Entropy generation in a counterflow heat exchanger has been analysed in detail and

expressions have been derived in terms of relevant non dimensional parameters. In the
case of nearly ideal heat exchangers with nearly balanced capacity rate, an expression for
entropy production has been derived which matches closely with exact calculation.
Published in Cryogenics, 1982, 22(2), 63-65

On the generation of entropy in a counterflow

heat exchanger
S. Sarangi and K. Chowdhury
Key words: heat exchanger;entropy; exergy
Second law analysis in process design has received
considerable attention in recent years) Thermal and chemical processes have been considered by many authors in
terms of one of two entities: exergy (available energy) and
irreversibility (entropy production). Irreversibility analysis
of heat exchangers, designed to transfer a specified amount
of heat between the fluid streams, has been described by
McClintock) Bejan a has recently introduced the concept
of designing heat exchangers for specified irreversibility
rather than specified amount of heat transferred. This technique has been used by several authors in the field of
:cryogenic engineering. 4-7 B e j a n 3 has considered two
sources of irreversibility: heat transfer across a f'mite temperature difference and pressure drop due to fluid friction.
Recently Chowdhury and Sarangi s'9 used irreversibility
analysis to predict the optimum thermal conductivity of
the separating wall in a concentric tube counterflow heat
exchanger. They have accounted for the entropy generation
due to axial conduction in the wall, along with that due to
lateral heat transfer and fluid friction.

(Ns)max -

1 +v

R +v
In - -

lnR

1+v

The number of entropy production units N s may be

derived a as

For some particular cases simpler forms of (1) and (2) may
be derived for ready reference.
(1) Balanced flow: v = 1
Ns = l n [ l + e ( R - 1 ) ]

+ ln[1-e(R-1)/R]

(R - 1) 2
= ln[1 +

e (1 - e)]

and
(R + 1 ) 2
at e = 0.5
(Ns)max = In - 4R

(3)

(2) v ~ 0

and
- 1)/R]

(2)

Such a case may arise if one of the channels carries a liquid

or a condensing vapour, the other carrying a gas at ordinary
pressures.
(R-l)
Ns = ln[1 + e ( R - 1)1 - e

Entropy generation in a heat exchanger

1
Ns = ln[1 + e ( R - 1)] + v-- ln[1 - v e ( R

and

(4)

(I)

where R is inlet temperature ratio T 2 / T ~ , v is capacity rate

ratio Cn,an/Cmax, e is heat exchanger efficiency, and Nsis
number of entropy production units, = S / C m i a , where S is
rate of entropy generation. In reference 3, N s is defined as
S / Cma,, .

(R - 1 )
(Ns)max = l n R

ate = 1

(3) e ~ 0
(R -- 1) 2
Ns -

The following are the assumptions in the derivation of (1):

one, the contribution of fluid friction to entropy generation is negligible;.two, both ends of the heat exchanger are
adiabatic; and three, there is no heat transfer to the surroundings from the outer wall of the heat exchanger. By
differentiating (1) it may be seen that Ns is maximum for an
efficiency

(5)

(4) e = 1
Ns = ln R + _1 In
v

1-v

(6)

which equals 0 for v = 1 and,

e = 1/(1 + v )
The authors are from the Advanced Centre for Cryogenic
Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302,
India. Paper received 22 September 1981.

ln R

(R-l)
R

for v = 0

Computed results for a temperature ratio R = 4 have been

0011-2275/82/002063-03 $03.00 1982 Butterworth & Co (Publishers) Ltd

CRYOGENICS. FEBRUARY 1982

63

plotted in Fig. 1 against efficiency e and capacity rate ratio

v. The locus of maximum entropy generation point may be
expressed by the relation:
e

Ns = l n [ l + e ( R - 1 ) ]

In

+ 1-e

1 + e(R - 1)

Ns, inefr~iency -

(1 - e)

(10)

In reference 3 the term (1 - e) has been approximated by

its value under balanced flow condition, 1/Ntu. Because of
the strong dependence of efficiency on capacity rate ratio,
this becomes a poor approximation at even minor imbalance,
resulting in significant change of design parameters.

