Heat exchanger 1 specifications:

Type: Double pass, Shell and tube

Flow arrangement: Countercurrent flow
Shell side

Tube side

Fluid

Mixed gases

Mineral oil

Flow rate(Kg/s)

23.8125

414.7357

Temperature C(in/out)

643/180

25/200

Operating pressure
(kPa)
Material

15200

7000

Incoloy 800

Incoloy 800

Heat transfer area: 1542.60m

Tube diameter: 50mm
Tube length: 12m
Number of tubes: 819

Log mean temperature difference,

T1= T h, in T c, out = (643 C 200 C) = 443 C
T2= T h, out T c, in = (180 C - 25 C) = 155 C

Tlm =

443 C155 C
443
ln
155

= 274.25 C

Mass flow rate of mineral oil,

Q= moilCp T
121206.5 KJ/s= (m) (1.67 J/mol C)(200 C- 25 C)
moil = 414.7357 kg/s

Correction factor, F
P=

t 2t 1
T 1t 1

180 C643 C
25 C643 C
R=

= 0.749

T 1T 2
t 2t 1

25 C200 C
180 C643 C

= 0.378

F= 0.955

Heat transfer area,

Q= UATIM,CFF

121206.5 KJ/s = (300 W/m C) (A) (274.25C) (0.955)

A = 1542.60m

Number of tubes,
A= n(DL)
1542.60m = n( x 0.05m x 12m)
n = 819 tubes

Heat exchanger 2 specifications

Type: Double pass, Shell and tube
Flow arrangement: Countercurrent flow
Shell side

Tube side

fluid

Mixed gases

Water

Flow rate(Kg/s)

23.8125

294.9621

Temperature C(in/out)

183/43

25/48

Operating pressure
(kPa)
material

15200

5500

Incoloy 800

Incoloy 800

Heat transfer area: 2312.59m

Tube diameter: 50mm
Tube length: 12m
Number of tubes:1227 tubes

Log mean temperature difference,

T1= T h, in T c, out = (183 C 48 C) = 135 C
T2= T h, out T c, in = (43 C - 25 C) = 18 C
135 C18 C
135
TIM =
ln
18

= 58.06 C

Mass flow rate of water,

Q= mwaterCp T
28357.589 KJ/s= (m) (4.18 J/mol C) (48 C- 25 C)
mwater = 294.96 kg/s

Correction factor F,
P=

t 2t 1
T 1t 1

48 C183 C
25 C183 C
R=

= 0.854

T 1T 2
t 2t 1

25 C48 C
43 C183 C

= 0.164

F= 0.96

Heat exchange surface area,

Q= UATIM,CF F
28357.589 KJ/S = (220 W/m C) (A) (58.06 C) (0.96)
A = 2312.59 m

Number of tubes,
A= n (DL)
2312.59 m = n ( x 0.05m x12m)
n =1227 tubes

A heat exchange system was designed for the ammonia synthesis section to cool the input and
output stream of the ammonia synthesis reactor. Stream from the mixer is cooled from 643 C to
180 C and it is exchanged with a cool stream of mineral which is heated from 25 C to 200 C.
Mineral oil is used as the cool stream because of its high boiling point (358 C). The stream enters
the reactor at 180 C. This stream consists mainly of hydrogen and ammonia and small fraction
of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, methane, oxygen and argon. The stream must be
cooled before entering the reactor because the input temperature will affect the output
composition of the reactor.
The stream that exits the reactor is cooled from 183 C to 43 C by exchanging heat with water
from 25C to 48C. The stream is cooled before entering the throttling valve that condenses the
ammonia into liquid. Water is chosen as the cool stream due to its high heat capacity, low
viscosity and low cost. The stream contains higher fraction of ammonia and lower fraction of
hydrogen and nitrogen as compared to the stream entering the reactor.
Shell and tube design was selected for both heat exchangers because of its high heat transfer
efficiency and easy maintenance. A counter current flow heat exchanger is preferred as the
cooling stream can exceed the temperature of the hot stream outlet temperature and making it
possible to extract more heat from the hot stream. Double pass heat exchanger is chosen because
it provides a greater amount of heat transfer as compared to single pass heat exchanger.

Figure 1: Countercurrent flow regime and associated temperature profile

Hot fluid (mixed gases) is allocated to the shell side and water to the tube side. This is because
the hot fluid enters as a vapor. Vapor have lower heat transfer coefficient compared to liquid. By
setting the vapor into the shell side, pressure drop across the shell side is thus reduced and also
provide a higher heat transfer coefficient.
The material selected for both of the heat exchanger is Incoloy 800 which is a nickel-iron and
chromium alloy because it can tolerate high temperature and can resist hydrogen embrittlement.
The heat transfer surface area calculated from energy balance was found to be 1454.05 m with
772 tubes for heat exchanger 1 and 2188.05m with 1161 tubes for heat exchanger 2. Both heat
exchangers have tubes of have 50mm diameter and 12m U-tube length arranged in triangular
(30) layout.