AIM:

To determine the overall conductivity of the double pipe countercurrent heat exchanger.
THEORY:
A heat exchanger is a device that is used to transfer thermal energy between two or more fluids,
between a solid surface and a fluid, or between a solid particulate and a fluid, at different place
through a separating wall or into and out of a wall in a transient manner. The simplest heat
exchanger one for which the hot and cold fluid moving the same or opposite direction in a
concentric tube or double pipe construction.
FORMULA USED:
For air
ReD= (uair*Di)/
Correlation is
Nu = 0.036*Re0.8*Pr0.33*(D/L)0.055 [1]
which is valid for
turbulent flow Re > 10,000
0.7<Pr<160
10<L/D<400
Nu = (h*Di)/K
For water
ReDh =(*uwater*Dh)/

(Dh= hydraulic diameter)

Dh= (Do-Di)/4
Where m=(A*uw)
uw= m/(A)
thus ReDh= (mDh)/A
where A=/4*(Do2-Dioutside2)
Correlation is
Nu=4.36

[1]

Which is valid for

Laminar flow, constant heat flux, Pr>0.6
Where

hDh/K= Nu

Ui=1/((1/hi)+((ln(Do/Dioutside)*Di)/2K)+(Di/hoDo))

RELEVANCE:
In heat exchanger, there are usually no external heat and work interaction. Typical applications
involve heating or cooling of a fluid stream of concern and evaporation or condensation of single
or multi component fluid stream. In other applications the objective may be to recover or reject
heat, or sterilize, pasteurize, fractionate, distill, concentrate, crystallize or control a process fluid.
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP:-

PROCEDURE:
1. First we put hot water in the inlet tank of known temperature and then fix and keep the
flow rate constant.
2. We then fully open the bypass and then start the motor.
3. Throughout the experiment we keep the temperature constant by adding either hot or cold
water as per the increase or decrease in temperature.
4. We insulate the inlet tank completely so that heat would not be dissipated through the
wall to the surroundings.
5. We keep the air velocity constant for a particular set of values.
6. We then note down the temperature at different points, which are inlet air and water and
outlet air and water temperatures.
7. We then wait for the steady state to be attained and then note down the readings.
OBSERVATION:
Table: 5.1
Time
4:00pm
4:10pm
4:20pm
4:30pm

T1
16
17.5
17.1
17.2

T2
22.4
22.9
22.7
22.7

T3
26.4
26.6
26.5
26.5

T4
28.4
28.9
28.7
28.7

T5
29.5
29.9
29.6
29.6

T6
31.5
31.8
31.4
31.5

T7
18.8
19.8
19.5
19.5

T8
43.1
42.6
42.6
42.6

T9
28.6
28.9
28.9
28.9

T2
26.7
26.6
27.0

T3
32.4
32.6
33.0

T4
34.2
34.6
35.0

T5
34
34.3
34.8

T6
35.4
35.9
36.5

T7
20.5
20.3
20.4

T8
42.6
42.6
42.6

T9
36.4
37.4
34.1

T2
17.2
17.2
17.1
17.0

T3
18.4
17.8
17.7
17.6

T4
19.3
18.7
18.5
18.5

T5
20.0
19.6
19.4
19.4

T6
21.2
20.8
20.5
20.5

T7
16.6
17.4
17.3
17.4

T8
42.6
42.6
42.6
42.6

T9
17.5
16.9
16.8
16.8

Table: 5.2
Time
4:50pm
5:00pm
5:10pm

T1
16.8
16.4
16.5

Table: 5.3
Time
4:00pm
4:10pm
4:20pm
4:30pm

T1
15.6
17.0
17.0
16.9

CALCULATION:
Specification:

Inner pipe Inner diameter d1: 25 mm

Outer diameter d2: 31.3 mm
Outer pipe inner diameter: 32 mm
Pipe material: copper
Conductivity of the copper: 52 Watt/m K
Length of the pipe: 400mm
Calculation table:
Properties are calculated from Data Book [2]
Table: 5.4
Air

Air

Air

Mean

Water

Water

Water

Mean

Film

velocity

inlet

outlet

air

flow rate

inlet

outlet

water

Temp

(m/sec)

Temp

Temp

Temp(

(ml/sec)

Temp

Temp

Temp

(0C)

(0C)

(0C)

(0C)

(0C)

(0C)

C)

Obs.

5.2

17.2

19.5

18.35

1.06

42.6

28.9

35.75

27.05

no.1
Obs.

5.2

16.5

20.4

18.45

2.89

42.6

34.1

38.35

28.40

5.2

16.9

17.4

17.15

0.179

42.6

16.8

29.70

23.43

no.2
Obs.
no.3

Table: 5.5
Air

Water

Overall
heat
transfer
coeff.
W/m2K

Film

Kinemati

Tem.
(0C)

Re

Nu

hair

Mean

Mass

Abs.

Re

Nu

hwater

(theo.)

water

flow

viscosit

(th.)

viscosity

W/m2

Temp

rate

W/m2

(m2/sec)

(0C)

103

10+6

10+6

Kg/s

m2/sec

27.05

15.890

8181

37.2

39.14

35.75

1.058

785.3

44.3 4.36

1527

35.366

28.40

15.788

8234

37.4

39.25

38.35

2.880

677.7

214

4.36

1569

35.380

23.43

15.078

8621

38.9

39.74

29.70

0.178

808.6

11.1 4.36

1537

35.801

RESULT:
The mean overall heat transfer coefficient is 35.5156 W/m2K.
DISCUSSION:
The sources of error may be
1. The water head may not be constant.
2. The insulation on the water head may not be too effective and can result in loss of heat.
3. When the temperature of the head decreases we add warm water to increase it, but due to
imperfect mixing the temperature may not be uniform throughout the volume.
4. Error may arise due to air velocity fluctuation.
5. Human error may contribute to final result error.
6. Fluctuations in the environmental temperature may result in erratic results.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION:
1. Used in space heating and air conditioning.
2. Used as a recuperator that heats air used in combustion process by extracting energy from
products of combustion. It can be used to increase the efficiency of a gas turbine by
increasing the temperature of air entering the combustor. [1]
3. Hot water for an industrial washing operation is produced by recovering heat from the
flue gases of a furnace using heat exchangers.
4. Used in power production.
5. Chemical processing industries.
CONCLUSION:
The aim of the experiment is to find the overall conductivity of the double pipe heat
exchanger. We put hot water which is in an insulated container and the heat transfer takes

place from the hot water to the cold air in a counter current arrangement. The results help us
in the design of heat exchanger.
REFERENCE: 1. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer by Frank P. Incropera.
2. Heat transfer data book by Subramanayam