Performance Analysis of Heat Exchangers

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
I I T Delhi

A First Step in Techno-Economics of HXs?!?!?!

 Capacity of A Simple Heat Exchanger
hot , Th ,i , c ph
m m hot , Th ,e , c ph

cold , Tc ,i , c pc
m m cold , Tc ,e , c pc

A representative temperature
Q Tcomm, 2 Tcomm,1 difference for heat communication:

UA Tcomm, 2
ln TLM
T
comm, 2 Tcomm,1
T
comm,1 Tcomm, 2
ln
Tcomm,1
 Discussion on LMTD

LMTD can be easily calculated, when the fluid inlet temperatures are
know and the outlet temperatures are specified.
Lower the value of LMTD, higher the value of overall value of UA.
For given end conditions, counter flow gives higher value of LMTD
when compared to co flow.
Counter flow generates more temperature driving force with same
entropy generation.
This nearly equal to mean of many local values of T.
 Sample Problem

Problem Statement: A double pipe heat exchanger of the

dimensions shown below is employed to heat 5 kg/s of
Dowtherm A from 15 to 650C using waste hot water
coming from process equipment, which is cooled from 95
to 750C.
 Effectiveness of A HX
Ratio of the actual heat transfer rate to maximum available
heat transfer rate.

Q
act
Qmax
Maximum available temperature difference of minimum
thermal capacity fluid.

Tmax, fluid Th ,i Tc ,i
Actual heat transfer rate:

UAT
Qact LMTD
 Maximum Possible Heat Transfer

m
Q c p min Th,i Tc ,i
act

UATLMTD

m c p min Th,i Tc,i
 Dimensionless Groups for HXs

Thermal capacity Ratio:

m c Cmin
R
p min

m c
p max Cmax
R = 0 corresponds to condensing or evaporating HX.
R < 1 a general heat exchanger.

Exchanger heat communicative Effectiveness:

Q act

Qmax
Q max : Thermodyna mically limited maximum possible heat trans fer
 Number of Transfer Units

UATLMTD

m c p min Th,i Tc,i
TLMTD
NTU max
Th,i Tc,i
T
comm, 2 Tcomm,1
Tcomm, 2
ln
NTU max Tcomm,1
Th,i Tc,i
 Arithmetic of A Simple Counter Flow HX

1 exp NTU R 1

1 R exp NTU R 1

1
ln
m c Cmin
R
p min

NTU 1 R
1 R
m c
p max Cmax
 NTU Curves: Counter flow

NTU
 HX with Equal Capacity FLuids

0.90
0.80 counter
0.70
0.60
parallel
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
NTU
 Parallel Flow Heat Ex

Thi

T2 T1 exp NTU R 1 The

Tce
Tci

The Tce Thi Tci exp NTU R 1

c c p,c Th,e Tc,i

Q max m
 1 exp NTU R 1

1 R

ln 1 1 R
1
NTU
1 R
The limiting case of interest: R = 1.

1 exp 2 NTU

2
 NTU Curves: Counter Vs parallel flow
 Two limiting cases of interest: R = 1

Counter flow Heat exchanger:

NTU

1 NTU
Parallel flow Heat exchanger:

1 exp 2 NTU

2
 HX with Equal Capacity FLuids

0.90
0.80 counter
0.70
0.60
parallel
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
NTU
 Condensing/Evaporative HXs

The limiting case of interest: R = 0.

Counter flow Heat exchanger:

1 exp NTU 1 R
1 exp NTU
1 R exp NTU 1 R

Parallel flow Heat exchanger:

1 exp NTU R 1
1 exp NTU
1 R
 Condensing/Evaporative HXs

1.20

1.00

0.80
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
NTU
 Thermal Resistance of A Finite Heat Exchanger

Thermal resistance of a finite adiabatic Heat Exchanger

Heat Transfer between two fluids separated by finite thick surface wall
 First Level Engineering Compromise: Area

cold c p,c Tc,e Tc,i Q

m
gain D1 LU1 T

hotc p,h Th,i Th,e Q

m D LU T
loss 2 2

Energy Balance:

U1D1 U 2 D2

U1 U 2

D2 D1
Second Level Engineering Compromise: TLM
Third Level Engineering Compromise: variation of U

U
Creative Ideas for Techno-economic Feasibility of a HX.

For a viable size of a HX:

How to maximize Effective area of heat communication?.
How to maximize Overall Heat transfer coefficient?
How to compute & select the effective temperature
difference?
Should we decrease or increase Effective temperature
difference?
Fundamental Classification
Degree of Housing
Windcatcher (Bagdir)