HORIZONTAL SHELL AND TUBE CONDENSERS

Kari Saari
26. maaliskuuta 2010

CONDUCTANCE OF TUBE CONDENSERS

Conductance of a horizontal tube condenser can be calculated based on the heat transfer
coecients inside and outside of the tube and on the heat conductivity of the metallic
tube wall. Conductance per unit length of tube is dened as

G =

G
l

(1)

where l is length of the tube, and G is conductance of the tube

Conductance per unit length of the tube can be calculated using the following equation

1
1

= R =
G
ds

)
ln ddus
1 1
1
+ Rdirt +
+
hs
du hu
2

(2)

where R is the heat transfer resistance per unit length of the tube, ds is inside diameter
of the tube, hs is heat transfer coecient inside of the tube (cooling water side), Rdirt is
heat transfer resistance of the dirt layer caused by cooling water, du is outside diameter
of the tube, hu is heat transfer coecient outside of the tube (condensing wapour) and
is the heat conductivity of metallic tube wall.
The extra heat transfer resistance caused by sedimentation from normal cooling water is
2
approximately Rdirt = 0, 05 mkWK . When the cooling water is rather dirty the extra
2
resistance is approcimately Rdirt = 0, 1...0, 2 mkWK .
The total conductance of the condenser is

G = LG

(3)

where L = N l is the total length of all tubes, N is total number of tubes and l is length
of one single tube.
The heat ow in the condenser is calculated similarly as in all heat exchangers

= G = m
h hL = m
v cp T

(4)

where is the mean temperature dierence between condensing vapour and cooling
water, m
h is mass ow of the condensing vapour, hL is latent heat of vapourization,
m
v is mass ow of cooling water , cp is the specic heat of cooling water and T is the
temperature rise of cooling water. Logarithmic mean tremperature dierence can be
used as the mean temperature dierence.

= ln =

(Th Tv1 ) (Th Tv2 )

(5)

T T

ln Thh Tvv1
2

where Th is the condensing temperature of the vapour, Tv1 is the inlet temperature of
the cooling water and Tv2 is outlet temperature of the cooling water. If you want to use
eectivity of the condenser, it can be expressed as

T
= 1 ez
0

(6)

where T is temperature rise of cooling water, 0 is temperature dierence between condensing vapour temperature and inlet cooling water temperature. z = G/C min is dimensionless conduvtance of condenser which can be calculated using the following equation
z=

G
= ln(1 )
C min

(7)

COOLING WATER SIDE

The heat transfer coecient inside of the tubes can be calculated based on classical
correlations of Nusselt number

Nu =

hs ds

(8)

One of the most used correlations is Dittus-Boelter correlation

N u = 0.023Re0.8 P r0.4

(9)

and the other more precise correlation especially for short tubes is Hausen-correlation,
which takes into account the enhanced heat transfer at the inlet of the tube (the thin
thermal boundary layer). According to Hausen the mean Nusselt number is

Nu =
1

f
(Re 1000)P r
8

+ 12.7 f8 (P r2/3

ds
1 +
l
1)

)2/3

(10)

where l is length of the tube,ds is inside diameter of the tube, and the coecient f can
be calculated using the following equation

f = (1.82log10 Re 1.64)2
The frictional pressure drop inside of the tubes is

(11)

p =

L1 2
w
ds 2

(12)

where w is the mean velocity of the ow, is density of the uid, L is length of the tube
and ds is inside diameter of the tube. The friction coecient of the ow is dependent
on the Reynolds number of the ow and on the roughness of the tube. For smooth tubes
the friction coecient can be calculated using the correlation of Blasius

0.3164
=
4 Re

(13)

which is valid, when Re < 105

If the tubes are not smooth, but have have a roughness k , the friction coecient can be
approximated as

1
d
= 2lg( s ) + 1.14
k

(14)

This is strictly valid only if Re > 10000000. For smaller Reunolds numbers the Moody
diagram can be used to calculate the friction coecient as a function of Reynolds
number

Figure. 1. Moody diagram for friction coecient

This diagram is based on the correlation of Colebrookin and White

5
[

2.52
k
1
= 2.0lg
+

Re 3.71ds

(15)

which can be used recursively to solve the friction coecient. The roughness of the
tubes is given in the following table.

