Heat transfer theory

Basic knowledge training

2017-11-7

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Content
 Modes of heat transfer

 Flow principles

 The heat balance

 The heat transfer equation

 Thermal length concept

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Modes of heat transfer
 Law of physics
 Heat = Energy
 If you take a hot spot
 … and a cold spot
 … the heat will always be transferred from the hot to the cold

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Three ways to transfer heat
 Radiation Reflected

− Electromagnetic waves
Absorbed
− When it reaches a body it has 3 options:
Transmitted

 Conduction
− Molecular or atomic vibrations

− No material transport

 Convection
− Energy is transferred by the motion and intermixing of small mass elements
− Natural convection caused by density difference
− Forced convection is man-made (ex., pump)
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Example, a day at the beach

Convection

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Conduction
Which of these three are important in PHE?
 Radiation?

 Conduction?

 Convection?

 Conduction and convection are the most effective ways of heat

transfer and Radiation has only a very small contribution and can
considered negligible when we calculate heat transfer for PHE

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Flow principles
 Two types of flow
− Laminar
 Orderly flow throughout the fluid Laminar Flow

 Parabolic flow profile

Conduction
− Fluid at the wall moves slower
− Due to the friction from the wall surface Flow profile Velocity profile

 Ex., viscous fluids or water at low velocity

 How is heat transferred through the above
pipe?

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Flow principles
 Two types of flow
− Turbulent
 No orderly flow Turbulent Flow

 Random eddy motion mixes the fluid Conduction

Convection

 Always a laminar film closest to the wall Conduction

Flow profile Velocity profile

 Ex., water at higher velocity
 How is heat transferred in the middle and at
the wall?

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Flow principles
 Turbulent flows mean convection which give
better heat transfer Laminar Flow

 How does velocity affect the laminar film?

Conduction

 How does viscosity affect the laminar film?

Flow profile Velocity profile

Turbulent Flow

Conduction

Convection

Conduction

Flow profile Velocity profile

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Heat transfer in a GPHE

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 Heat transfer in a GPHE
Wall
T1, Bulk temperature on hot side

Hot side

Flow direction T3
T4
Flow direction
Cold side

T2, Bulk temperature on cold side

Slide 11
The temperature profile at
one point
© Alfaof the plate wall
Laval Heat transfer (Q) driven www.alfalaval.com
by temperature difference
 The Heat Balance
 Liquid-to-liquid Definitions
Cold fluid out at T2 Out
Q = Heat load, W (kW)
Mass flowrate m2
(rate of heat transfer)
m = Mass flow rate, kg/s
Cp = Specific heat, J/kg°C (kJ)
Hot fluid in at T1 In
Cold fluid in at T2 In (the energy needed
Mass flowrate m1
Mass flowrate m2 to heat 1 kg of the fluid
1°C)

Hot fluid out at T1 Out

Mass flowrate m1
Heat released by the hot fluid: Q1=m1*Cp1*(T1 In-T1 Out)

Heat absorbed by the cold fluid: Q2=m2*Cp2*(T2 Out -T2 In)

Heat losses are negligible  Q1= Q2

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The Heat Balance
T2 Out= X

T2 In= 20°C
m2 = 120 kg/s T1 In = 80°C
Cp2 = 4,2 kJ/(kg °C) m1 = 100kg/s

T1 Out = 40°C
Cp1 = 4,0 kJ/(kg °C)

Heat Load: Q1 = m1*Cp1*(T1 In-T1 Out) = 100 kg/s * 4.0 kJ/(kg °C) * (80-40)°C
Q1 = 16 000 kJ/s = 16 000 kW
Q1= Q2: 16 000 kW = Q2=m2*Cp2*(T2 Out -T2 In)
16 000 kW = 120 kg/s * 4.2 kJ/(kg °C) * (X-20)°C
X = 16 000 / (120 * 4.2) + 20 = 52°C
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The Heat Balance
 Steam described Enthalpy-Temperature Temperature-Pressure

in diagrams Enthalpy Temperature

(°C)
Superheated
vapour
Saturated
Saturated steam
120°C
Hvap
Liquid

Temperature 2 bar Pressure

Tboil (°C) (bar)

Hvap = Heat needed to vaporise 1 kg of a fluid (kJ/kg)

The same amount of energy is released during condensation
Slide 14
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The Heat Transfer equation
Q = k * A * LMTD
 Q = Heat Load, W (kW) (same as Q1 = Q2 before)
 k = k-value, overall heat transfer coefficient (OHTC), W/m²°C
− Higher k-value = More efficient heat transfer
− Described later on how this value is calculated

 A = heat transfer area (m²) - our goal is to minimise this !!!

 LMTD= Logarithmic mean temperature difference
− The driving force of heat transfer is temperature difference
− LMTD describes the temperature profile in the HE
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The heat transfer plate
 The area participating in heat transfer

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The Distribution area
 The area participating in heat transfer

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What drives Heat Transfer?

