Training Program on

Petroleum Refining
Technology
Session 2: Mean
Temperature Difference
R. Mukherjee
Heat Transfer Consultant
New Delhi
Topics

 LMTD
 Co-current and counter-current flow
 Ft charts
 Temperature cross
 Temperature profile distortion

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
LMTD
 Logarithmic mean of ΔT’s at the hot and
cold terminals

125  45
45  33
------ ------
80 12
------- -------
LMTD = (ΔT1- ΔT2)/(ln ΔT1 / ΔT2) = 35.84oC

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
Co-current flow
 Hot and cold streams
flow in the same
direction
 Heat recovery limited
 Can heat cold stream
up to 86 oC
 Employed only in
special situations,
e.g., congealing
applications

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
Countercurrent flow

 Hot and cold streams

flow in opposite
directions
 Far more heat
recovery possible
 Can heat cold stream
up to 120 oC

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
 Combination of counter-
current and co-current

 In real life, pure co-current or counter-

current flow not feasible. Why?
 MTD = LMTD x Ft , TEMA charts
 Various charts for various shell
configurations: ‘E’, ‘F’, ‘G’ and so on

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
 The Ft chart
 Rather flat, then
rapidly increase in
slope, finally almost
vertical.
 Vertical portion ->
area of uncertainty,
should be avoided
 A single shell at best
gives equal outlet
temperatures.

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
Temperature cross

 Cold fluid outlet

temperature greater than
hot fluid outlet
temperature
 Either use pure
Temperature

countercurrent flow or
multiple shells in series
 The greater the cross, the
more the number of
Length of exchanger
shells in series.

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
Temperature Profile Distortion
Correction Factor

 Distortion principally due

to ‘E’ stream
 The greater the shellside
(Tin – Tout) and the smaller
the ΔT at shell outlet, the
greater the penalty.
 MTD = LMTD x Ft x delta

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
Using multiple shells in series to
minimise penalty due to TPD

A
Shell 1
Temperature

B
Shell 2 D

F
C

Length of exchanger

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008
Case study

Temperature Baffle spacing, mm

profile distortion
correction factor 140 160 175 190

One shell 0.6 0.692 0.735 0.766

2S 0.828 0.853 0.866 0.879

Mean Temperature Difference by

R. Mukherjee, April 2008