HEAT EXCHANGER MODEL

Heat Transfer
1. Abstract

A heat exchanger is a device used to transfer heat between two or more fluids. This particular
experiment was conducted understand and analysis the heat transfer of the heat exchangers. GUNT
WL 110.03 Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Service Unit was the apparatus was supposed to be
used in this experiment. Since the particular equipment was not working, we used the given data
for our calculations. LMTD method was used to calculate the heat transfer rate through the heat
exchanger for different flow rates and the results were validated using NTU method. The
temperature variation along the axis of heat exchanger was studied using plotted graph and
variation of the heat transfer with the different flow rates was also observed. Both LMTD and
NTU methods were compared at the discussion and identified their corresponding advantages and
limitations. The practical applications of various type of heat exchangers were identified and
performances of those heat exchangers were also compared.

2. Introduction
A heat exchanger is a device that allows heat from a fluid (a liquid or a gas) to pass to a second
fluid (another liquid or gas) without the two fluids having to mix together or come into direct
contact. The fluids can be single or two phase and, depending on the exchanger type, may be
separated or in direct contact. Devices involving energy sources such as nuclear fuel pins or fired
heaters are not normally regarded as heat exchangers although many of the principles involved in
their design are the same. Heat exchangers are used in both cooling and heating processes. The
fluids may be separated by a solid wall to prevent mixing or they may be in direct contact. They
are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, power stations, chemical plants
and etc. In order to discuss heat exchangers it is necessary to provide some form of
categorization. There are two approaches, that are normally taken. The first considers the flow
configuration within the heat exchanger, while the second is based on the classification of
equipment type primarily by construction
3. Theory

Heat exchanger transfer heat between two media. The media does not come into direct contact
and there is no mixing. Heat transported from the hot medium to the cold medium by way of heat
conducting partition. As it flows along the partition, the hot medium emits heat to the partition
and cools down in doing so. In turn, the heated partition passes heat to the cold medium flowing
along the other side of the partition. This medium is thus heated. The heat transfer process at the
partition can therefore be described in terms of three separate stages.
 Hot medium emits heat to the partition.
 Heat conduction within the partition.
 Partition emits heat to the cold medium.

Following figure shows a schematic view of the temperature profile at the partition.

The level of heat transfer determines by the performance of the heat exchanger in three heat
transfer stages. The ability to transfer heat from a medium to the partition or vice versa is
described by the heat transfer coefficient (U). The general equation for heat transfer rate (Q) is,
Q=UA (∆ T )
Where;

o A – Surface Area
o ∆T – temperature Difference
o U – Overall heat transfer coefficient
 For specific case of medium 1 on the hot partition side and medium 2 on the cold partition side,
Q=h1 A ∆T 1 ; Where , ∆ T 1=T 1−T w 1
Q=h2 A ∆T 2 ;Where , ∆ T 2=T w 2−T 2

Within the partition, heat is transferred from the hot side to the cold side by means of heat
conduction heat transfer and is given by;
∆ T w KA ( T w 1−T w 2 )
Q=KA =
l l
Where;

 ∆ T w=T w 1 – T w 2
 K – Coefficient of heat conduction
 l – Thickness of the partition
 A – Areaof the partition

At the steady state heat transfer rate through all three phases is same, so then equating the above
equations and considering mean parameters yields the following equation for mean heat transfer
rate,
Q̇=K m A m ( ∆ T )ln
Where;

∆ T max −∆ T min
∆ T ln =
∆ T max
ln
( ∆ T min )
A 1− A2
Am =
A1
ln
( )
A2

m 2 C p 2 ( T 2 A −T 2 E ) −m 1 C p1 ( T 1 A −T 1 E ) ∆ T max
Km=
2 A m (∆ T max −∆ T min ) (
ln
∆ T min )
Where; m 1= p1 v 1
m 2= p2 v 2

