Example 1.

A counterflow, concentric tube heat exchanger is used to cool the lubricating oil for
a large industrial gas turbine engine. The flow rate of cooling water through the inner tube (D
i
=
25 mm) is 0.2 kg/s, while the flow rate of oil though the outer annulus (D
o
= 45 mm) is 0.1 kg/s.
The oil and water enter at temperatures of 100 and 30 C, respectively. How long must the tube
be made if the outlet temperature of the oil is to be 60 C?

Solution 1 LMTD Method:
Known: Fluid flow rates and inlet temperatures for a counterflow, concentric tube heat
exchanger of prescribed inner and outer diameter.

Find: Tube length to achieve a desired hot fluid outlet temperature.

Assumptions:
1. Negligible heat loss to the surroundings.
2. Constant properties.
3. Negligible tube wall thermal resistance and fouling factors.

Analysis: The required heat transfer rate may be obtained from the overall energy balance for
the hot fluid.
The water outlet temperature is

. 85 . 4 Pr K,
W/m 625 . 0 , s/m N 10 725 K, J/kg 4178 : C) 35 T Water( K; W/m 138 . 0
, s/m N 10 3.25 K, J/kg 2131 : ) K 353 C 80 ( oil engine Unused : Properties
2 6 - o
c
2 -2 o
=
= = = ~ =
= = = =
k c k
c T
p
p h

W 8524 60)K - (100 K J/kg (2131) kg/s ) 1 . 0 (
) (
, , ,
= =
=
Q
T T c m Q
o h i h h p h

C 40.2 C 30
K J/kg (4178) kg/s (0.2)
W 8524
o o
,
,
,
,
= + =
+ =
o c
i c
c p c
o c
T
T
c m
Q
T

The overall heat transfer coefficient is

For water flow through the tube,

Accordingly, the flow is turbulent and the convection may be computed
Hence
For the flow of oil through the annulus, the hydraulic diameter is

And the Reynolds number is


( ) ( ) | | ( )
C 2 . 43
59.8/30 ln
30 8 . 59
/ T ln
) ( ) (
where

: obtained be now may length exchanger
heat required The choice. good a was properties water the evaluate to C 35 of use y, Accordingl
o
, , , h,i
, , , ,
o
=

=


=
=
=
=
i c o h o c
i c o h o c i h
i
c
T T T
T T T T
LMTD
L D A
LMTD A U Q
T
t
( ) ( )
o i
h h
U
/ 1 / 1
1
+
=
( ) ( )
050 , 14
s/m N 10 725 025 . 0
kg/s ) 2 . 0 ( 4 4
Re
2 6
=

= =

m D
m
i
c
D
t t

( ) ( ) 90 85 . 4 050 , 14 023 . 0
Pr Re 023 . 0
4 . 0 5 / 4
0.4 5 / 4
= =
=
D
D D
Nu
Nu
( ) ( )
( )
K W/m 2250
m 0.025
K W/m 625 . 0 90
2
= = =
i
D i
D
k
Nu h
m 02 . 0 = =
i o h
D D D
( )
( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
0 . 56
m kg/s 10 3.25 m 0.025 0.045
kg/s 1 . 0 4 4
Re
4 /
Re
2 -
2 2
=
+
=
+
=
(

= =
t t
t

i o
h
D
i o
h i o h m
D
D D
m
D D
m D D D V

The annular flow is therefore laminar. Assuming uniform temperature among the inner surface
of the annulus and a perfectly insulated outer surface, the convection coefficient at the inner
surface may be obtained with (D
i
/D
o
) = 0.56.

and
The overall convection coefficient is then

and from the rate equation it follows that






56 . 5 = =
k
D h
Nu
h o
i
( )
K W/m 4 . 38
0.020m
K W/m 138 . 0
56 . 5
2
= =
o
h
K W/m 8 . 37
K) W/m (1/38.4 K) W/m 2250 / 1 (
1
2
2 2
=
+
= U
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
m 5 . 66
C 2 . 43 025 . 0 K W/m 37.8
W 8524
o 2
= = =
m LMTD D U
Q
L
i
t t
Solution 2 NTU- Method:

We can solve for tube length L from total heat exchanger area A. So solve A from the basic
definition of NTU:

U
NTU C
A
C
A U
NTU
min
min
= =

Determine C
min
by solving for C
h
and C
c
and comparing:

K
W
J
s W
K kg
J
s
kg
C m C
Ph h h
213 2131 1 . 0 =
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
= =

K
W
J
s W
K kg
J
s
kg
C m C
Pc c c
836 4178 2 . 0 =
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
= =
So
K
W
C C
h
213
min
= =

As before

Next, we need to determine the value for NTU. Since NTU depends on the effectiveness and
the capacity ratio C
r
, we solve for these quantities:

25 . 0
836
213
max
min
= = =
K
W
K
W
C
C
C
r


( )
( )
ci hi
ho hi h
T T C
T T C

=
min
c

Since
h
C C =
min

Then

( )
( )
( )
( )
57 . 0
30 100
60 100
=

=
ci hi
ho hi
T T
T T
c

( ) ( )
o i
h h
U
/ 1 / 1
1
+
=
K W/m 8 . 37
K) W/m (1/38.4 K) W/m 2250 / 1 (
1
2
2 2
=
+
= U
For counterflow heat exchangers,

(

=
1
1
ln
1
1
r r
C C
NTU
c
c

For C
r
= 0.25 and = 0.57

NTU = 0.92

Solving for area A

U
NTU C
A
min
=

( )( )
2
2
1 . 5
4 . 38
92 . 0 213
m
K m
W
m
W
A =
|
.
|

\
|
=

So the length


( )
m
m
m
D
A
L 65
025 . 0
1 . 5
2
= = =
t t


The answer varies somewhat from the previous value, but within the accuracy of needed for
engineering design.