Heat Exchanger

Dr. M K Mandal
Chemical Engg. Dept
NIT Durgapur
[email protected]
 Heat exchanger
 A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one
medium to another or heat exchange between two process streams
 The media 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 plants, chemical
plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, natural gas processing, and sewage treatment.
 The classic example of a heat exchanger is found in an internal combustion engine in which a
circulating fluid known as engine coolant flows through radiator coils and air flows past the coils,
which cools the coolant and heats the incoming air.

Examples:
 Heater or Cooler: a process stream is heated/cooled by a utility stream
 Condenser, Chiller
 Reboiler: vaporiser associated with a distillation column
 Evaporator: used to concentrate a solution
 Fired heater: heating is done by combustion
 Heat Transfer Equipment:
 Double-pipe exchanger, used for cooling or heating
 Shell and tube heat exchangers
 Plate-Frame/fin exchangers
 Spiral heat exchangers
 Air cooled: coolers and condensers
 Fired heaters

 There are four basic flow configurations:

 Counter Flow
 Cocurrent Flow
 Crossflow
 Hybrids such as Cross Counter flow and Multi Pass Flow
 Flow Configuration

• Counter flow exchanger in which the two fluids flow

parallel to each other but in opposite directions.
• This type of flow arrangement allows the largest change in
temperature of both fluids and is therefore most efficient
(where efficiency is the amount of actual heat transferred
compared with the theoretical maximum amount of heat
that can be transferred).

• In cocurrent flow heat exchangers, the streams flow

parallel to each other and in the same direction.
• This is less efficient than countercurrent flow but
does provide more uniform wall temperatures.
• Cross flow heat exchangers are intermediate in
efficiency between countercurrent flow and
parallel flow exchangers.
• In these units, the streams flow at right angles to
each other as shown in Fig.

• In industrial heat exchangers, hybrids of the above flow

types are often found.
• Examples of these are combined cross flow/counter
flow heat exchangers and multi pass flow heat
exchangers.
 Double-pipe (Pipe in Pipe) Heat Exchanger
 A Double Pipe Heat Exchanger is one of the simplest forms of Shell and Tubular
Heat Exchanger.
 Here, one pipe inside another larger pipe is placed to make the unit very compact
and arrangement is made multiple times and continues serial and parallel flow.
 One fluid flows through the surrounded by pipe and the other flows through the
annulus between the two pipes.
 The wall of the inner pipe is the heat transfer surface. This is also called as a Hairpin
Heat Exchanger.
 Advantages
• A primary advantage of a hairpin or double pipe heat exchanger is to facilitate it can be
operated in a true counter flow pattern, which is the a large amount efficient flow pattern.
• It gives the highest overall heat transfer coefficient for the double pipe heat exchanger
design.
• Also, hairpin and double pipe heat exchangers can handle high pressures and temperatures
well. When they are operating in true counter flow, they can operate among a temperature
cross, that is, where the cold side outlet temperature is higher than the hot side outlet
temperature.
• The primary advantage of a concentric configuration, as opposed to a plate or shell and tube
heat exchanger, is the simplicity of their design.

 Disadvantages
• There are significant disadvantages however, the two most noticeable being their high cost
in proportion to heat transfer area and the impractical lengths required for high heat duties.
• They also suffer from comparatively high heat losses via their large, outer shells.

 These are might have only one inside pipe, or it may have multiple inside tubes
 Shell and tube heat exchanger

 Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of a series of tubes.

 One set of these tubes contains the fluid that must be either heated or
cooled.
 The second fluid runs over the tubes that are being heated or cooled so
that it can either provide the heat or absorb the heat required.
 A set of tubes is called the tube bundle and can be made up of several
types of tubes: plain, longitudinally finned, etc.
 Shell and tube heat exchangers are typically used for high-pressure
applications (with pressures greater than 30 bar and temperatures greater
than 260 °C).
 This is because the shell and tube heat exchangers are robust due to their
shape.
 The most common type of heat exchanger in industrial applications
 Shell and tube heat exchanger

 Baffles are used to increase the fluid velocity by diverting the flow across the tube bundle to obtain
higher transfer co-efficient. The distance between adjacent baffles is called baffle-spacing. The baffle
spacing of 0.2 to 1 times of the inside shell diameter is commonly used.
 Common tube layouts

