CONDENSER DESIGN

All the references mentioned in this condenser design calculations are taken from Process
heat transfer by DQ.Kern.

Vapour quantity = 2126.4 𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙/ℎ𝑟

= 2126.4 × 2.2 𝑙𝑏 𝑚𝑜𝑙/ℎ𝑟
= 4688.712 𝑙𝑏 𝑚𝑜𝑙/ℎ𝑟
Composition of benzene in distillate = 0.95764
Composition of toluene in distillate = 0.04236
Average molecular weight of distillate = ∑ 𝑀𝑖 𝑋𝑖
= (0.95764 × 78.11) + (92.14 × 0.04236)
= 78.7043108 𝑘𝑔/𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙
Latent heat of vaporization = 32965.0133 𝐾𝐽/𝐾𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 32965.0133 × 0.429923
= 14172.41741 𝐵𝑡𝑢/𝑙𝑏𝑚
Condenser duty, Qc = 70096804.28 𝐾𝐽/ℎ𝑟
= 66438942.75 𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟
Heat duty of condenser, QH = 3.1049 × 106 𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟
𝑄𝐻
Water required, 𝑤 =
∆𝑇
3.049 × 106
= = 76225 𝑙𝑏/ℎ𝑟
40
Temperature of cold fluid entering into the condenser, t1 = 48℃ = 158℉
Temperature of cold fluid leaving condenser, t2 = 70℃ = 118.4℉
Temperature of hot fluid entering condenser, T1 = 85.586℃ = 186.0548℉
Temperature of hot fluid leaving condenser, T2= 85.586℃ = 186.0548℉
Calculation of LMTD:
HOT FLUID (℉) COLD FLUID(℉) DIFFERENCE (℉)
186.0548 (T1) High temperature 158 (t2) 28.0548
186.0548 (T2) Low temperature 118 (t1) 68.0548
0 Difference 40 40
 ∆𝑻𝟏 − ∆𝑻𝟐
log mean temperature difference, 𝑳𝑴𝑻𝑫 =
∆𝑻
𝐥𝐧 ∆𝑻𝟐
𝟏

68.0548 − 28.0548
∆𝑇 = = 45.138905 ℉
68.0548
ln
28.0548

The exchanger side is a true counter flow. Since the shell side fluid is isothermal. The
influence of the tube wall temperature is included in the condensing film coefficient. The
arithmetic mean temperature is calculated by tc

𝒕𝟏 + 𝒕𝟐
𝒕𝒄 =
𝟐

158 + 118
𝑡𝑐 = = 138℉
2

From appendix table 8,

The overall design coefficient is found to be in the range of 75 to 150 for light organic as hot
fluid and water as cold fluid. Therefore, let us assume the overall design coefficient, UD = 100

𝑸
𝑨=
𝑼𝑫 ∆𝑻

3.049 × 106
𝐴= = 675.47 ft 2
100 × 45.13892

675.475
Number of tubes = = 215.0098 ≅ 215 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑠
12 × 0.2618

Let us assume that there are 4 tube passes as the quantity of water is large and the number
of tubes is also more. From the tube count: 215 tubes, 4 passes, 1 inch O.D on 1(1/4) triangular
pitch

Nearest count: Using the tube count data, the inner diameter of shell from table 9 is obtained and
is found to be 215 tubes in 52 inches I.D shell

Corrected coefficient, UD :
𝐴 = 215 × 12 × 0.2618 = 675.444 ft 2

𝑄 3.049 × 106
𝑈𝐷 = = = 100.00392
𝐴∆𝑇 675.44 × 45.138

CALCULATION OF OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS:

HOT FLUID (BENZENE) COLD FLUID (WATER)

1.Flow area, 𝒂𝒔 = 𝑰. 𝑫 × 𝑪; 𝑩/𝟏𝟒𝟒𝑷𝑻 1.Flow area, 𝒂′𝒕 = 𝑵𝒕 × 𝒂′𝒕 /𝟏𝟒𝟒𝒏
Clearance, C”=0.1875 = (215 × 0.546)/(144 × 4)
Baffle spacing, B = 31 = 0.20389ft 2
Tube pitch, PT = 1.25
= (25 × 0.1875 × 31)/144 × 1.25
= 0.80729 ft 2

𝒘 2.Mass velocity, 𝑮𝒕 = 𝒂
𝒘
2. 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑮𝑺 =
𝒂𝒔 𝒕

1678.08 𝑙𝑏 7622.5 𝑙𝑏
= = 5794.794 𝑓𝑡 2 = = 374000.29 𝑓𝑡 2
0.80729 ℎ𝑟 0.20381 ℎ𝑟

𝒘 3. Velocity, 𝑉 = 𝐺𝑡 /(3600𝜌)
3. Loading, 𝑮" = 𝟐⁄
𝑳𝑵𝒕 𝟑 374000.21
=
3600 × 62.5
4678.08 𝑙𝑏
= 2 = 10.862 in ft 2 = 1.66222𝑓𝑡/𝑠𝑒𝑐
12 × (215.0098) ⁄3 ℎ𝑟

4. At 𝑡𝑎 = 138 ℉
4. Assume h = h0 = 100
𝑙𝑏
ℎ𝑖0 = 420.336 𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉ 𝜇 = 0.72 × 2.42 = 1.74 𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑟

Tube wall temperature is given by, 𝐷𝑡 = 0.834 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 for 1”O.D, 14 BWG
𝒉𝟎 0.834
𝒕𝒘 = 𝒕𝒂 + (𝑻 − 𝒕𝒂 ) 𝐷𝑡 = = 0.0695𝑓𝑡
𝒉𝒊𝟎 + 𝒉𝟎 𝒂 12
100 𝐃𝐆𝐭
= 138 + (186.048 − 138) 𝐑 𝐞𝐭 =
420.336 + 100 𝛍
= 147.234℉ 0.0695 × 374000.21
= = 14938.5141
1.74
Film temperature is given by, 5. Correlation factor for 1” O.D of tube is
𝒕𝒇 = (𝑻𝒂 + 𝒕𝒘 ) obtained from figure 25.
186.048 + 147.234
= = 166.641℉
2 ℎ𝑖 = 560 × 0.9 = 504 𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉
The thermal conductivity of the hot fluid is 6. heat transfer coefficient for outside:
obtained from table 4 𝑰𝑫
2 𝒉𝒊𝟎 = 𝒉𝒊 ×
𝑘𝑓 = 0.0871Btu/hrft ℉ft 𝑶𝑫
The specific gravity of the hot fluid is obtained 0.834
= 504 ×
1
from table 6
= 420.336𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉
𝑠𝑓 =0.88
Viscosity of hot fluid is obtained from figure 14
𝜇𝑓 = 0.03 cp
By using the 𝑘𝑓 , 𝑠𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜇𝑓 values in figure 12.9.
the condensing film coefficient is obtained and is
found to be ℎ0 = 64.5𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉

Clean overall coefficient is given by

𝒉𝒊𝟎 × 𝒉𝟎
𝑼𝑪 =
𝒉𝒊𝟎 + 𝒉𝟎

420.336 × 167.5
= = 119.77𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉
420.336 + 167.5

𝑈𝐶 − 𝑈𝐷
Dirt factor, 𝑅𝐷 =
𝑈𝐶 × 𝑈𝐷

119.77 × 100.00392
= = 1.6504 × 10−3
119.77 + 100.00392

h outside
Clean overall coefficient, UC 119.77 𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉
Design overall coefficient, UD 100.00392 𝐵𝑡𝑢/ℎ𝑟𝑓𝑡 2 ℉
Dirt factor, RD 1.6504 × 10−3