes in
the heat exchanger and if the heat transfer coefficient increases by 20%.

Problem 6.2 - In a heat exchanger type heat plate with thermal plates 19, the hot fluid
at a flow rate of 0.25 kg/s, makes a single pass through the heat exchanger. For its
part, the cold stream at a flow rate of 0.125 kg / s, makes two passes in the heat
exchanger. The permuted thermal power is 25 kW when the hot fluid enters at 90 C
and the cold fluid at 38 C. The two fluids have the same specific heat equal to 4.5
kJ/kgK.
a) If the heat transfer area of each plate is 0.1 m2, determine the global heat transfer
coefficient required for the operating conditions indicated.
b) If the cold fluid has only one passage and the global heat transfer coefficient is
reduce to 1 kW/m
2
K, calculate the new heat exchanger efficiency.

Problems on tube or plate finned heat exchangers.

Problem 7.1 - Consider a heat exchanger to heat water using the combustion products
of a Diesel engine. At full load the gas flow is 1 kg/s (c
p
= 1.05kJ/kg K, constant) at
530C warming a flow rate of 2 kg/s of water initially at 20C. The heat exchanger is
made of 12 mm (outer diameter) tubes, arranged in a triangular pitch with longitudinal
and transverse pitch of 25 mm and 30 mm as depicted in the figure. The tubes have
250 fins per meter, which are continuous and have a thickness of 0.5 mm. The tubes
are 0.5m long and there are 8 rows in the direction of the flow with 16 tubes each.
a) Calculate the heat transfer area, dividing the contribution of the tubes and fins
and the hydraulic diameter for the gases. (20 m
2
)
b) Assuming a global heat transfer coefficient of 50 W/m
2
K calculate the outlet
water temperature if it circulates in parallel in all the tubes as shown in b).
c) In order to increase the water outlet temperature it is proposed to divide the
heat exchanger into two units with four rows of tubes each as shown in c).
For this case calculate the new outlet temperature of the water and the
intermediate temperature of the gases. Comment the results.

a) b) c)










Problem 7.2 Consider a cross-flow heat exchanger consisting of finned plates with
overall dimensions shown in the figure. The plates have 2mm thickness and the fins,
mounted between the plates, have a height of (h = 8mm). The fins are off-set with a
step (x = 10mm) in the direction of flow, width (w = 1mm) and pitch (s = 10mm). For
this type of fins consider the following correlation:

D
B
A
h
3
1
Re
s
h
*
d
x
* C
Pr Re
Nu
j

|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
= = with

The heat exchanger is used to heat an air flow rate of 0.2 kg/s from room temperature
(20C) using a flow rate of 0.7 kg/s of gases (c
p
=1.14 kJ/kgK) initially at 250 C.

a) Calculate the hydraulic diameter, the o factor (ratio of passage area and frontal
area) and the total heat transfer area for one of the gas streams. (6 m
2
).
b) Discuss the consequences of the choice of direction for the flow of air and
gases in terms of the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop.
c) Considering the air flowing through the section with larger frontal area,
calculate the convection coefficient.
d) Considering that the convection coefficient of the gas side is 200W/m
2
K,
calculate the overall coefficient of heat transfer.
C A B D Re
0.48 0.16 0.18 0.54 <1000
0.24 0.32 0.09 0.37 >1000

D=12mm
25
mm
30mm
d) Calculate the gas side outlet temperature and indicate an appropriate
temperature for calculating the properties of both fluids.
e) Describe qualitatively the influence of the cuts in the fins (off-set) compared
to continuous, with respect to pressure drop, heat transfer and efficiency.












Problem 7.3 - Compare two types of heat transfer surfaces whose characteristics are
presented in the figures. These surfaces are designed for a heat exchanger with a fixed
total volume where air (= 20x10
-6
kg/m/s, = 2kg/m
3
) should have a speed of 8 m/s.
a) Calculate the relative value of the convection coefficient and indicate which
surface allows for higher heat transfer, presenting the simplifications made.
b) Calculate the relative value of pressure losses and indicate which surface has a
higher ratio between heat transfer and ventilation power consumption.
Indicate the assumptions made and calculate relative values.




0.3 m
0.5 m
0.16
X
s
h
s=10mm
h=8mm
x=10mm
w=1mm
t=2mm
1.1 1.2
t
Problems about thermal integration of heat exchangers

Problem 8.1 - Consider the diagram below of the pinch point analysis based on the
accumulated heating and cooling currents. Based on these figures:
a) Identify the temperature at which the pinch point occurs and what is the
temperature difference at that point.
b) Identify how much heat must be supplied from outside and the heat that can be
exchanged among the various currents.
c) Apply the energy cascade method to solve the previous item again.
d) Calculate the heat exchanged by all the heat exchangers (1-3) identified in the
heating and the cooling streams at all points.
e) Indicate whether it is possible to change the order between the first and second heat
exchangers and the consequences.





F1
200C
Q1
40C
] / [ K W c m
p

600
180C
1800
800
Q2
120C
100C
30C
3
3
1
1
2
2
120C Arrefecedor
Aquecedor 110C
F1
200C
Q1
40C
] / [ K W c m
p

600
180C
1800
800
Q2
120C
100C
30C
3
3
1
1
2
2
120C Arrefecedor
Aquecedor 110C


] / [ K W c m
p

] / [ K W c m
p

Problem 8.2 - Consider the results of an integration analysis in order to use the
cooling of a hot current
p
c m = 1000 W/K between 180 and 40 C to heat two cold
currents. The values shown in the chart relate the enthalpy of the cold currents of the
warm and accumulated offset.



T
Entrada
[C] T
Sada
[C]
600 20 150
300 80 170

Accumulated enthalpy

T
E
[C] T
S
[C] H
a
[kW]
600 20 80 48
900 80 150 111
300 150 170 117

The test results indicate the method of installing four heat exchangers, two for each of
the cold currents, as indicated in the figure below:
600
180C
Q1
] / [ K W c m
p

1000
170C 300
2
3
4
150C
2
F1
F2
3
4
20C
T
q1
T
q3
T
q4
40C
80C
1
1
T
q2
T
f2i
T
f1i
600
180C
Q1
] / [ K W c m
p

1000
170C 300
2
3
4
150C
2
F1
F2
3
4
20C
T
q1
T
q3
T
q4
40C
80C
1
1
T
q2
T
f2i
T
f1i


a) Calculate the heat that can be used in all the streams and the heat removal in
the additional cooler for the hot currents.
b) Considering T
f1i
=70C and T
f2i
=105C, calculate the heat exchanged in each
unit.
c) Considering that the difference in temperature between hot and cold must be
maintained consistently above 10 C, calculate the intermediate temperature of
the hot T
q1
, T
q2
, T
q3
and T
q4
and the cold T
f1i
and T
f2i
(T
f1i
= 70C;T
f2i
=105C).
d) Calculate the heat exchanged in heat exchangers 1-4.
e) Based on the results of c) discuss the possibility of eliminating one of the
intermediate heat exchangers.
117
111
48
12
-23
117
0
50
100
150
200
-50 0 50 100 150
H (kW)
T

(

C
)
Fria Acumulada
Quente Deslocada