SAMPLE PROBLEM – LOGARITHMIC MEAN

TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE (LMTD) CALCULATION

BY
AYO
• SAMPLE PROBLEM STATEMENT
• CALCULATE LOG MEAN TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FOR THE FOLLOWING SHELL AND TUBE HEAT
EXCHANGER FOR TWO POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENTS (I) COUNTER-CURRENT AND (II) CO-CURRENT FLOW
PATTERNS. HOT FLUID IN TEMPERATURE TH1 = 100 0C HOT FLUID OUT TEMPERATURE TH2 = 90 0C COLD
FLUID OUT TEMPERATURE TC2 = 50 0C COLD FLUID IN TEMPERATURE TC1 = 30 0C
• SOLUTION

• As per the definition and equation for Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD),
ΔT1 → the temperature difference between hot and cold fluids at one end of the heat exchanger
ΔT2 → the temperature difference between hot and cold fluids at the other end of the heat
exchanger (i) For counter current heat exchanger,
ΔT1 = TH1 - TC2 = 100 - 50 = 500C (At one end hot fluid enters and cold fluid exits.)
ΔT2 = TH2 - TC1 = 90 - 30 = 600C
• (AT THE OTHER END COLD FLUID ENTERS AND HOT FLUID EXITS.)
• BY DEFINITION GIVEN ABOVE, LMTD FOR COUNTER CURRENT FLOW = (60-50) / LN(60/50) = 10 / 0.1823 =
54.850C.
THIS CAN BE ALSO VERIFIED QUICKLY IN ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S LMTD CALCULATOR. (II)
FOR CO-CURRENT HEAT EXCHANGER,
ΔT1 = TH1 - TC1 = 100 - 30 = 700C (AT FIRST END HOT AND COLD FLUIDS ENTER THE HEAT EXCHANGER.)
ΔT2 = TH2 - TC2 = 90 - 50 = 400C
• (AT THE OTHER END HOT AND COLD FLUIDS EXIT THE HEAT EXCHANGER.)
BY DEFINITION GIVEN ABOVE, LMTD FOR COUNTER CURRENT FLOW = (70-40) / LN(70/40) = 30 / 0.5596 =
53.610C. THIS CAN BE ALSO VERIFIED QUICKLY IN ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S LMTD CALCULATOR. REMARKS
• IT CAN BE READILY NOTICED THAT FOR CO-CURRENT HEAT EXCHANGER THE LOGARITHMIC MEAN
TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE IS LOWER COMPARED TO COUNTER-CURRENT HEAT EXCHANGER. THIS SUGGESTS
THAT FOR SAME FLUIDS, TO ACHIEVE THE SAME HEAT TRANSFER, A CO-CURRENT HEAT EXCHANGER ALWAYS
REQUIRES MORE HEAT TRANSFER AREA THAN THE COUNTER-CURRENT TYPE EXCHANGER. IN THIS EXAMPLE, A
SIMPLE HEAT EXCHANGER WITH SINGLE SHELL PASS AND SINGLE TUBE PASS IS CONSIDERED. FOR MULTIPLE
SHELL AND TUBE PASSES, THE LMTD CALCULATED HAS TO BE MULTIPLIED BY A CORRECTION FACTOR TO
ACCOUNT FOR GEOMETRIC CHANGES. ENGGCYCLOPEDIA'S LMTD CORRECTION FACTOR CALCULATOR CAN
BE READILY USED FOR THIS CORRECTION FACTOR CALCULATION.