Heat Exchangers Design

What is the best HX design?

 Overall HX
design
Methodology
Thermal Hydraulic Analysis

𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒔 & 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔

Heat load 𝒒 →
𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 & 𝒕𝒚𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝑿

Two Fluids – Trans-mural HX

Cold fluid

hot fluid 𝒒
[Fouling]

Properties and
𝑚, 𝑇, 𝜇, 𝐶𝑝 , ℎ, 𝑓
information
Design process is essentially an optimization
process

} {
Heat Transfer Flow friction
𝒒(𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅) 𝒇, 𝚫𝐏
𝒉, 𝑼 Pumping Power

For a Heat exchanger the heat transfer rate

required is:
𝚫𝐓𝐦
𝒒= = 𝑼𝑨 𝚫𝐓𝐦
𝑹𝒕𝒉
𝑈 ≡ 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐻. 𝑇 𝑐𝑜𝑒𝑓. [𝑊/(𝑚2 𝐾)]
𝐴 ≡ 𝐻. 𝑇 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎[𝑚2 ]
Δ𝑇𝑚 ≡ 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝. 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓. [𝐾 𝑜𝑟 𝐶 𝑜 ]
Energy Conservation (1st law)

𝒒 = 𝒎𝑪𝒑 Δ𝑻 Δ𝑻𝒉 = 𝑻𝒉,𝒊 − 𝑻𝒉,𝒐

𝒉

𝒒 = 𝒎𝑪𝒑 Δ𝑻 Δ𝑻𝒄 = 𝑻𝒄,𝒊 − 𝑻𝒄,𝒐

𝒄
𝑪𝒑 𝒅𝑻 ≡ 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒑𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆

𝒎𝑪𝒑 ≡ 𝑪, 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆

𝒒 = 𝒎𝒉𝒇𝒈 , boiling and condensation

 Problem Classification

Rating problem Sizing problem

Given: Geometry/Size, Given: heat load, q
𝒎𝒉 , 𝑻𝒉𝒊 , 𝒎𝒄 , 𝑻𝒄𝒊 ,operating conditions
Find: Find: Area
𝐪 𝐨𝐫 𝑻𝒉𝒐 , 𝑻𝒄𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝚫𝐏 [geometry/Type]
For steady state Operation:
The functional design relationship between heat load
operating conditions and size can be expressed as:
𝑞 𝑜𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑜 , 𝑇𝑐𝑜 = Φ(𝑇ℎ𝑖 , 𝑇𝑐𝑖 , 𝐶ℎ , 𝐶𝑐 , 𝑈, 𝐴 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡)
Dependent variables Independent variables, Represent OP Cond. and
design and control variables.
 Also
Δ𝑃 = Φ(𝑇ℎ𝑖 , 𝑇𝑐𝑖 , 𝑚ℎ , 𝑚𝑐 , 𝐴 [𝑔𝑒𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑦])

Remember:
It is a common practice in HX design to express
different fluid/transfer segments in the form of
thermal resistance.

ΔTm 1
𝑞 = 𝑈𝐴Δ𝑇𝑚 = 𝑅𝑡ℎ =
𝑅𝑡ℎ 𝑈𝐴
Also remember
Fins might be a part of the HX fin efficiency and overall
fin efficiency might need to be integrated in the
solution/design procedure.

𝒒𝒇𝒊𝒏
𝜼𝒇 =
𝒒𝒎𝒂𝒙

𝑨𝒇
𝜼𝒐 = 𝟏 − (𝟏 − 𝜼𝒇 )
𝑨
𝑻
𝑻𝒉𝒊
F-LMTD Method
𝒅𝑻𝒉 Parallel flow
𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝐓𝟏
𝚫𝐓𝟐
𝒅𝑻𝒄 𝑻𝒄𝒐
𝒅𝑨
𝑻𝒄𝒊