 Tube passes
 The number of passes is chosen to get the required tube side fluid velocity to
obtain greater heat transfer co-efficient and also to reduce scale formation.
 The tube passes vary from 1 to 16. The tube passes of 1, 2 and 4 are common
in application.
 Tube sheet
 The tubes are fixed with tube sheet that form the barrier between the tube and
shell fluids.
 Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are further classified according to the number
of shell and tube passes involved

One shell pass and one tube pass

One shell pass and two tube pass

One shell pass and two tube passes Two shell passes and four tube passes
 Applications and uses

• The simple design of a shell and tube heat exchanger makes it an ideal cooling
solution for a wide variety of applications.
• One of the most common applications is the cooling of hydraulic fluid and oil in
engines, transmissions and hydraulic power packs.
• With the right choice of materials they can also be used to cool or heat other
mediums, such as swimming pool water or charge air.
• One of the big advantages of using a shell and tube heat exchanger is that they are
often easy to service, particularly with models where a floating tube bundle (where
the tube plates are not welded to the outer shell) is available.
 Shell and Coil Heat Exchangers

• The shell and coil heat exchangers are constructed using circular layers of helically
corrugated tubes placed inside a light compact shell.
• The fluid in each layer flows in the opposite direction to the layer surrounding it,
producing a criss-cross pattern.
• The large number of closely packed tubes creates a significant heat transfer surface
within a light compact shell.
• The alternate layers create a swift uniform heating of fluids increasing the total heat
transfer coefficient.
• The corrugated tubes produce a turbulent flow where the desired feature of
fluctuating velocities is achieved.
Shell and Coil Heat Exchangers
 Advantages of shell and coil heat exchangers
 The shell and coil design is the perfect choice whenever high heat transfer rates,
compact design and low maintenance costs are high priorities. Other benefits include:
• High Performance: the unique coil arrangement has a large heat transfer area meaning high heat
transfer coefficients.
• Compact and Lightweight: closely packed tubes makes our shell and coil exchangers compact and
lightweight. Small footprint makes it easy to install where space is limited and hard to access.
• Low Maintenance Costs: corrugated tube design produces a high turbulent flow, which reduces
deposit build-up and fouling. This means longer operating cycles between scheduled cleaning
intervals.
• Low Installation Costs: vertical installation makes it ideal for hydronic heating and cooling systems
where space is an issue.

 Shell and Coil Applications: The shell and coil design were designed specifically for
the hydronic markets including:
 Heating Systems
 Chilled Water Systems
 Ground Water Systems
 Residential Use
 Plate Heat Exchanger
• The plate heat exchanger consists of a specific number of plates arranged between
the pressure & the fixed frame.
• The plates are having corrugations with different designs which increase the total
surface area for the heat exchange.
• The plates are movable within the frame and rest on the carrying bar on the top
and the bottom of the frame.

• The plates are arranged in pairs which are opposite of each

other forming a honey comb pattern when viewed sideways.
• The plate corrugations promote fluid turbulence and increase
the heat transfer.
• The fixed and the pressure plate are supported by the
supporting column.
• The plates are fitted with each other with gaskets which seal
the material from coming out sideways as well as through the
holes on the plates. The alternate arrangement of the gaskets
prevents the mixing of the fluids within the channels.
1. fixed pressure plate
2. start plate
3. thermoline® heat exchanger
channel plate with gasket
4. end plate
5. movable pressure plate
6. upper carrying bar
7. lower carrying bar
8. support column
9. tightening bolt
10. stud bolt or flanged
connection (fluid inlet/outlet
ports)
 Plate type heat exchanger

 Advantages of Plate Type Heat Exchanger

• Low cost of operation
• Low cost of maintenance
• Easy to clean
• Highly efficient heat transfer
• Future changes are possible by fitting extra heat transfer plates
• Less floor space required

 Applications of Plate type Heat Exchanger

• Power generation applications
• In food, Dairy and brewing industries
• Refrigerants in cooling systems
 Selection of fluids for tube and the shell side

