Chapter 5

Heat
Exchanger
 Objectives

Student should be able to:

1. Determine heat transfer rate in HEX
2. Use the LMTD method in solving the HEX calculation
problem
3. Relate the correction factor (F) with the LMTD
4. Determine the correction factor (F) from the graph
5. Use The Effectiveness NTU Method in solving the HEX
calculation problem
- To design HEX, it is necessary to relate :

Total surface area Overall heat transfer

for the coefficient
heat transfer (U)

The total heat

transfer rate to fluid
temperature.
(inlet & outlet)
- To calculate the heat transfer rate, sensible
heat expressions are used in order to relate
the ht transfer rate to the temperature
different between the hot & cold fluid and
also the heat capacity of the fluid.

Q = (m) hot (C p ) hot (T ) hot

Q = (m) cold (C p ) cold (T ) cold

- These expressions are independent of flow
arrangement & HEX type.

- An expression can be obtained by relating the

total heat transfer rate to the temp. difference
between the hot & cold fluid.
- This expression is an extension of Newtons
Law of Cooling:

Q = UA(T ) m
Where;
Q = total heat transfer
U = overall ht transfer coefficient
A = total heat transfer area
Tm = Log mean temperature difference
The Log Mean Temperature Difference Method
(LMTD)

- However, Tm varies with position in the

HEX whether it is in parallel flow or counter
-flow HEX.
1 2
Tm =
1
ln
2
 LMTD

Parallel Flow Thi

Thi Tho
Tho
HEX 2
1
Tco
Tci Tco

1 = Thi Tci Tci

2 = Tho Tco
 LMTD

Counter Flow

Thi Tho Thi

HEX

Tco Tci 1 Tho
Tco
2
1 = Thi Tco Tci

2 = Tho Tci
 LMTD
For specified inlet and outlet temperatures,
the LMTD for a counter-flow HE is always
greater than that for a parallel-flow HE.
Thus a smaller surface area (smaller HE) is
needed to achieve a specified heat transfer
rate in a counter-flow HE.
Therefore, it is common practice to use
counter-flow arrangements in HE.
 Example 1
Water at the rate of 68 kg min-1 and specific
heat is 4.180 kJ kg-1 K-1 is heated from 35 to 75
C by an oil. The fluids are used in a counter
flow double pipe HEX, and the oil enters the
HEX at 110 oC & leaves at 75 oC. The overall
heat transfer coefficient is 320 Wm-2K-1.
Calculate the HEX area.
 Example 2
A counter-flow double-pipe heat exchanger is to heat water
(Cp = 4.18 kJ/kg.C) from 20C to 80C at a rate of 1.2 kg/s.
The heating is to be accomplished by geothermal water (Cp =
4.31 kJ/kg.C) available at 160C at a mass flow rate of 2 kg/s.
The inner tube is thin-walled and has a diameter of 1.5 cm. If
the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchanger is
640 = W/m2.C, determine the length of the heat exchanger
required to achieve the desired heating..
Example 2
 LMTD Correction Factors
- In cases where a multiple-pass HEX is
involved, it is necessary to obtain a different
expression for the mean temperature
difference, depending on the arrangement of
the shell & tube passes.

- Correction factor, F is used in order to

calculate the correct mean temperature
difference, Tm.
 LMTD Correction Factors

- Then, the equation for the HEX with tube or

shell passes more than 1 (e.g. 1 - 2
exchanger, 2-4 exchanger):

Q = UAF (T ) m
 Example 3
A 2-shell passes and 4-tube passes heat exchanger is used to
heat glycerin from 20C to 50C by hot water, which enters
the thin-walled 2-cm-diameter tubes at 80C and leaves at
40C (Fig). The total length of the tubes in the heat exchanger
is 60 m. The convection heat transfer coefficient is 25
W/m2.C on the glycerin (shell) side and 160 W/m2.C on the
water (tube) side. Determine the rate of heat transfer in the
heat exchanger (a) before any fouling and (b) after fouling
with a fouling factor of 0.0006 m2.C/ W occurs on the outer
surfaces of the tubes.
Example 3
 The Effectiveness NTU Method

This method is based on a dimensionless parameter called

the heat transfer effectiveness, :

Q Actual heat transfer rate
=
=
Q max Maximum possible heat transfer rate

The actual heat transfer rate in a heat exchanger

Q& = Cc (Tc ,out Tc ,in ) = Ch (Th ,in Th ,out )

Where:
Ch = mh C ph
Cc = mc C pc
and
The Effectiveness NTU Method
The maximum temperature difference:
Tmax = Th,in Tc,in

The fluid which might undergo max temp. difference is the

one having the minimum value of mCp (hot or cold)

The maximum possible heat transfer rate in a heat

exchanger
Q& max = Cmin Tmax = Cmin (Th ,in Tc ,in )
 The Effectiveness NTU Method

Once the effectiveness of the heat exchanger is known, the

actual heat transfer rate can be determined from

Q& = Q& max = Cmin (Th ,in Tc ,in )

The effectiveness of a heat exchanger depends on:

the geometry of the heat exchanger, and
the flow arrangement.
The Effectiveness NTU Method

Effectiveness relations of the heat exchangers typically

involve a dimensionless group called the number of
transfer units NTU
UA s UA s
NTU= =
Cmin ( mc
& p)
min

For specified values of U and Cmin, the value of NTU is a

measure of the heat transfer surface area As.

The larger the NTU, the larger the heat exchanger.

 The Effectiveness NTU Method

It is also convenient to define a capacity ratio c,

C min
c=
Cmax

The effectiveness of a heat exchanger is a function of the

number of transfer units NTU and the capacity ratio c.
 Example 4
Repeat Example 2, which was solved with the
LMTD method, using the effectivenessNTU
method.
 Example 5
Hot oil (Cp = 2.13 kJ/kg.C) is to be cooled by water (Cp = 4.18
kJ/kg.C) in a 1-shell-pass and 8-tube-passes heat exchanger.
The tubes are thin-walled and are made of copper with an
internal diameter of 1.4 cm. The length of each tube pass in
the heat exchanger is 5 m, and the overall heat transfer
coefficient is 310 W/m2.C. Water flows through the tubes at a
rate of 0.2 kg/s, and the oil through the shell at a rate of 0.3
kg/s. The water and the oil enter at temperatures of 20C and
150C, respectively. Determine the rate of heat transfer in the
heat exchanger and the outlet temperatures of the water and
the oil.
Example 5