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LECTURE 10

EXTENDED SURFACE
HEAT EXCHANGERS
Chapter 14
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Heat exchangers
• Almost all heating and cooling design projects require one or
more heat exchangers.

• Externally finned tubes are used in water-to-air and refrigerant-

to-air coils.

• Only sensible heat exchange may occur, or as in dehumidifying

coils, latent and sensible exchanges occur simultaneously.

• Increasing one or both fluid stream velocities can improve heat

exchange rates.

• Increasing size of an exchanger gives more surface area for heat

transfer and reduces pressure drop.

• Using fins increases the effective size (surface area) without

increasing actual size of coil.
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Heat transfer between two fluid streams

𝑞𝑞̇ = 𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈∆𝑡𝑡𝑚𝑚 , where
• U = overall heat-transfer coefficient

• A = surface area associated with U

• ∆tm = mean temperature difference between fluid streams

This is used because temperature difference is variable from
one place to another in exchanger.

• Two basic approaches are used to size, analyze, or select heat

exchangers:

1. Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD), and

2. Number of Transfer Units (NTU)
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Assumptions for LMTD

1. The overall heat-transfer coefficient U, the mass flow
rates 𝑚𝑚̇ 𝑐𝑐 and 𝑚𝑚̇ ℎ, and the fluid capacity rates Cc and Ch
are all constants, where the subscripts c and h refer to
the cold and hot streams, respectively.

2. There is no heat loss or gain external to the heat

exchanger, and there is no axial conduction in the heat
exchanger.

3. A single bulk temperature applies to each stream at a

given cross section.
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Basic relations for LMTD method

Error: Change this to tci

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Mean temperature difference ∆𝑡𝑡𝑚𝑚

∆𝑡𝑡1 − ∆𝑡𝑡2
∆𝑡𝑡𝑚𝑚 = 𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 =
ln(∆𝑡𝑡1 /∆𝑡𝑡2 )
• In many cases, the flow paths in the heat exchanger are not simply
counterflow or parallel flow but are quite complex.

• In some cases expressions may be developed for ∆𝑡𝑡𝑚𝑚 .

• However, they are generally so complicated that charts have been

developed to replace the equations.

• The concept of a correction factor F is used, such that 𝑞𝑞̇ = 𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈∆𝑡𝑡𝑚𝑚 ,

which is also equal to 𝑚𝑚𝑐𝑐
̇ 𝑝𝑝 ℎ 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑖 − 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑜 = 𝑚𝑚𝑐𝑐
̇ 𝑝𝑝 𝑐𝑐 𝑡𝑡𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 − 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 .

• Here, ∆𝑡𝑡𝑚𝑚 is computed in the same manner as the LMTD for an

"equivalent" counterflow exchanger.
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• A chart for the cross-flow configuration, used in air coils, is

given in Fig. 14-1c, where air flows normally to a bank of
finned tubes.
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Ex. 14-2
A heat exchanger is to be designed to heat 4000 cfm of air from 50 F to
110 F using hot water at 180 F in a cross-flow arrangement with fluids
unmixed. The flow rate of the hot water is 25 gpm. Assume the overall
heat-transfer coefficient based on the air side is 10 Btu/(hr-ft2-F), and
determine the air-side surface area using the LMTD method.
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Number of Transfer Units (NTU) Method

• NTU method has the advantage of eliminating the trial-and-error
procedure of LMTD method for many practical problems when only
inlet fluid temperatures are known.

• NTU = UA/C

• NTU parameter may be thought of as a heat-transfer size factor.

• Flow configuration is unimportant when Cmin/Cmax = 0.

• This corresponds to the situation of one fluid undergoing a phase

change where cp may be thought of as being infinite.