Am =0.223 m2
4. Equipment

 GUNT WL 110.03 Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Service Unit

Figure 1: Heat exchanger model

5. Procedure
 The shell and tube heat exchanger (which has 7 tubes and 4 baffle plates) was connected to
the WL 110.03 Service unit.
 The hot and cold fluid inlets were connected using the provided quick-action hose
couplings.
 The service unit was turned on using the main switch.
 Readings of all the six thermocouples were taken at an interval of 10 minutes until the
steady state is reached.
 Both inlet and outlet flow temperature readings were taken for different flow rates for
counter flow configuration.
6. Calculation
 Sample calculation for data set 02 ;
For flow rates;
Cold=1.315 l/min →0.022 ×10−3 m3 /s
Hot=8.652l/min → 0.144 ×10−3 m 3 /s

 LMTD method

T c ,∈¿=30 ℃, T c ,out =69.40 ℃∧¿¿

T h ,∈¿=80 ℃ ,T h ,out =63.20℃ ¿

Properties of water
@30 ℃ → ρ=995.6 kg /m3 , C ph=4.178 kJ /kgK
@ 80℃ → ρ=971.8 kg /m 3 , C pc=4.198 kJ /kgK

∆ T max =80 ℃−30 ℃=50 ℃

∆ T min =69.40 ℃−63.20 ℃=6.20 ℃

∆ T max−∆ T min
∆ T lm=
∆ T max
ln
( ∆ T min )
50−6.20
∆ T lm= =20.98 ℃
50
( )
ln
6.20
Am =0.223 m2
m 2 C p 2 ( T 2 A −T 2 E ) −m 1 C p1 ( T 1 A −T 1 E ) ∆ T max
Km=
2 A m (∆ T max −∆ T min )
ln (
∆ T min )
971.8× 0.144 ×10−3 × 4198 × ( 80−63.20 ) −995.6 ×0.022 ×10−3 × 4178 × ( 69.4−30 ) 50
¿
2 ×0.233 ×(50−6.20) ( )
ln
6.20
¿ 643.42 W /m2 K
Q̇ LMTD=K m A m ( ∆ T )lm

¿ 643.42 ×0.233 ×20.98

¿ 3145.61W

 ε −¿NTU Method

@30 ℃ → ρ=995.6 kg /m3 , c ph=4.178 kJ /kgK

@ 80℃ → ρ=971.8 kg /m 3 , c pc =4.198 kJ /kgK

C h=ṁ c ph=971.8 ×0.144 × 10−3 × 4198=588.28 W / K

C c =ṁ c ph=995.6× 0.022 ×10−3 × 4178=91.16 W / K
C min =Cc =91.16W / K

C min 91.16
c= = =0.155
C max 588.28
The maximum heat transfer rate ;
Q̇ max =C min (T h ,¿−T cold ,¿ )

Q̇max =91.16 ×(80−30)

¿ 4558.25 W

Then the NTU of this heat exchanger becomes;

U As
NTU =
Cmin
643.42× 0.233
¿
91.16
¿ 1.738

1−exp ⁡[−NTU (1+c )]

ε=
1+ c

1−exp ⁡[−1.738 ×(1+0.155)]

ε=
1+0.155

¿ 0.736

Q̇ NTU =ε ×Q max

¿ 0.736 × 4558.25
¿ 3355.94 W

7. Results

 LMTD method :

Flow rate (litres/min)

Km Q (LMTD)
∆T1 (oC) ∆T2 (oC) ∆Tm (oC)
(W/mK) (W)
Cold Hot
1.167 8.541 50 5.04 19.59 603.60 2755.64
1.315 8.652 50 6.2 20.98 643.42 3145.61
1.463 8.763 50 7.32 22.21 677.77 3507.88
1.611 8.874 50 8.4 23.32 707.88 3846.48
1.759 8.985 50 9.42 24.31 734.40 4160.05
1.907 9.097 50 10.39 25.21 758.24 4453.90
2.056 9.208 50 11.31 26.03 778.77 4723.34
2.204 9.319 50 12.17 26.77 796.84 4970.58
2.352 9.430 50 12.99 27.46 813.24 5202.98
2.500 9.541 50 13.76 28.09 827.59 5416.05

 Effectiveness – NTU method :

Flow rate (litres/min)

