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Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Chemical Engineering Department

Laboratory Experiment Report # 3

Experiment #6 HEAT TRANSFER IN A DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

Author: Christine Maureen V. Fernandez

Date: August 12, 2019

ABSTRACT

The experiment went through by first familiarizing the parts and labelling the
valves accordingly for easier identification and instructions. Two types of flow are to be
performed with each having 2 10-minute long trials with pressure set only at 20psia.
These flows of streams involved are the countercurrent and parallel flow. Certain valves
were opened and closed in order to follow these different set ups. Having the objective of
obtaining the overall heat transfer coefficients, temperature differences were recorded as
well as the weight of the condensate. From the data obtained, the average overall heat
transfer coefficient for the countercurrent flow is 390.78 Btu/hr.ft2 - 0F and 651.254
Btu/hr.ft2 - 0F for the parallel flow. With these data, it means that having the parallel flow
would mean having higher heat content when doing heat transfer.
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Objectives

To determine the overall coefficient of heat transfer using steam to water in forced
convection

Materials/Apparatus/Equipment List

• Concentric – pipe heat exchanger

• Thermocouple
• Platform balance
• Weighing pails
• Stopwatch
• Water, steam

Relevant Theory/ Background Information

Heat transfer often occurs in combination with other unit operations, such as drying
of lumber or foods, alcohol distillation, burning of fuel, and evaporation. The heat transfer
occurs because of a temperature difference driving force and heat flows from the high-to-
the-low-temperature region.

Heat transfer may occur by any one or more of the three basic mechanisms of heat
transfer: conduction, convection, or radiation. In conduction, heat can be conducted
through solids, liquids, and gases. The heat is conducted by the transfer of the energy of
motion between adjacent molecules. In convection, the transfer of heat is by bulk
transport and mixing of macroscopic elements of warmer portions with cooler portions of
a gas or a liquid. It also often involves the energy exchange between a solid surface and
a fluid. In radiation, no physical medium is needed for its propagation. It is the transfer of
energy through space by means of electromagnetic waves in much the same way as
electromagnetic light waves transfer light.

In the process industries, the transfer of heat between two fluids is generally done
in heat exchangers. The most common type is in which the hot and cold fluid do not come
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into direct contact with each other but are separated by a tube wall or a flat or curved
surface. Other types are the Double-pipe heat exchanger, Shell-and-Tube exchanger and
Cross-Flow Exchanger.

In this experiment, the main goal is to determine the overall heat transfer coefficient
using steam to water in forced convection.

Procedures
Before starting the experiment, the length of the heating section was measured
first for the calculation of the area. Also, the parts were familiarized and the valves were
labelled accordingly for easier identification and instructions. Two types of flow are to be
performed with each having 2 10-minute long trials with pressure set only at 20 psia.

On both types of flow, valves V1, V2, V8, and V12 were kept open. However, for
the Countercurrent flow, valves V4 and V5 were opened and valves V3 and V6 were
closed. On the other hand, for the Parallel flow, valves V3 and V6 were the ones opened
and valves V4 and V5 were closed. After setting everything up including the pressure at
a constant state, the following were recorded at every 2-minute interval – time, inlet and
exit temperatures of the steam and cold-water streams, as well as the discharged cold
water and condensate.
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Experimental Data Analysis and Discussion

Cold Water Hot Water

Type of Time, Meter Temp, oF Gage Temp, oF Weight of
Flow min reading, reading, Condensate
Inlet Exit Inlet Exit
L Psi
0
2 3.5 87.8 174.2 20 212 123.8 0.8
4 3.5 86 179.6 20 212 132.8 0.55
COUNTER CURRENT

6 3.7 84.2 182.2 20 212 134.6 0.9

8 4.7 86 190.4 20 212 137 0.5
10 4.5 84.2 195.8 20 212 143.6 0.6
12 4.2 86 197.6 20 212 140 0.6
14 4.4 87.2 194 20 212 132.8 0.6
16 4.4 91.4 195.8 20 212 140 0.6
18 4.4 84.2 194 20 212 134.6 0.6
20 12.7 89.6 197.6 20 212 131.4 2.1
AVERAGE
0
2 4.4 87.8 203 20 212 138.2 0.8
4 8.9 89.6 188.6 20 212 138.2 0.9
6 9.5 89.6 194 20 212 132.8 1.2
PARALLEL

8 9.1 89.6 190.4 20 212 145.4 1.1

10 7.9 93.2 195.8 20 212 143.6 1.1
12 8.8 95 194 20 212 158.2 0.9
14
16
18
20
AVERAGE
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The experiment was done involving 2 kinds of flow, namely the countercurrent and
the parallel flow. With these differences, there were valves opened and closed.
Temperature readings were made so that the temperature differences may be calculated
as well as the overall heat transfer coefficients for each flow.

As seen on the table of data, the average overall heat transfer coefficient for the
countercurrent is 390.78 Btu/hr.ft2 - 0F and 651.254 Btu/hr.ft2 - 0F for the parallel. With
this, it means that having the parallel as the type of flow for heat transfer leads to greater
value of heat transferred.

Conclusion

It is therefore having a parallel flow that one can obtain higher heat content since
results show that the overall heat transfer coefficient is greater than that of the
countercurrent flow.

To be able to come up with accurate results, the following are necessary to be

obtained: temperature differences from the inlet and the outlet streams of water and
steam, the weight of the condensate, flow rate of both material streams, and the weight
of the cold water.
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References
[1] Geankoplis, C.J. (2015). Transport Processes and Separation Process Principles 4th
Edition
[2] http://ww2.che.ufl.edu/unit-ops-lab/experiments/HE/HE-theory.pdf

Appendices

A. Sketch
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B. Calculations

Countercurrent:
Overall Coefficient of heat transfer
50 L 60 min 2.2 lb
q= ( )( )( ) (190.12 − 86.66)℉ = 3414.8 Btu⁄hr
20 min 1 hr 1L
π 0.011 + 1.011 π 0.875 + 0.745
( )
A = L ( )( ) = (11.5 ft) ( ) ( ) = 2.44 ft 2
12 2 R 2
1 1
∆t = ( ) (∆t1 + ∆t2) = ( ) [(212 − 190.12) + (134.96 − 86.66)] = 35.09℉
2 2
34141.8 Btu⁄hr
Overall coeff. of heat transfer = ( ) = 398.76 Btu⁄hr ∙ ft2 − ℉
(2.44 ft 2 )(35.09℉)

Parallel
48.62 L 60 min 2.21 lb
q= ( )( )( ) (194.3 − 90.8)℉ = 55331.1 Btu⁄hr
12 min 1 hr 1L
1
∆t = ( ) [(212 − 194.3) + (142.73 − 90.8)] = 34.82℉
2
55331.1 Btu⁄hr
Overall coeff. of heat transfer = ( ) = 651.254 Btu⁄hr ∙ ft2 − ℉
(2.44 ft 2 )(2.44℉)