𝟏 𝟐 𝑳
 F-LMTD Method Energy Balance:
𝒅𝒒 = −𝑪𝒉 𝒅𝑻𝒉 = 𝑪𝒅𝑻𝒄
𝑻
𝑻𝒉𝒊 HXer rate equation:
𝒅𝑻𝒉 𝒅𝒒 = 𝑼𝒅𝑨𝒅𝑻
𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝐓𝟏 𝚫𝐓 = 𝐓𝐡 − 𝐓𝐜
𝒅𝒒 𝚫𝐓𝟐
𝑻𝒄𝒐 𝐝 𝚫𝐓 = 𝒅𝑻𝐡 − 𝐝𝐓𝐜
𝒅𝑻𝒄
𝒅𝑨 𝟏 𝟏
𝑻𝒄𝒊 𝐝 𝚫𝐓 = −𝒅𝒒 −
𝑪𝒉 𝐂𝐜
𝟏 𝟐 𝑳
𝟐 𝟐
𝟏 𝟏
𝐝 𝚫𝐓 = −𝑼 − 𝒅𝑨
𝟏 𝑪 𝒉 𝐂𝐜 𝟏
 𝑻
𝑻𝒉𝒊
𝒅𝑻𝒉
𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝐓𝟏
𝚫𝐓𝟐
𝒅𝑻𝒄 𝑻𝒄𝒐
𝒅𝑨
𝑻𝒄𝒊
𝟏 𝟐 𝑳
Δ𝑇2 1 1 𝑈𝐴 𝐶𝑐
ln = −𝑈𝐴 − =− 1+
Δ𝑇1 𝐶ℎ 𝐶𝑐 𝐶𝑐 𝐶ℎ

𝑞 = 𝐶ℎ Δ𝑇ℎ = 𝐶𝑐 Δ𝑇𝑐
 Δ𝑇2 𝑇ℎ𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ𝑜 𝑇𝑐𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐𝑖
∴ ln = −𝑈𝐴 +
Δ𝑇1 𝑞 𝑞
𝑈𝐴
𝑻 =− 𝑇ℎ𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐𝑜
𝑻𝒉𝒊 𝑞
𝑈𝐴
= − 𝑞 Δ𝑇1 − Δ𝑇2
𝒅𝑻𝒉
𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝐓𝟏
𝚫𝐓𝟐
𝒅𝑻𝒄 𝑻𝒄𝒐
𝒅𝑨
𝑻𝒄𝒊
𝟏 𝟐 𝑳
Δ𝑇1 − Δ𝑇2 Δ𝑇1 − Δ𝑇2
𝑞 = −𝑈𝐴 𝑞 = 𝑈𝐴 = 𝑈𝐴Δ𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷
Δ𝑇2 Δ𝑇1
ln Δ𝑇 ln Δ𝑇
1 2
 Note:
𝑻
If 𝑪𝒉 = 𝑪𝑪
𝒒 = 𝑼𝑨𝜟𝑻
𝚫𝑻

𝑳
Counter Flow ONLY
 𝑻
𝚫𝐓𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 = 𝐓𝐡𝐢 − 𝐓𝐜𝐢 = 𝚫𝐓𝐨 𝑻𝒉𝒊
APPROACH Temperature difference
or Max. available 𝚫𝐓 𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝑻𝒊
The general rate equation:
𝚫𝑻𝒐
𝒒 = 𝑼𝑨𝑭𝚫𝑻𝑪𝑭 𝑻𝒄𝒐
Where 𝚫𝐓𝐂𝐅 ≡ 𝚫𝐓𝐋𝐌𝐓𝐃 𝑻𝒄𝒊
And F parameter that
accounts for variation from
pure CF arrangement 𝑳
𝟏 𝟐
𝑭 = 𝚽(𝐂𝐡 , 𝐂𝐜 , 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭)

𝑭 = 𝟏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑷𝑭 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑪𝑭

And phase Change
 𝚫𝐓𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧
𝑭 = 𝚽(𝑷, 𝑹, 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭) 𝑭=
𝚫𝐓𝐂𝐅
𝒎𝑪𝑷 𝟏 𝑻𝒉𝒊 −𝑻𝒉𝒐 𝑻𝒄𝒐 −𝑻𝒄𝒊
𝑹= = 0r
𝒎𝑪𝑷 𝟐 𝑻𝒄𝒐 −𝑻𝒄𝒊 𝑻𝒉𝒊 −𝑻𝒉𝒐

𝑻𝒄𝒐 −𝑻𝒄𝒊 𝑻𝒉𝒊 −𝑻𝒉𝒐

𝑷= 0r
𝑻𝒉𝒊 −𝑻𝒄𝒊 𝑻𝒉𝒊 −𝑻𝒄𝒊
𝑻
𝑻𝒉𝒊

𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝑻𝒊
𝚫𝑻𝒐
𝑻𝒄𝒐
𝑻𝒄𝒊

𝟏 𝟐 𝑳
𝑻
𝑻𝒉𝒊
𝒅𝑻𝒉
𝑻𝒉𝒐
𝚫𝐓𝟏
𝚫𝐓𝟐
𝒅𝑻𝒄 𝑻𝒄𝒐
𝒅𝑨
𝑻𝒄𝒊

𝟏 𝟐 𝑳