The temperature difference between the two fluids

provides the driving force for heat transfer

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Q = k * A * LMTD
 LMTD= Logarithmic mean temperature difference
− Depend on counter-current or co-current flow

Counter-Current Co-Current Flow

T1 in Flow T1 in
1
T2 out 1 T1 out
T1 out 2
2 T2 out
T2 in T2 in
Area
Area
1 − 2
LMTD =
 1 
Slideln
 
 2 
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Q = k * A * LMTD
 LMTD and counter-current flow
− Counter-current flow always gives a higher LMTD for liq/liq.
• Remember the Q = k * A * LMTD

• For the same heat load (Q) and the same k-value...
• A higher LMTD…
• Allows a smaller Area  More competitive design !
– Counter-current flow allows temperature cross
1
• Hot side temperature outlet
is lower than cold side outlet
2

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Q = k * A * LMTD
 LMTD and co-current flow
▪ When do we need to use co-current flow?
▪ When the wall temperatures are important. These are not the same for the
two cases.

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 Q = k * A * LMTD
 LMTD with steam as heating media

Counter-Current Flow
Co-Current Flow
1 2

2 1

Area Area
− Pure steam condense at constant temperature
− Same LMTD for co-current and counter-current

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 Q = k * A * LMTD
Wall Flow direction
T1, Bulk temperature on hot side
Cold side
Called Film heat transfer Wall conductivity, 
1-value coefficient on hot side
Wall thickness, 
T3 Resistance
Hot side T4 from the wall
Flow direction
Film heat transfer Called
coefficient on cold side 2-value

T2, Bulk temperature on cold side

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by temperature difference
 Q = k * A * LMTD
 The k-value formula

1 1 1  δ  k == Overall heat transfer coefficient, W/m²°C

= + +   + R=f Wall thickness, m

Film heat transfer coefficient, W/m²°C

k α1 α 2  λ  w  = Wall conductivity, W/m°C

A high k-value means…
We get a high k-value when...
Less area is needed...
The -values are high meaning:
For the same heat load
– High turbulence
– Thin laminar film Q = k * A * LMTD
 Less heat transfer resistance
And the plate is thin with high conductivity
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Q = k * A * LMTD
 How do we get the k-value?
  is known, it is the plate thickness
1 1 1 δ
  from tables of metal conductivity = + +  +R
 How do we get the -values? k α1 α 2  λ  w
 Thanks to three scientists:
− Wilhelm Nusselt
− Ludwig Prandtl
− Osborne Reynolds

 They found three different dimensionless numbers that describe the heat transfer

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Thermal length
 Describes how “difficult” a duty is thermally
 Two names for the same thing:
− Number of Transfer Units (NTU)
− Theta,  (mainly used in Alfa Laval)
 We use the “Theta” concept in several ways:
− Thermal duty (high / low theta duties)
− Unit (high / low theta PHE models)
− Plates (high / low theta plates)
− Channels (high / medium / low theta channels)

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Thermal length - duty
 Theta is calculated for the hot and cold side

T1in − T1out T2in − T2 out

NTU1 =  1 = NTU 2 =  2 =
LMTD LMTD

1 − 2
LMTD =
 1 
ln  
 2 

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NTU (Theta)

Low theta duty High theta duty

 Duty to the left has lower NTU, duty to the right has higher NTU.
 A low NTU duty requires a low NTU type channel, a high NTU
duty requires a high NTU type channel.

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NTU (Theta) - summary
 NTU (Number of Transfer Units): This is a relationship between
the four inlet and outlet temperatures.
 A heat recovery duty has a high NTU number, whereas a duty with
a large temperature difference between the two fluids has a low
NTU number.
 A high NTU duty calls for a long plate with low pressing depth, a
low NTU duty requires a short plate with high pressing depth.

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What factors decide θ (NTU) of a plate channel?

1. Channel Length
2. Pressing Depth
3. Chevron Angle

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Theta PHE examples
Port size Lower theta Higher theta
3 cm TL3-P TL3-B
5 cm T5-M T5-B
6 cm TS6-M TL6-B
8 cm T8-M T8-B
10 cm M10-M M10-B
10 cm TL10-P TL10-B
15 cm M15-M M15-B
15 cm TL15-B
20 cm TS20-M
20 cm T20-M T20-P,T20-B
25 cm MX25-M/T25B MX25-B/MX25M, T25-P/T25-M
35 cm TS35-P/T35-P TL35-B
45 cm T45-M
50 cm TS50-M T50-M

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Theta (NTU) @ 40°C & 100kPa

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Theta (NTU) @ 40°C & 100kPa

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Thermal length - plates & channels
 We have two (three) plate corrugations (L and H)
 These form three different channels (L, M and H)

L: Low theta H: High theta

L + L = L channels L + H = M channels H + H = H channels

 We choose between L, M and H channels to tailor-make it for the specific duty

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Thermal length - plates & channels
 A concept to optimize the thermal fit for each PHE to the duty!

Low turbulence Medium turbulence High turbulence &

& pressure drop & pressure drop pressure drop

L + L = L channels L + H = M channels H + H = H channels

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GPHE product range
− Industrial line, small

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GPHE product range
− Industrial line, Medium

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GPHE product range
− Industrial line, Large and Extra Large

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GPHE product range
− AlfaCond and AlfaVap

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GPHE product range
− Industrial semi-welded line

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GPHE product range
− BaseLine and M line, industrial plates

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GPHE product range
− FrontLine

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