C ε- Q (NTU)
NTU
(Cmax/Cmin) effectiveness (W)
Cold Hot
1.167 8.541 0.139 1.738 0.757 3060.60
1.315 8.652 0.155 1.644 0.736 3355.94
1.463 8.763 0.170 1.557 0.716 3632.88
1.611 8.874 0.185 1.477 0.697 3893.35
1.759 8.985 0.200 1.403 0.679 4138.58
1.907 9.097 0.214 1.336 0.661 4370.53
2.056 9.208 0.228 1.273 0.644 4588.80
2.204 9.319 0.241 1.215 0.627 4793.11
2.352 9.430 0.254 1.162 0.612 4986.74
2.500 9.541 0.267 1.113 0.596 5168.83
 LMTD value vs Cold water flow rate
29

27

25
LMTD value (oC)

23

21

19

17
1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6

Cold flow rate (l/s)

 Heat transfer rate (LMTD) vs Cold water flow rate
6000

Heat transfer rate (NTU & LMTD) Vs Cold Water Mass Flow Rate
6000

5500

5500
5000

4500
5000
transfer rate (W)

4000

4500
(W)
Heat
Heat transfer rate

3500

4000

3000

3500

2500
Q LMTD (W) Q NTU (W)

3000
2000
1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2 2.4 2.6

Cold Flow rate (l/min)

2500
1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6

Cold Water Mass Flow Rate (l/min)

 8. Discussion
 The practical applications of various types of heat exchangers.

There are several types of heat exchangers in industrial application. Those classification are according
to the transfer process, according to the number of process, according to the surface compactness,
according to the construction, according to the flow arrangement and heat transfer mechanism.
- Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
 Refrigeration
 Air Processing
 Power and Electricity generation
 Food Beverage and Dairy
 Mining
 Chemical Processing & Refining
- Plate Heat Exchanger
 Food and beverage industry
- Storage or Regenerative
 Open hearth steel melting furnaces
 Blast furnace

 Comparison of the performance of different type of heat exchangers.

Most common type of heat exchanger in industrial application is the Shell and tube Heat
exchangers. Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of series of tubes. One of these tubes contains the
hot fluid. Other tubes contain cold fluid. Heat transfer between those two fluids are through those
tubes. Baffles are common for this type of heat exchangers. Shell and-tube heat exchangers are not
suitable for use in automotive and aircraft applications because of their relatively large size and
weight.
Plate heat exchangers are another type of the heat exchangers. Those type of heat exchanger are
contained large number of thin plates. Those thin plates are helped to transfer heat between two fluids.
plate heat exchangers can grow with increasing demand for heat transfer by simply mounting more
plates.
Regenerative heat exchanger. The static-type regenerative heat exchanger is basically a porous
mass that has a large heat storage capacity, such as a ceramic wire mesh. Hot and cold fluids flow
through this porous mass alternatively. The dynamic-type regenerator involves a rotating drum and
continuous flow of the hot and cold fluid through different portions of the drum so that any portion of
the drum passes periodically through the hot stream, storing heat, and then through the cold stream,
rejecting this stored heat.
 LMTD and NTU methods and the advantages of each methods.

LMTD method is useful for determining the overall heat transfer coefficient U based on
experimental values of the inlet and outlet temperatures and the fluid flow rates. However, this
method is not very convenient for prediction of outlet temperatures if the inlet temperatures and
U are known. In this case, one has to solve a nonlinear system of two equations for two unknowns This
solution requires application of an iterative approach.

A more convenient method for predicting the outlet temperatures is the effectiveness NTU method.
This method can be derived from the LMTD method without introducing any additional assumptions.
Therefore, the effectiveness-NTU and LMTD methods are equivalent. An advantage of the
effectiveness-NTU method is its ability to predict the outlet temperatures without resorting to a
numerical iterative solution of a system of nonlinear equations.
- LMTD method is used for calculation based on the overall heat transfer coefficient to
determine the flow rates and the temperatures.
- NTU method can be derived by the LMTD method therefore those two methods are equal.
- An advantage of the NTU method is its ability to predict the outlet temperature without
resorting to a numerical iteration solution of a system of nonlinear equations.

 By varying the flow rate of fluid, can enhance the heat transfer of heat exchanger.
Explain why?