Table 1. Roughness of dierent tube materials

Material
steel
mildly rusty steal
aluminium
copper
rubber
glass
galvanized metals
smooth plastic

k [mm]
0.03
0.25
0.025
0.025
0.025
0.0025
0.15
0.0025

CONDENSATION OF VAPOUR
In condensers the eective temperature of condensing vapour is aected by non-condensable
gases and by pressure drop of the vapour ow. If the vapour velocity in the condenser
is too small, the non-condensable gases are gathered on the heat transfer surfaces. The
partial pressure of water vapour is decreased in the near region of heat transfer tubes
when also the saturation temperature is decreased. In this way the available temperature dierence between vapour and cooling water is decreased, which can be seen as a
diminished eective heat transfer coecient of condensing vapour. On the other hand , if
the vapour velocity is too large, the pressure drop of the vapour decreases the saturation
temperature of the condensing vapour and the available temperature dierence between
vapour and cooling water is again decreased. There exists experimentally specied optimum point (optimum velocity) for dierent kind of shell and tube condensers where the
vapour velocity is high enough to prevent the accumulation of non-condensable gases and
small enough not to increase the pressure drop. This optimum is dependent on the temperature level where the condensation is happening. In the following graph (the )optimum
2
point is locating on top of the curves, which are plotted using the product m
h
as a
parameter. [Tekniikan ksikirja 4, page 487].

Figure. 2. Optimal operation point of shell and tube condensers,

heat transfer coecient
( )2
as a function of condensation temperature and product m
h
(

)2

The parameter m
h
which is used for dimensioning of the condenser is calculated

based on the specic vapour ow of the condenser m

h and on the pressure drop

coecient of the condenser

. The specic vapour ow of the condenser is dened as

m
h=

(16)

where m
is the mass ow of the condensing vapour and S is the heat transfer surface
area where the condensation is happening (outside area of the tubes).
If the vapour velocity is too high, the operation point is moving to the left from the
top, and the eective heat transfer is decreased. If the velocity is too small , the noncondensable gases are gathering on the tube surfaces and the operation point is moving
to the right from the top, thus decreasing again the eective heat transfer coecient.

Lets consider next how the pressure drop coecient

is calculated. The total outside
heat transfer area of condenser tubes is Stot and the tubes are positioned triangularly in
such a way that the number of the tube rows in the direction of the ow is n . At the
inlet (the rst row of the tube bundle) the cross sectional ow area for the vapour ow
is A(1). The heat transfer surface area (outside surface area of the tubes) where the
vapour is condensing after the cross section A(1) is marked as S(1). Analogically at the
tube row x the cross sectional ow area for the vapour ow is A(x) , and the heat
transfer surface area following this cross section is S(x).

Figure. 3. Cross sectional area A and condensing surface area S of the condenser
The mass ow of vapour which is owing through the cross section A(x) and is
condensing on the surface area S(x) is m
h (x) when the specic mass ow of the
condenser after the row x is

m
h (x) =

m
h (x)
S(x)

(17)

The vapour velocity at the tube row x is then

m
h (x)
m
(x)S(x)
u(x) =
= h
A(x)
A(x)

(18)

The frictional pressure drop of one tube row x is

1
p(x) = [u(x)]2
2
where (x) is friction coecient of tube row x. If it is assumed that density of the
vapour is constant, the frictional pressure drop of all n tube rows is

(19)

1 x=n
m
h (x)S(x)
(x)
p =
2 1
A(x)

)2

(20)

When it is also assumed that the friction coecient (x) is the same for all rows
(x) = = constant and that the specic mass ow is constant all over the condenser,
the pressure drop of the condenser can be written as
(

n
( )2
S(x)
p =
mh
2
A(x)
1

)2

( )2
mh
2

(21)

where

S(x)
A(x)

)2

(22)

which is pressure drop coecient of the condenser.

In normal condensers the geometrical positioning of the tubes is triangular in such a
way that the ratio s/d = 1.3.

Fig. 4. Tube arrangement

Normally in shell and tube condensers the vapour velocity is tried to keep approximately
constant, when the accumulation of non-condensable gases is not a problem , if the
velocity is high enough. The pressure drop coecient for this kind of condenser can be
calculated based on the rst row values A(1) and S(1) because in this case

S(x)
S(1)
=
= constant
A(x)
A(1)
and the pressure drop coecient is

S(1)
=n
A(1)

)2

(23)

At dierent pressure levels the shell and tube condensers have very dierent specic
mass ows. This is mainly due to the fact that the specic volume of vater wapour is
very stronly dependent on the pressure level. At low pressures the volume ows are
increasing dramatically which is restricting the specic mass ow of the( condenser.
The
)
2
following table gives approximate dimensioning values for the product mh
as a
function of water vapour saturation pressure. In the table is also given the friction
coecient for one tube row, which is needed in pressure drop calculations.

