11.

Heat Exchange Devices

11.1 Heat Exchanger Types

Heat exchangers are ubiquitous to energy conversion and utilization. They involve
heat exchange between two fluids separated by a solid and encompass a wide
range of flow configurations.

• Concentric Tube (double-pipe) Heat Exchangers

Parallel Flow Counter Flow

 Simplest configuration.
 Superior performance associated with counter flow.
• Cross-flow Heat Exchangers

Finned – Unfinned –
Both Fluids Unmixed One Fluid Mixed the Other Unmixed

 For cross-flow over the tubes, fluid motion, and hence mixing, in the transverse
direction (y) is prevented for the finned tubes, but occurs for the unfinned
condition.

Heat exchanger performance is influenced by mixing.

Types (cont.)

• Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

One Shell Pass and One Tube Pass

 Baffles are used to establish a cross-flow and to induce turbulent mixing of the
shell-side fluid, both of which enhance convection.
 The number of tube and shell passes may be varied, e.g.:

One Shell Pass,

Two Shell Passes,
Two Tube Passes
Four Tube Passes
Types (cont.)

• Compact Heat Exchangers

 Widely used to achieve large heat rates per unit volume, particularly when
one or both fluids is a gas.
 Characterized by large heat transfer surface areas per unit volume, small
flow passages, and laminar flow.

(a) Fin-tube (flat tubes, continuous plate fins)

(b) Fin-tube (circular tubes, continuous plate fins)
(c) Fin-tube (circular tubes, circular fins)
(d) Plate-fin (single pass)
(e) Plate-fin (multipass)
11.2 The Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

- An essential requirement for heat exchanger design or performance calculations.

- Contributing factors include convection and conduction associated with the two fluids
and the intermediate solid, as well as the potential use of fins on both sides and the effects
of time-dependent surface fouling.

1) Clean, unfinned double pipe heat exchanger

T T ,1  T , 2
qr  
Rtot 1 ln(ro / ri ) 1
 
hi Ai k 2L ho Ao

 UAT  U i Ai T  U o Ao T

1 ln(ro / ri ) 1 1 1 1
Rtot      
hi Ai k 2L ho Ao UA U i Ai U o Ao
Overall Coefficient

2) Consider the fouling factor

1 1 1 1 R "f ,i ln(r2 / r1 ) R"f ,o 1

   Rtot     
UA U i Ai U o Ao h1 Ai Ai k 2L Ao h2 Ao

3) finned double pipe heat exchanger with the fouling factor

1 1 1 1 R "f ,i ln(r2 / r1 ) R "f ,o 1

   Rtot     
UA U i Ai U o Ao  o hi Ai o Ai k 2L o Ao  o ho Ao
Overall Coefficient

2
 Rf  Fouling factor for a unit surface area (m  K/W)
 Table 11.1
 Rw  Wall conduction resistance (K/W)

 o  Overall surface efficiency of fin array (Section 3.6.5)

 Af 
o,c or h  1  1   f  
 A c or h

A  At  total surface area (fins and exposed base)

A f  surface area of fins only

Assuming an adiabatic tip, the fin efficiency is

 tanh  mL  
 f , c or h   
 mL c or h

mc or h   2U p / kwt c or h

 
U p , c or h   h   partial overall coefficient
 1  hR 
 f  c or h
Energy Balance

11.3 Heat Exchanger Analysis:

The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) Method

Overall Energy Balance

• Application to the hot (h) and cold (c) fluids:

• Assume negligible heat transfer between the exchanger and its surroundings
and negligible potential and kinetic energy changes for each fluid.
• Assuming no phase change and constant specific heats,

q  m h c p , h Th ,i  Th ,o   Ch Th ,i  Th , o 


q  m c c p , c Tc , o  Tc ,i   Cc Tc , o  Tc ,i 

Ch ,Cc  Heat capacity rates
LMTD Method

11.3 Heat Exchanger Analysis:

The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) Method

Parallel Flow Counter flow

LMTD Method

11.3 Heat Exchanger Analysis:

The Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) Method

• A form of Newton’s Law of Cooling may be applied to heat exchangers by

using a log-mean value of the temperature difference between the two fluids:
q  U A  T1m
 T1   T2
 T1m 
1n   T1 /  T2 

Evaluation of  T1 and  T2 depends on the heat exchanger type.

• Counter-Flow Heat Exchanger:

 T1  Th,1  Tc ,1
 Th , i  Tc ,o

 T2  Th ,2  Tc ,2
 Th , o  Tc ,i
LMTD Method (cont.)

• Parallel-Flow Heat Exchanger:

 T1  Th,1  Tc ,1
 Th ,i  Tc ,i

 T2  Th,2  Tc ,2
 Th , o  Tc ,o

 Note that Tc,o can not exceed Th,o for a Parallel-Flow HX, but can do so
for a Counter-Flow HX.
For equivalent values of UA and inlet temperatures,
 T1m,CF   T1m, PF
• Shell-and-Tube and Cross-Flow Heat Exchangers:
 T1m  F  T1m ,CF
F  Figures 11.10 - 11.13
Special Conditions

Special Operating Conditions

 Case (a): Ch>>Cc or h is a condensing vapor Ch   .

– Negligible or no change in Th Th , o  Th ,i .
 Case (b): Cc>>Ch or c is an evaporating liquid Cc   .
– Negligible or no change in Tc Tc , o  Tc ,i .
 Case (c): Ch=Cc.
–  T1   T2   T1m