SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

When the design dictates a large number of hairpins in a double-pipe heat exchanger designed for
a given service, it may not always be possible to connect both the annulus and the tubes in series
for a pure counter-flow arrangement.

A large quantity of fluid through the tube or annulus may result in high pressure drops caused by
high velocities, which may exceed available pressure drop.

In such circumstances, Series/Parallel configuration is need when pressure drop exceeds its
limits.
 DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

There are three possibilities:

1. Reversing the location of streams

2. By-Passing the fluid stream for which the pressure drop excess its limits.

3. Dividing the stream having higher pressure drop i.e. adjusting the hairpins in series-parallel
arrangement.
 DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

1. By-Pass

Second possibility is the use of by-pass. Here the stream is divided into two portions and only
third quarters or the two-third of stream is allowed to pass through the exchanger and remaining
through by-pass.

This does not provide an ideal solution because the reduced flow rate causes unfavorable changes
in the design.
 DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

1. By-Pass

The reduced flow rate through the exchanger causes two unfavorable changes in design:

a) The reduced flow rate reduces the mass velocity that intern reduces the film coefficient.

b) If less liquid is allowed to circulate through the heat exchanger, it has to be cooled or heated
over a longer range of temperature so that, on mixing with the by-pass fluid, the desired
process outlet temperature results.

This reduces the approach temperature at the cold terminal that decreased the LMTD which
increases the exchanger size.
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SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

2. Reversing the location of streams

It is sometime useful and should always be examined first whenever the pressure drop on either
side of heat exchanger exceeds its allowable limits. It provides an easy and quick solution.

Therefore,
These two effects, the decrease in U and LMTD, increase the required number of hairpins
even though the desired heat load remains constant.
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SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

3. Series-Parallel Arrangement

If the above both solution fail then another

solution is still possible, even where there is a
substantial unbalance between the flow rates of
the streams.

The larger flow rate stream may be divided into

2, 3,4 or more parallel streams.
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SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

3. Series-Parallel Arrangement

Note:-

• Dividing the stream in half while keeping the flow rate constant, produces about one-
eighth of the series pressure drop.

• Although the fil coefficient will slightly reduce but the unfavorable temperature
difference can be circumvented and size of exchanger will remain constant.

• In large services, each parallel stream may further flow through several exchangers in
series, within each parallel bank.
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SERIES/PARALLEL ARRANGEMENT

• Parallel streams refer to the division of the flow of one fluid while the parallel flow refers
to the direction of flow between two fluids.

• when the number of tube-side parallel paths is equal to the number of shell-side parallel
paths, then the normal LMTD should be used 1.0.
•
In the design of a longitudinal-flow finned bundle-type heat exchanger, the correction
factor, F, must be applied to the LMTD. Since the flow is not purely countercurrent.
 DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

TRUE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE

Assumptions:

1. The specific heat of both fluids are constant.

2. The overall heat transfer coefficient is constant.

3. The heat transfer areas of the two units are equal.

4. The cold or hot stream mass flow rate is divided equally between the two hairpins.
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TRUE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE

Case-1:- One Series Hot and n Parallel Cold Streams

Where:
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TRUE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE

Case-2:- One Series Cold and n Parallel Hot Streams

Where: