METU Chem. Eng. Dept.

Ch.E. 410 Chem. Eng. Lab II

EXPERIMENT 4.2

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this experiment are to investigate the effect of Reynolds number on
individual heat transfer coefficients; to compute and compare the overall heat transfer
coefficient (U) and the performance of shell-and-tube heat exchanger operating in both
co-current and counter-current modes.

PRELIMINARY WORK
There will be a quiz and a short discussion at the beginning of the experiment. The
experimental setup is placed in Building A / First Floor, Room No. 115 (Prof. Dr. Tarık
Somer Laboratory). You should study the equipment and familiarize yourself with
its operation. Carefully examine the schematic drawing of the system shown in
Figure1. Please bring a calculator for the quiz.

Answer the Following Questions in Your Notebook:

1. Write the answers of the following questions in your lab notebook:
a. What are common types of heat exchangers? Briefly illustrate the flow
configurations.
b. Explain co-current and counter-current flow arrangements and show the
associated temperature distributions.
c. What are the heat transfer mechanisms involved during heat transfer in a
shell-and-tube heat exchanger? What is the overall heat transfer
coefficient (U)?
2. Read the “Experimental Procedure” section on page 3. Which are the
independent and dependent variables in your experiment? After answering this
question prepare an empty raw data sheet in your lab notebooks.
3. Show how you are going to determine the overall heat transfer coefficient based
on the experimental data.

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 PERIMENT
EXP TAL SETUP

ure 1: Flow
Figu w sheet of the heat trransfer uniit

ure 2: Cros
Figu ss-section of the heatt exchange
er

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Table 1: Technical Characteristics of the 1-1 Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger
Shell-side Material: Borosilicate Glass Tube Material: AISI 316 stainless steel
Inner shell diameter : 50 mm Number of tubes : 5
Wall thickness : 5.24 mm Tube length : 900 mm
Borosilicate thermal conductivity : 1.14 W/m.ºC External tube diameter : 10 mm
Tube thickness : 1 mm
Tube pitch : 20 mm
Clean Pipes, ε = 0
Baffle Type : 25%-cut Segmental Baffles
Number of baffles : 13
Baffle spacing : 48 mm

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
In the first part of the experiment, you will vary the flowrate of either the hot stream or
the cold stream during the operation of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The inlet
temperatures of the two streams will be fixed (tap water temperature, ca. 15°C, for the
cold stream and 70°C for the hot stream). In the second part, for one of the flowrates
you used in the first part, you will change the flow configuration from co-current to
counter-current (or vice versa).
The start-up and shut-down steps are given below.

Start-up
1. Connect the plant to the electrical supply.
2. Insert earth-leakage circuit breaker (ELCB).
3. Close valve V5, V9, V10 and V11.
4. Fill the tank D1 with deionized water.
5. Pre-set the temperature of the hot water in the tank D1 at 70ºC using the
thermostat TW1.
6. Switch on the resistance J1.
7. Close valve V6, open valve V7 and V8.
8. Start the pump G1.
9. When the temperature of hot water is about 70ºC, set the hot water flow rate at the
desired value using valve V6 (l/h).
10. Close valves V2 and V4, open valves V1 and V3 for co-current flow operation.
11. Close valves V1 and V3, open valves V2 and V4 for counter-current flow operation.
12. Open the main valve of cold water.

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13. Set the cold water flow rate at the desired value using valve V3 (if in co-current), or
valve V4 (if in counter-current).
14. Take note of TW1, TI1, TI2, TI3 and TI4 when stabilized as experimental data

Shut-down
1. Close the main valve of cold water
2. Close valves V1, V2, V3 and V4
3. Close V6, V7
4. Turn off the resistance, J1.
5. Disconnect the ELCB.
6. Disconnect the plant from the power supply

Emergency stop
Press the red mushroom-head pushbutton in case of an emergency stop in the
experimental operation.

DISCUSSION:
1. What is the effect of increasing flowrate on the overall heat transfer coefficient,
heat transfer rate between two streams and outlet temperatures in a given heat
exchanger? How does changing the flow configuration affect these parameters?
2. How does the experimentally determined overall heat transfer coefficient compare
with the one estimated using suitable correlations? Comment on possible reasons
for any difference observed.
3. How would heat loss from the heat exchanger to the surroundings affect your
findings? Can you estimate how much this heat loss might be?

SUGGESTED READING
1. Incropera, F.P., DeWitt,D.P., Bergman, T.L., Lavine, A.S., "Principles of Heat and
Mass Transfer," 7th ed., Wiley.
2. Mc Cabe, W.L., Smith, J.C., Harriott, P., “Unit Operations of Chemical
Engineering”, 7th ed., McGraw-Hill.
3. Perry, R.H., Green, D., “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook”, 6th ed., Mc Graw
Hill.
4. Sinnott, R., Towler, G., “Chemical Engineering Design”, 5th ed., Elsevier. (e-book
available in METU library)

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5. K
Kern, D.Q.., “Process Heat Trransfer”, McGraw-Hill.
M (available as ha
ard copy in
i
M
METU libra
ary and Hale Alkan Liibrary).

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