Heat Transfer Coefficients Typical Values Page 1 of 4

Heat Transfer Coefficients

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It is often useful to determine values for overall heat transfer coefficients while
About Us performing non-exact activities such as early project cost estimating and basic heat
exchanger performance assessments.
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The equation which relates the overall heat transfer coefficient to the heat duty and
Services the heat transfer area is:

Design Tips Q= U*A*'Tlm

Design Tools Where:

Q = heat load
Testimonials U = overall heat transfer coefficient
A = heat transfer area
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'Tlm = log mean temperature difference
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Overall heat transfer coefficients are dependant on many parameters such as the
nature of the fluid, fluid velocities, type of heat exchanger, temperatures and
fouling. Despite all these determining parameters, typical overall heat transfer
coefficients are available for common applications and fluids. If little information
about the process and the parameters outlined above is available, the following
values can be used as a guide for overall heat transfer coefficients:

2
Sensible Vapour: 30 Btu/hr-ft -F
2
Sensible Heating/Cooling or Condensing: 100 Btu/hr-ft -F
2
Boiling: 120 Btu/hr-ft -F

When more information about the fluids and process is available, one can use the
overall heat transfer coefficient values in the tables below as a guide as to the
order of magnitude. Actual overall heat transfer coefficients may be smaller or
larger than the values listed.

Heaters (no phase change)

Hot Fluid Cold Fluid Overall U
(BTU/hr-ft2-F)
Steam Air 10 – 20
Steam Water 250 – 750
Steam Methanol 200 – 700
Steam Ammonia 200 – 700
Steam Aqueous solutions 100 – 700
Light hydrocarbons
Steam (viscosity < 0.5 cP) 100 – 200

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Steam Medium hydrocarbons 50 – 100

(0.5 cP < viscosity < 1 cP)
Heavy hydrocarbons
Steam (viscosity > 1) 6 – 60
Steam Gases 5 – 50
Dowtherm Gases 4 – 40
Dowtherm Heavy oils 8 – 60
Aromatic hydrocarbon and
Flue gas steam 5 – 10

Evaporators
Hot Fluid Cold Fluid Overall U
(BTU/hr-ft2-F)
Steam Water 350 – 750
Steam Organic solvents 100 – 200
Steam Light oils 80 – 180
Steam Heavy oils (vacuum) 25 – 75
Water Refrigerant 75 – 150
Organic solvents Refrigerant 30 – 100

Coolers (no phase change)

Cold Fluid Hot Fluid Overall U
2
(BTU/hr-ft -F)
Water Water 150 – 300
Water Organic solvent 50 – 150
Water Gases 3 – 50
Water Light oils 60 – 160
Water Heavy oils 10 – 50
Light oil Organic solvent 20 – 70
Brine Water 100 – 200
Brine Organic solvent 30 – 90
Brine Gases 3 – 50
Organic solvents Organic solvents 20 – 60
Heavy oils Heavy oils 8 – 50

Condensers
Cold Fluid Hot Fluid Overall U
(BTU/hr-ft2-F)
Water Steam (pressure) 350 -750
Water Steam (vacuum) 300 – 600
Organic solvent (saturated,
Water or brine atmospheric) 100 – 200
Organic solvent (atmospheric,
Water or brine high non-condensables) 20 – 80
Organic solvent (saturated,
Water or brine vacuum) 50 – 120
Organic solvent (vacuum, high
Water or brine non-condensables) 10 – 50
Aromatic vapours (atmospheric
Water or brine with non-condensables) 5 – 30
Low boiling hydrocarbon
Water (atmospheric) 80 – 200
High boiling hydrocarbon
Water (vacuum) 10 – 30

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When the process is well defined, one can use film heat transfer coefficients to
calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient.

The overall heat transfer coefficient can be calculated from the film coefficients
using the equation:

1 = 1 + Rout + Rwo + Rio + 1

U hout hio

Where:
U = overall heat transfer coefficient
hout = film coefficient on outside surface
Rout = resistance due to fouling on outside surface
Rwo = resistance due to metal wall of heat transfer area (corrected to the outside)
Rio = resistance due to fouling on inside surface (corrected to the outside)
hio = = film coefficient on inside surface (corrected to the outside)

In order to use the equation above, values for the film heat transfer coefficients
must be determined. Film coefficients, just like overall coefficients, are influenced
by many parameters such as nature of the fluid, type of heat exchanger, fluid
velocity, transport properties and temperature. The tables below provide examples
of film coefficients values for various applications. Again, these should be used as
a guide as to the order of magnitude and the actual film coefficients may be
smaller or larger than the values listed.

no phase change
Fluid Film Coefficient
(BTU/hr-ft2-F)
Water 300 – 2000
Gases 3 – 50
Organic Solvents 60 – 500
Oils 10 – 120

Condensing
Fluid Film Coefficient
(BTU/hr-ft2-F)
Steam 1000 – 3000
Organic Solvents 150 – 500
Light Oils 200 – 400
Heavy Oils (vacuum) 20 – 50
Ammonia 500 – 1000

Evaporation
Fluid Film Coefficient
(BTU/hr-ft2-F)
Water 800 – 2000
Organic Solvents 100 – 300
Light Oils 150 – 300
Heavy Oils 10 – 50
Ammonia 200 – 400

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The information is provided for educational use only – use at

your own risks.
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http://www.hcheattransfer.com/coefficients.html 2/12/2019