 The routing of the shell side and tube side fluids has considerable effects on the
heat exchanger design. Some general guidelines for positioning the fluids are
given in Table. It should be understood that these guidelines are not ironclad rules
and the optimal fluid placement depends on many factors that are service specific.
 OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT
 A heat exchanger typically involves two flowing fluids
separated by a solid wall.
 Heat is first transferred from the hot fluid to the wall by
convection, through the wall by conduction, and from the
wall to the cold fluid again by convection.
 Any radiation effects are usually included in the convection
heat transfer coefficients.
 The performance of heat exchangers usually deteriorates with time as a result of
accumulation of deposition heat transfer surfaces. The layer of deposits represents
additional resistance to heat transfer. This is represented by a fouling factor Rf.

 The fouling factor increases with the operating temperature and

the length of service and decreases with the velocity of the fluids.

Fouling (i.e. dirt and depositions) is detrimental within heat

exchangers because it adds a thermal resistance to heat, it adds a
fluid-dynamic resistance to flow, and it is difficult (sometimes
impossible) to clean.
 ANALYSIS OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

 Heat exchangers are usually analyzed using

 Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) or
 Effectiveness – Number of Transfer Units (ε-NTU) methods.

 The LMTD method is convenient for determining the overall heat transfer coefficient
based on the measured inlet and outlet fluid temperatures.
 The ε-NTU method is more convenient for prediction of the outlet fluid temperatures
if the heat transfer coefficient and the inlet temperatures are known

 In general, the temperatures of the fluid streams may vary along the length of the
heat exchanger. To take care of the temperature variation, the concept of Log Mean
Temperature Difference (LMTD) is introduced in the design of heat exchangers.
 Case 1: heat capacity rates (HE is insulated)
 If heat capacity rates of the cold and hot fluids are the same and the heat exchanger
is operated in the counter-flow regime then ΔT is independent of position in the heat
exchanger. In this case, total heat transfer rate q should be obtained:
 Case 2: Heat capacity rate (phase-change)

 The heat capacity rate of a

fluid during a phase change
process must approach infinity
since the temperature change is
practically zero.
 Variation of the fluid temperatures in a parallel-flow double-pipe
heat exchanger
 Log-mean temperature difference
 Counter-flow double pipe heat exchanger
LMTD: Counter-flow heat exchangers
 In the limiting case, the cold fluid will be heated to the inlet
temperature of the hot fluid.
 However, the outlet temperature of the cold fluid can never exceed
the inlet temperature of the hot fluid.
 The change in temperature difference ΔT = Th - Tc along the length
of the Hx, is in no where as large as for the inlet region of a parallel
flow Hx.
 Note, that the outlet temperature of the cold fluid may now exceed
outlet temperature of the hot fluid.
 We can show that the definition of LMTD will be identical as the
parallel flow case, however

 For specified inlet and outlet temperatures, ΔTlm a counter-flow heat exchanger is always greater than
that for a parallel-flow heat exchanger.
 That is, ΔTlm, CF > ΔTlm, PF, and thus a smaller surface area (and thus a smaller Hx) is needed to
achieve a specified heat transfer rate in a counter flow Hx.
 When the heat capacity rates of the two fluids are equal
 LMTD: Multi and cross flow Hx
 Use of a correction factor

 F correction factor depends on the geometry of the

heat exchanger and the inlet and outlet
temperatures of the hot and cold fluid streams.

 F for common cross-flow and shell-and- tube heat

exchanger configurations is given in the figure versus
two temperature ratios P and R defined as

 1 and 2 inlet and outlet

 T and t shell- and tube-side temperatures
• F = 1 for a condenser or boiler
 F is the correction factor and it will be given
Arithmetic mean temperature difference

