Water to Air Heat Transfer Prediction Spreadsheet

This spreadsheet estimates the total heat transfer and water outlet side and air outlet side temps
for a water to air thin wall, fin type crossflow heat exchanger. (Typical automotive water radiator style.)
Spreadsheet will not work for any other heat transfer process.
Significant data is required to utilize this spreadsheet. Also a good understanding of the basic
heat transfer mechanics underlying the spreadsheet calculations is required.

The basic process to utilize this spreadsheet is as follows:

1.) Define Fluid Operating Conditions, Water and Air Side

A.) Flow Rate Mair in and Mwater in lbm/hr
B.) Temperature Tair in and Twater in ° F and/or Rankine
C.) Pressure Pair in and Pwater in lbs/ft^2

2.) Define Cooler Physical Geometry Water and Air Side-From MFG Data or Measured
A.) Surface Type
B.) Plate Spacing
C.) Hydaulic Radius-Tubes
D.) Fin Thickness
E.) Transfer Area/Total Volume
F.) Fin Material
G.) K, Fin
H.) Fin Length

3.) Define Cooler Size-Core only

A.) Length
B.) Width
C.) Height

4.) Define Fluid Properties-Water and Air Side-Use Logorithmic Temp Mean. (LTM)
A.) Viscosity µ lbm/hr*ft
B.) Prandtl Number Pr
C.) Stanton Number Sr
D.) Specific Heat Cp BTU/lbm*°F
E.) Reynolds Number R
F.) Fanning Friction Number Ff
G.) Specific Volume Ʋ Ft^3/Lb

5.) Calculate Intermediate Heat Transfer Properties, as required.

6.) Calculate NTU Values, Heat Transfer (Q) and Water and Air Side Outlet Temps

7.) Additional Definitions

A.) The Air Fluid Side is defined as the "Cool Fluid"
B.) The Water Fluid Side is defined as the 'Hot Fluid"
Fluid Operating Conditions

Mass Flow Properties

Fluid Property Air (Cool) Side Water (Hot) Side

(lbm/hr) (lbm/hr)
Flow Rate
Air (Cool) Side Water (Hot) Side
(lbs/ft^ )
2
(lbs/ft^2)
Pressure
Air (Cool) Side, In Water (Hot) Side, In
(°F) (°F)
Temperature 75 240

Spreadsheet requires the user to make some initial assumptions on the

final outlet temperatures. That is, an initial assumption of the water and air
outlet temperatures is required at this stage.

These initial assumptions will need to be verified later. So an iterative process

is required to get a proper "final" air and water outlet temperatures.

Air (Cool) Side, Out Water (Hot) Side, Out

Estimated Value Estimated Value
(°F) (°F)
Temperature, est. 100 195

An averaged temperature, for both the air and water side of the cooler
is required for calculating bulk fluid properties. A log mean average method is used.

Fluid Property, Avg. Air (Cool) Side Water (Hot) Side

(°F) (°F)
Temperature, avg. 86.9014874195549 216.721911319943
Finally the actual temperatures used to define the spreadsheet fluid properties
must come from a "bulk average log mean temperature" average. See below for details:
This is required to get correct bulk fluid properties later on.

Twater(LMT) = Twaterout{estimated}+[[(Twaterin - Tairout{estimated})-(Twaterout{estimated}-Tairin)]/[log(Twaterin - Tairout{estimated})/(T

and
Tair(LMT) = Tairout{estimated}+[(Tairin - Twaterout{estimated})-(Tairout{estimated}-Twaterin)]/[log[(Tairin - Twaterout{estimated})/(Tairout

Fluid Prop
Air (Cool)Water
Side (Hot)Air
Side
(Cool)Water
Side (Hot) Side
(°F) (°F) (°R) (°R)
Inlet Tem 60 260
Air (Cool)Water
Side (Hot)Air
Side
(Cool)Water
Side (Hot) Side
Estimated (°F)
Estimated (°F)
Estimated (°R)
Estimated (°R)
Outlet te 80 70

Water Temp in-Air 180

Water Temp out-Ai 10

LMT Tem 205.4288

Note: Air (Cool) Side Inlet Temp is usually ambient temp.

Fluid Prop
Air (Cool)Water
Side (Hot) Side
(°F) (°F)
LMT Temp-55.4288 205.6595
{estimated})/(Twaterout{estimated}-Tairin)]

timated})/(Tairout{estimated}-Twaterin)]