Since the cross section area remains constant, increasing the flow rate means increasing the
velocity of the fluid. The heat transfer of heat exchanger depends on the heat transfer coefficient
between two fluids. Normally, in heat exchangers, the convective heat transfer coefficient (h)
dominates the conductive coefficients and thereby higher, the convective heat transfer coefficient
gives the higher heat transfer rate. Convective heat transfer is a function of Nusselts number.
Nu=h.L/k => h=Nu.K/L

The Nusselts number is a function of the Reynolds number, Nu=f (Re,Pr) and the Reynolds
number is a function of the fluid velocity, Re=f(velocity) , for a particular case in which if we
consider a fluid flowing through a pipe has constant density and viscosity. Therefore, convective
heat transfer coefficient (h) depends on the fluid velocity => h=f(velocity). Hence, we can say
that heat transfer coefficient is directly a function of velocity and is proportional to it. Therefore,,
heat transfer coefficient increase with the increase in the velocity of fluid. When varying the
flow rates, the velocity of the fluid changes and thereby the heat transfer rate changes
proportional to it. By increasing the flow rate of the fluid, heat transfer of the heat exchanger can
be enhanced.

 Discuss the factors that effected to the accuracy of the observations and justify your
observations?

Because of the errors in the practical, the calculated could be deviate from the actual heat
transfer values. Major causes for errors in the calculated results can be human errors, faulty
measuring instruments, change of environmental and flow conditions, poorly selected sensors,
difficulty to identify whether the system has reached steady state or not etc. Also certain
assumption has been taken for the calculations and that is also limit the accuracy of the results.
Theoretically, results observed from both LMTD and NTU methods should be equal or closer
value. But the variation of the results indicate that there are errors in the observations due to
undesirable effects during experimenting and it has been effected for the accuracy of the results.

 Discuss the best maintenance practices when you work with heat exchangers.

According to the construction type and the flow type of the heat exchangers the maintenance
practices are different. First of all we must think about a good preventative maintenance
program. After that scheduled cleaning program like clearing blockages, cleaning, lubrication,
and oil level checks can be carried out in standard operating procedures. Corroded gaskets,
uneven plate pack clamping, pressure losses, blockage and fouling are all issues that can
eventually plague the system’s heat exchanger so we want to consider those also maintenance
procedure is almost

Properly maintaining the facility’s heat exchangers can save the facility tens of thousands of
dollars in energy, downtime and repairs. Just like in vehicles, coil-cleaning service is scheduled
to be performed at regular intervals, a good preventative maintenance program for heat
exchangers is always in the facility’s best interest. At some point in its lifecycle, every heat
exchanger should be cleaned . Over time, sediment and grime can build up on plates or tubes and
cause clogs, retard heat transfer and reduce efficiency. Corroded gaskets, uneven plate pack
clamping, pressure losses, blockage and fouling are all issues that can eventually plague the
system’s heat exchanger.
 9. Conclusion

This particular experiment was conducted to study the application and the importance of the heat
exchangers by identifying the heat transfer analysis of heat exchangers. Since the apparatus were
not working, the calculations were done for the given data. Heat transfer rate bet ween hot and
cold fluid were calculated for different flow rates by LMTD method. Also the results were
validated by calculate the heat transfer rate using effectiveness-NTU method. The heat transfer
rate increases with the increase of the flow rates. This is because the convective heat transfer
coefficient is a function of the fluid velocity. At higher flow rates, fluid can easily become
turbulent which promotes sufficient particle solid interactions in order to improve the heat
transfer rate of the heat exchanger. Due to practical errors and certain assumptions made, there is
s slight deviation between the results of the LMTD and NTU methods.

10. References

[1][Online].Available:https://www.sfu.ca/~mbahrami/ENSC%20388/Notes/Forced
%20Convection.pdf. [Accessed 03/11/2019].

[2] Y.A. Cengel, A.J. Ghajar Heat and Mass Transfer: Fundamentals and Applications McGraw-
Hill, New York, NY, USA (2011).

11. Bibliography
[1] Incropera, Frank P.,DeWitt, David Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, John Wiley &
Sons. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-471-51729-0.
[2] Çengel, Yunus A. (2003). Heat transfer-A Practical Approach ,McGraw Hill Professional. p.
26. ISBN 978-0-07-245893-0.