 The arithmetic mean temperature difference

 The logarithmic mean temperature difference ∆Tlm is an

exact representation of the average temperature
difference between the hot and cold fluids.
 Note that ∆Tlm is always less than ∆Tam. Therefore,
using ∆Tam in calculations instead of ∆Tlm will over
estimate the rate of heat transfer in a heat exchanger
between the two fluids.
 When ∆T1 differs from ∆T2 by no more than 40 percent,
the error in using the arithmetic mean temperature
difference is less than 1 percent. But the error increases
to undesirable levels when ∆T1 differs from ∆T2 by
greater amounts.
 LMTD method
 The LMTD method is very suitable for determining the size of a heat exchanger to
realize prescribed outlet temperatures when the mass flow rates and the inlet and
outlet temperatures of the hot and cold fluids are specified.
 With the LMTD method, the task is to select a heat exchanger that will meet the
prescribed heat transfer requirements. The procedure to be followed by the selection
process is:
 Select the type of heat exchanger suitable for the application.
 Determine any unknown inlet or outlet temperature and the heat transfer rate using
an energy balance.
 Calculate the log mean temperature difference ∆Tlm and the correction factor F, if
necessary.
 Obtain (select or calculate) the value of the overall heat transfer coefficient U.
 Calculate the heat transfer surface area As.

The task is completed by selecting a heat exchanger that has a heat transfer surface area equal to or
larger than As.
 THE EFFECTIVENESS–NTU METHOD
 A second kind of problem encountered in heat exchanger analysis is the
determination of the heat transfer rate and the outlet temperatures of the hot and
cold fluids for prescribed fluid mass flow rates and inlet temperatures when the
type and size of the heat exchanger are specified
 In such situations we use the NTU-Effectiveness method
 NTU: Number of Transfer Units = Non-dimensional parameter
Effectiveness
 The effectiveness of a heat exchanger depends on the geometry of the heat exchanger as well
as the flow arrangement.
 Therefore, different types of heat exchangers have different effectiveness relations.
 We illustrate the development of the effectiveness relation for the double-pipe parallel-flow
heat exchanger.
 Number of Transfer Units (NTU)

 Effectiveness relations of the heat exchangers typically involve the

dimensionless group UAs /Cmin.
 This quantity is called the number of transfer units NTU.

 For specified values of U and Cmin, the value of NTU is a measure of the
surface area As. Thus, the larger the NTU, the larger the heat exchanger.
 The effectiveness of a heat exchanger is a function of the number of transfer
units NTU and the capacity ratio c.
 Procedure for selecting a Hx
 With the LMTD method, the task is to select a Hx that will meet the prescribed heat transfer
requirements.
 The procedure to be followed is:
1. Select the type of heat exchanger suitable for the application.
2. Determine any unknown inlet or outlet temperature and the heat transfer rate using an
energy balance.
3. Calculate the LMTD and the correction factor F, if necessary.
4. Obtain (select/calculate) the value of overall heat transfer coefficient U.
5. Calculate the heat transfer surface area As .
6. The task is completed by selecting a heat exchanger that has a heat transfer surface area
equal to or larger than As.

 The proper selection of a heat exchanger depends on several factors:

•Heat Transfer Rate •Cost •Pumping Power •Size and Weight •Type •Materials
 Problem
• Steam in the condenser of a power plant is to be condensed at a temperature of 30°C with cooling
water from a nearby lake, which enters the tubes of the condenser at 14°C and leaves at 22°C. The
surface area of the tubes is 45 m2, and the overall heat transfer coefficient is 2100 W/m2 · K.
Determine the mass flow rate of the cooling water needed and the rate of condensation of the steam in
the condenser. (Ans: 1087 kW, 32.5 kg/s, 0.45 kg/s)

• A counter-flow double-pipe heat exchanger is to heat water from 20°C to 80°C at a rate of 1.2 kg/s.
The heating is to be accomplished by geothermal water available at 160°C 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 · K, determine the length of the heat exchanger required to achieve
the desired heating. (Ans: 108 m)

• A 2-shell passes and 4-tube passes heat exchanger is used to heat glycerin from 20°C to 50°C by hot
water, which enters the thin-walled 2-cm diameter tubes at 80°C and leaves at 40°C. The total length
of the tubes in the heat exchanger is 60 m. The convection heat transfer coefficient is 25 W/m2 · K on
the glycerin (shell) side and 160 W/m2 · K on the water (tube) side. Determine the rate of heat transfer
in the heat exchanger (a) before any fouling occurs and (b) after fouling with a fouling factor of 0.0006
m2 · K/ W occurs on the outer surfaces of the tubes. (Ans 1830 W, 1805 W)