PROBLEM 9.19 A condenser consists of a number of metal pipes of outer diameter 25 mm and thickness 2.5 mm. Water, flowing at 0.6 mls, enters the pipes at 290 K, and it should be discharged at a temperature not exceeding 310 K. If 1.25 ke/s of a hydrocarbon vapour is to be condensed at 345 K on the outside of the pipes, how long should cach pipe be and how many pipes would be needed? Take the coefficient of heat transfer on the water side as 2.5, and on the vapour side as 0.8 kW/m? K and assume that the overall coefficient of heat transfer from vapour to water, based upon these figures, is reduced 20% by the effects of the pipe walls, dirt and scale The latent heat of the hydrocarbon vapour at 345 K is 315 ki/kg Solution Heat load For condensing the organic at 345 K, Q = (1.25 x 315) = 393.8 KW If the water outlet temperature is limited to 310 K, then the mass flow of water is given by 393.8 = G x 4,18(310 — 290) or G = 4.71 kg/s Temperature driving force @ = (345 — 290) = SSdeg K, # = (345 — 310) = 35deg K Therefore in equation 9.9, . = (55 — 35)/1n(55/35) = 44.3 deg K. No correetion factor is necessary with isothermal conditions in the shell. Overall coefficient Inside: hy = 2.5 kW/m? K The outside diameter = 0.025 m and dj = (25 —2 x 2.5)/10° = 0.020 m Basing the inside coefficient on the outer diameter: hp = (2.5 x 0.020/0.025) = 2.0 kW/m? K152 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING VOLUME 1 SOLUTIONS Outside: hy = 0.8 kW/m? K and hence the clean overall coefficient is given by: 1/Uz = 1 fhig + Ufhg = 1.78 m? K/kW or Ui, = 0.572 kWim? K Thus allowing for scale and the wall: Up = 0.572100 — 20)/100 = 0.457 kWim? K Area In equation 9.1: A = O/U Om = 393.8/(0.457 x 44.3) = 19.45 m2 Outside area = (wr x 0.025 x 1.0) = 0.0785 m?/m and hence total length of piping = (19.45/0.0785) = 247.6 m. 4.71 kgs water = (4.71/1000) = 0.00471 m?/s and hence cross-sectional area/pass to give a velocity of 0.6 m/s = (0.00471 /0.6) = 0.00785 m* Cross-sectional area of one tube = (27/(0.020)* = 0.000314 m7. Therefore number of tubes/pass = (0.00785/0.000314) = 25. Thus: with 1 tube pass, total tubes = 25 and tube length = (247.6/25) = 9.90 m with 2 tube passes, total tubes = 50 and tube length = (247.6/50) = 4.95 m with 4 tube passes, total tubes = 100 and tube length = (247.6/100) = 2.48 m A tube length of 2.48 m is perhaps the most practical proposition.PROBLEM 9.15 tis proposed to construct a heat exchanger to condense 7.5 kg/s of n-hexane at a pressure of 150 kN/m’, involving a heat load of 4.5 MW. The hexane is to reach the condenser from the top of a fractionating column at its condensing temperature of 356 K. From experience it is anticipated that the overall heat transfer coefficient will be 450 W/m? K. Cooling water is available at 289 K. Outline the proposals that you would make for the type and size of the exchanger, and explain the details of the mechanical construction that you consider require special attention. Solution A shell-and-tube unit is suitable with hexane on the shell side. For a heat load of 4.5 MW =4.5 x 10° kW, the outlet water temperature is: 4.5 x 10 =m x 4.18(T — 289) 146 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING VOLUME 1 SOLUTIONS In order to avoid severe scaling in such a case, the maximum allowable water temper- ature is 320 K and hence 310 K will be chosen as a suitable value for T. Thus: 4.5 x 10° = 4.18m (310 — 289) and m = 51.3 kg/sThe next stage is to estimate the heat transfer area required. QO= UVAOn (equation 9.1) where the heat load @ = 4.5 x 10° W U =450 Wim? K 0, = (336 — 289) = 67 deg K, 62 = (356 — 310) =46deg K and from equation 9.9, Om = (67 — 46)/ In(67/46) = 55.8deg K No correction factor is necessary as the shell side fluid temperature is constant. A= (45 x 10°)/(450 x 55.8) = 179.2 A reasonable tube size must now be selected, say 25.4 mm, 14 BWG. The outside surface area is therefore (2 x 0.0254 x 1.0) = 0.0798 m?/m and hence the total length of tubing required = (179.2/0.0798) = 2246 m. A standard tube length is now selected, say 4.87 m and hence the total number of tubes required = (2246/4.87) = 460. Tt now remains to decide the number of tubes per pass, and this is obtained from a consideration of the water velocity. For shell and tube units, w= 1.0— 1.5 m/s and a value of 1.25 m/s will be selected. The water flow, 51.3 kg/s = (51.3/1000) = 0.0513 m/s. The tbe id. is 21.2 mm and hence the cross-sectional area for flow/tube = (7/4)(0.0212)? = 0.000353 m2. Area required to give a velocity of 1.25 m/s = (0.0513/1.25) = 0.0410 m? and hence number of tubes/pass = (0.0410/0.000353) = 116 and number of passes = 460/116 ~ 4. As the shell side fluid is clean, triangular pitch might be suitable and 460 x 25 mm o.d. tubes on 32 mm triangular pitch with 4 tube side passes can be accommodated in a 0.838 m id. shell and still allow room for impingement plates. The proposed unit will therefore consist of: 460, 25.4 mm o.d. tubes x 14 BWG, 4.87 m long arranged in 4 tube side passes on shell. 32 mm triangular pitch in a 0.838 m