Example 12.7 Design a condenser for the following duty: 45,000 kg/h of mixed light hydrocarbon vapours to be condensed. The condenser to operate at 10 bar. The vapour will enter the condenser saturated at 60°C and the condensation will be complete at 45°C. The average molecular weight of the vapours is 52. The enthalpy of the vapour is 596.5 ki/kg and the condensate 247.0 ki/kg. Cooling water is available at 30°C and the temperature rise is to be limited to 10°C. Plant standards require tubes of 20 mm o.d., 16.8 mm i.d., 4.88 m (16 ft) long, of admiralty brass. The vapours are to be totally condensed and no sub-cooling is required. Solution Only the thermal design will be done. The physical propertics of the mixture will be taken ‘as the mean of those for n-propane (MW = 44) and n-butane (MW = 58), at the average temperature. 45,000 Heat transferred from vapour = "(596.5 — 247.0) = 4368.8 kW Cooling water fk = 045 ee = GO 3018 kgls Assumed overall coefficient (Table 12.1) = 900 W/m?°C Mean temperature difference: the condensation range is small and the change in saturation temperature will be linear, so the corrected logarithmic mean temperatureHEAT-TRANSFER EQUIPMENT 725 difference can be used. @=*9 15 (126) 40—30) Ss 40 30) 033 (12.7) AT = 0.92 x 17.4 = 16°C 4368.8 x 10° Trial —_—a = 303 rial area = Surface area of one tube = 20x 10-3 x 4.88 thickness) 0.305 m? (ignore tube sheet 303 Number of tubes = =e = 992 Use square pitch, Py = 1.25 x 20 mm = 25 mm. Tube bundle diameter 992 \1228 =20(—2 = 2. Dy=20 ( a =) 954 mm 2.36) Number of tubes in centre row N, = Dp/P; = 954/25 = 38 Shell-side coefficient Estimate tube wall temperature, Ty; assume condensing coefficient of 1500 Wm?°C, Mean temperature shat = 248 grec ‘Tube-side 04-30 35°C 2726 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Mean temperature condensat Pict propenies a 47°C 0.16 mNs/m* ‘551 kg/m? 013 Winec apr yas a pee Don 0 ox ge = 195 kent We _ sso 6 x 107 kels m (12.50) 1375 Wim??C Close enough to assumed value of 1500 W/m?C, so no correction to T,, needed. Tube-side coefficient ‘Tube cross-sectional area = (16.8 x 10° x 22 = 0.055 mi? 3 4 Denity of water, at 355C = 995 kg/m? 145 1 S91 ms 393 * TOSS 4200(1.35 + 0.02 x 35)1.919% ain — 16.802 mei = 8218 Wim"°C Fouling factors: as neither fluid is heavily fouling. use 6000 Wim?°C for each side. fe = 50 Wine Overall coefficient ms 2 ao mee) a U7 8 * ao x3 Toa © Gams * Tos * U = 786 Win? ?C 22)HEAT-TRANSFER EQUIPMENT 727 Significantly lower than the assumed value of 900 W/m?*C. Repeat calculation using new trial value of 750 W/m?°C. 4368 x 10° Area = SE = 364 or Number of tubes = = 07305 1194) 12255 v, =20 (5) = 1035 mn (02.36) Number of tube ere =a umber of tubes in centre row = > = 45,000 1 3600“ S88 x 1198 N,=ix41=27 ‘= 2.15 « 107° kg/m s 351651 Ulex lo? x2.13x 107} (12.50) = 1447 Wim?ec hh, = 0.95 x 0.13 New tube velocity = 0s 3 7097 Wim? 16.8 3 (20. bo ete (4) U ~ 1447 * 6000 2x50 2 1,0 4 Xt x 16.8 * 6000 * 168 * 7097 U = 773 Wim?2C 4200(1.35 + 0.02 x 35), (2.47) 2.2) Close enough to estimate, firm up design. Shell-side pressure drop Use pull-through floating head, no need for close clearance Select bafile spacing = shell diameter, 45 per cent cut From Figure 12.10, clearance = 95 mm. Shell id. = 1035 +95 = 1130 mm ‘Use Kem’s method to make an approximate estimate. Crossfow area A, = F701 130 x 1130 x 10-° (12.21) = 0.255 m*728 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. Mass flow-rate, based on inlet conditions 6, = 95.00, 1 _ yo 07 kgs 3600 * 0255 127 . Equivalent diameter, de = 52225? — 0.785 x 207) (1222) =19.8 mm Vapour viscosity = 0.008 mNsfm? _ 49.02 x 19.8 x 107% = = 121,325 Re F008 xT Tange From Figure 12.30, jp =2.2 x 107 ye BP moan 15 Take pressure drop as 50 per cent of that calculated using the inlet flow; neglect viscosity correction. 2 ap, = 2 [8x22 10 (=) eer z3uy (12.26) 2 198) \i130) 2 = 1322 Nim? kPa Negligible; more sophisticated method of calculation not justified. Tube-side pressure drop Viscosity of water = 0.6 mN sim? wpdi _ 1.59 x 993 x 16.8 x 107° uo 0.6 x 107 From Figure 12.24, jp = 3.5 x 107%. Neglect viscosity correction. Re= (12.20) 3 x 1.592 AP, 4fsxas x10 ( 288 ) ja 168 x 10=> 2 93,388 Nim* 93. kPa (7.7 psi). acceptable.