• Evaporating or condensing refrigerants as well as condensing water

vapor are examples where Cmin/Cmax = 0.
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• The actual heat transfer rate is given by

• The maximum possible heat transfer rate is expressed by

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Ex. 14-3
An air-cooled condenser operates in cross flow with a constant refrigerant
temperature of 125 F. The air enters at 95 F at a flow rate of 3200 cfm. The air-
side surface area is 300 ft2, and the overall heat-transfer coefficient is 10
Btu/(hr-ft2-F).
(a) What is the temperature of the air leaving the condenser?
(b) What is the flow rate for R-22, assuming a change in state from saturated
vapor to saturated liquid?
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Heat transfer-single-component fluids

• For a simple heat exchanger without fins, overall coefficient U is given by

• In general the areas A0 , Am, and Ai are not equal and U may be
referenced to any one of the three. Let A = A0; then
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Flat and circular fins

• Coils used in HVAC systems have fins on one or both sides.

• Because fins do not have a uniform temperature, fin efficiency η is used to

describe the heat-transfer rate.
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• Since the base on which the fin is mounted also transfers heat, another
parameter similar to fin efficiency is defined, called the surface
effectiveness

where A = Ab + Af

• Assuming that h is constant over the fin and base, the thermal
resistance is given by

• For a case where both sides of the heat exchanger have fins, the
overall coefficient U, assuming no fouling, is
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Heat transfer in uniform cross section fins

• Extended or finned surfaces may take on many
forms.

• It may be a simple plate of uniform cross-section or

complex patterns attached to tubes.

• For a fin of uniform cross section, heat-transfer rate

is given by:

Here,

Correct in book. The

exponent is 1 here.
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Thin fins of uniform cross section

• Most fins are very thin, so that L >> y. In this case the parameter m
may be simplified by taking y = 0. Therefore,

• Now,
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Heat transfer in circular fins

Circular finned-tube water coil

• The figure on the left shows a sketch of a tube with circular fins.

• The diagram is some what idealized, since in practice the fin is usually
wound on the tube in a helix from one continuous strip of material.

• A typical circular finned-tube water coil is shown in figure on the right.

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Circular fin efficiency

• Typically the circular fin will be quite thin.

• In the case of the circular fin the solution for the fin efficiency is very complex
and is not generally used for practical problems

• Figure on the right shows

a plot of the solution for
a thin circular fin.
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Schmidt’s method for circular fin efficiency

• An approximate but quite accurate method of predicting efficiency for
a circular fin has been developed by Schmidt.

• When 1 < R/r < 8.0 and 0.5 < η < 1, the error is less than 1% of the
value of the fin efficiency taken from Fig. 14-4.
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Ex. 14-4
A tube has circular fins as shown in Fig. 14-2b; R is 1.0 in., whereas r is 0.5 in.
The fin thickness y is 0.008 in., and the fin pitch is 10 fins/in. The average heat-
transfer coefficient for the fin and tube is 10 Btu/(hr-ft2-F), whereas the thermal
conductivity k of the fin and tube material is 90 (Btu-ft)/(ft2-hr-F). Determine:
(a) the fin efficiency η using the figure solution
(b) the fin efficiency η using Schmidt’s method, and
(c) compare (a) and (b).
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Ex. 14-6
• The finned tube of Problem 14-4 has a refrigerant flowing on the
inside with an average heat transfer coefficient of 200 Btu/(hr-ft2-F).
The tube wall has a thickness of 0.015 in. Compute the overall heat-
transfer coefficient based on the air-side surface area. Assume that
the ratio of air-side to inside surface area is 9, and the efficiency for
the inner wall is unity .
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Transport coefficients inside tubes

• Most HVAC heat exchanger applications of flow inside tubes and passages
involve water, water vapor, and boiling or condensing refrigerants.

• The smooth copper tube is the most common geometry with these fluids.

• Forced convection turbulent flow is the most important mode; however,

laminar flow sometimes occurs.
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Turbulent flow of liquids inside tubes

• Dittus-Boelter equation:

� 𝐷𝐷
𝜌𝜌𝑉𝑉 µ𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝
where ReD = Reynold’s number = and Pr = Prandtl number =
𝜇𝜇 𝑘𝑘

• Above equation applies under conditions of ReD >10,000, 0.7<Pr<100, and

L/D > 60.