Table 2. Approximate dimensioning values for vapour side

p0
kN
m2

0
2
7
20
70
250
800
2800
8000

t0

C
0
20
40
60
90
130
170
230
300

1.2
0.98
0.83
0.70
0.59
0.50
0.43
0.37
0.32

mh

)2

)
kg 2
m2 s

0.1
1
10
102
103
104
105
106
107

)2

More precisely the dimensioning value for the product mh

can be read from Fig. 2,
which
gives
it
as
a
function
of
saturation
temperature.
The
values
for the product
( )2
mh
can be manipulated a little further. Based on the eq. 16. you can write for the
row x

u(x)
S(x)
=

A(x)
vh (x)mh (x)
where vh (x) is the specic volume of the vapour at row x . Pressure drop coecient
can then be written as

(24)

10

i=1

u(x)

vh (x)mh (x)

]2

(25)

If it is assumed that the specic vapour ow and specic volume of the vapour are
constant all over the condenser this can be written as

(vh mh )2

[u(x)]2

(26)

i=1

If the cross sectional ow area of the condenser is decreasing in such a way that the
velocity within the condenser with n rows is constant, u(x) = u(1) = u(n) = u and
n

[u(x)]2 = nu2

(27)

i=1

The constant velocity within the condenser is then

u=

(vh mh )2
n

(28)

Examining the top values of the curves in Fig. 2 and making some calculations it is
possible to notice that the following condition is approximately true for the top points of
the curves ( valid only when T < 200o C)

(vh mh )

m2
= 75 2
s

(29)

Now you can substitute this equation into Eq. 26 and solve the velocity as a function of
total row number n

u = u(1) = u(n) =

75 m
752
=
n
n s

(30)

which is the dimensioning target velocity for the shell and tube condenser with constant
vapour velocity. It is independent of the pressure or temperature level. Using this
velocity the condenser is working approximately on top of the curves in Fig. 2, which
means that the pressure drop is reasonable , and on the other hand the velocity is high
enough to sweep away the accumulating non condensable gases.
The following gure gives the tube arrangement for a 4-row shell and tube condenser.
The vapour is owing inwards and condenses on each tube row. In the middle of the
condenser is the suction channel, which is used to pump away the non condensable gases
which are owing through the condenser together with a small amount of passage vapour

11






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Figure 5. Condenser tube locations, number of tubes and areast

Based on the equations presented in the g. 5 the total outside surface area of the condenser tubes is
Stot = Ltot du = N Ldu

(31)

12
where L is length of one tube = Ltot /N and N is number of tubes
Energy balance (Eq. 4) gives the total mass ow of vapour m
tot = /hL , when the
specic vapour ow is

m
h=

m
tot
/hL
=
Stot
N Ldu

(32)

The condensing surface after the cross section area A1 is S1 , when the mass ow at the
cross section A1 is
m
1=

S1
(N 3n)Ldu
N 3n
m
tot =
m
tot =
m
tot
Stot
N Ldu
N

(33)

When the specic volume of vapour is vh , this mass ow corresponds to the volume ow
N 3n
m
tot vh
V 1 = m
1 vh =
N

(34)

Based on this volume ow the velocity at the cross section A1 is then

u1 =

N 3n
m
tot vh
V 1
= N
A1
1, 8Lndu

(35)

When the vapour velocity within the condenser is approximately constant, u1 = u = un ,

and the dimensioning can be done based on the velocity u1 . The condenser must be
dimensioned in such a way that this vapour velocity u1 at the cross section A1 is the same
(or a little larger) than the target velocity u (Eq. 30).

DIMENSIONING OF HORIZONTAL TUBE BANK (STEP BY

STEP)
The dimensioning can begin by choosing the cooling water velocity to be about 2m/s in
order to get large heat transfer coecient of cooling water. Then choose the row number
n (when also the number of tubes N is dened, see Fig. 5). Now you can calculate the
mass ow and temperature rise of cooling water and the total needed conductance and
vapour mass ow using equations 4-7. The heat transfer coecient of cooling water can
be calculated using equations 8-10 and the heat transfer coecient for vapour side is
given in Fig. 2 by using the top values of curves. The conductance per unit length of the
tube is then calculated using equations 1-3 after which the lentgth of one tube L can be
calculated, because N (number of tubes) is already xed. Finally the vapour velocity u1
at cross section A1 can be calculated using the equation 35 and the known mass ow of
vapour. This velocity should be the same as the targer velocity u in equation 30. If this
is not the case, choose a new row number n until the velocity u1 is the same or a little
larger than target velocity.
You can calculate the frictional pressure drop of cooling water using Moody diagram.
The pressure drop of vapour side can be calculated using the equation 20 after you rst

calculate the pressure drop coecient

using the equation 23 or 25.