• For annular or noncircular cross sections for approximate calculations,

the tube diameter D is replaced by the hydraulic diameter
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Ex. 14-14 Error: Change 2½ gpm

Determine the average heat-transfer coefficient for water flowing in a ½

in. type L copper tube. The water flows at a rate of ½ gpm and undergoes
a temperature change from 180 to 150 F. The tube is over 4 ft long.
Error: Change ft2 to in2
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Laminar flow of liquids inside tubes

• The recommended correlation for predicting the average film coefficient in
laminar flow in tubes is

• When the factor in brackets is less than about 20, this equation becomes invalid.

• However, this will not occur for most heat exchanger applications.

• Properties should be evaluated at the arithmetic mean bulk temperature except

for µs, which is evaluated at the wall temperature.

• For the transition region (2000 < ReD < 10,000), prediction of heat-transfer and
friction coefficients is uncertain.

• Usual practice is to avoid this region by proper selection of tube size & flow rate.
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Adding antifreeze
• In many systems, ethylene glycol (HO–CH2–CH2–OH) is added to the water to
prevent freezing and consequent damage to the heat exchangers and other
components.

• Heat transfer is also adversely affected.

• Charts are available for specific heat and thermal conductivity of ethylene
glycol solutions as a function of temperature & concentration.

• The heat-transfer coefficient using a 30% glycol solution may be as much as

40% less than the coefficient using pure water.

• This is mainly because of the lower thermal conductivity and specific heat of
the glycol solution.
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Ethylene glycol and water solutions

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Ex. 14-19
Coolant flows through a long 12 mm I.D. tube with an average velocity of 1.5
m/s. The coolant undergoes a temperature change from 40 to 50 C. Compute
the average heat-transfer coefficient for:
(a) water and
(b) 30% ethylene glycol solution

cp = 3.7 x 103 J/(kg-C)

k = 0.5 W/(m-C)
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ρ = 1.028 *103 kg/m3

µ = 1.2 cP = 1.2*10-3 Pa-s

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Soln. to Ex 14-19 (b)

� 𝐷𝐷
𝜌𝜌𝑉𝑉 1.028×1000 ∗1.5∗0.012
𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 = = = 15,420 > 10,000
𝜇𝜇 1.2×10−3
Therefore, the flow is turbulent.

𝑐𝑐𝑝𝑝 𝜇𝜇 3.7×103 ∗(1.2×10−3 )

Pr = 𝑘𝑘
=
0.5
= 8.88

�𝐷𝐷
ℎ
= 0.023 ∗ 15,4200.8 ∗ 8.880.4 = 123.47
𝑘𝑘

� 123.47∗0.5 𝑊𝑊
∴ℎ= = 5144.6
0.012 𝑚𝑚2 −𝐶𝐶
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Design procedures for sensible heat transfer

• Earlier in the chapter the LMTD and effectiveness-NTU methods were
described as the two general heat exchanger design procedures.

• Either method may be used, but the effectiveness-NTU method has certain
advantages.

• Consider only sensible heat transfer where thi, tho, tci,𝑚𝑚̇ 𝑐𝑐 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑚𝑚̇ ℎ are known
and the surface area A is to be determined.

• The heat-transfer coefficients must be determined.

• The effectiveness NTU approach then proceeds as follows:

1. Compute the effectiveness ε and Cmin/Cmax from the given data.

2. Determine the NTU for the particular flow arrangement from the ε-NTU
curve, such as Fig. 14-18 or Table 14-1.
3. Compute A from the formula: A= NTU (Cmin/U)
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LMTD approach design procedures

The LMTD approach requires iteration as follows:

1. Calculate R = Cc/Ch.
2. Assume one outlet temperature in order to compute P (first approximation),

3. Find F from the appropriate curve (first approximation) (Fig. 14-1).

4. Evaluate LMTD (first approximation).
5. Determine 𝑞𝑞̇ = UAF(LMTD) (first approximation).
6. Calculate outlet temperature to compare with the assumption of step 2.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 until satisfactory agreement is obtained.

• It is obvious that the effectiveness-NTU method is much more straightforward.

• When both heat and mass transfer occur, as in a dehumidifying coil, the
effectiveness-NTU method is not valid, due to the need for a value of the overall
heat transfer coefficient U that involves both sensible and latent heat transfer.

• The LMTD method is more general in this regard.