For nearly ideal heat exchangers (1 - e ~ 1), (1) may be

expanded in a Taylor's series around e = 1 to give

1) 2

(R -

(7)

Nearly ideal heat exchanger with nearly balanced

capacity rate

Ns = ln R + 1 In

For nearly balanced capacity rate, the coefficient of

(1 - e) in (9b) may be evaluated at v = 1 for first order
approximation. Then,

The expression 1 for (1 - e) may be approximated to first

order by the following expression.

~(R - 1 7 (1 - e)

1-e

(8)

[-N~.-

1 +v

R ( v + R - vR)

where
which may be expressed as

H(x)
Ns = Ns, imbalance + Ns, inefficiency

(9)

= 1 for x f> 0 a n d H ( x ) = 0 for x < 0

This may be substituted in (10) to yield

where
Ns imbalance = ln R + _1 In
'

1- v

Ns, inemency

(9a)

~ ( R - 1) 2 [ 2 - - v
/~

and
v(R - 1) 2 (1 - e)

/'Ms,inefficiency

R(v +R

(R-l)

(9b)

vR)

2(l-v)

(R-l)

--

2 (2-v)

2R

0.4

081[ ~
0.7

Ns ,~

.....

Ns,mQ x v5 E

v=O
'l 0.3 - \

0.6
f~

EO.5

V=0,5

A
C

\
.tO

L3
\
.to
v

v=0.8

.0.4

Equation (12)

~ . ~

Reference ( 3 )

....

Exact calculotion

\ "X
\

0.2

"X
\
N
~'~.~ "\
"\.

~ "\.

-~- 0.3

\-x.

~x,,
X\~,

,-1

~o.2

~~...~

~090

\,

~0.1

t.J

O.1

0 [

0.2

0.4
08
Efficiency, E

0,8

Fig. 1 Computed results for temperature ratio R = 4 plotted

against efficiency e and capacity rate ratio, v

64

1.0

I
20

1
40

I
80

f
160

t
320

Heat t r a n s f e r units, Ntu

[
640

Fig. 2 Comparison of exact calculation results obtained using

equation (12) and reference 3

CRYOGENICS.

FEBRUARY

1982

INn' + 1t]
1

gtu, 2

2
x

H(Ntl-u

l+v)
3
(11)

Hence

Ns = Ns, imbalance + -( R --2l ) 2- v [R-Ntu

H(Nt!u

l-v]2_

l+v)

5
(12)

6
7

Results of (12)have been compared with exact calculation

and results of Reference 3 in Fig. 2 for a temperature ratio
of 4. It may be observed that the new expression gives a
much closer approximation and also can be easily incorporated into the new design procedure of Bejan.

References

Gaggioli,R.A., Petit, P.J. Use the second law first Chemtech

7 (1977) 496

10

McClintoek, F.A. The design of heat exchangers for minimum

irreversibility, ASME Paper No. 5 l-A-108 presented at the
1951 meeting of ASME (1951)
Bejan,A. 'The concept of irreversibility in heat exchanger
design: counterflow heat exchangers for gas-to-gas applicationsJHeat Transfer 99C 3 (1977) 374
Bejan,A., Smith, J.L. Jr Thermodynamic optimisation of
mechanical supports for cryogenic apparatus Cryogenics 14
(1974) 158
Bejan,A., Smith, J.L. Jr Heat exchangers for vapour cooled
conducting supports of cryostats Advances in Cryogenic
Engineering 21 Plenum, New York (1976) 247
Bejan,A. Discrete cooling of low heat leak supports to 4.2 K
Cryogenics 15 (1975) 290
Hilal,M.A., Boom, R.W. Optimisation of mechanical supports
for large superconductive magnets Advances in Cryogenic
Engineering 22 Plenum, New York (1976) 224
Chowdhury, K., Sarangi, S. A second law analysis of the concentric tube balanced counterflow heat exchanger: optimisation of wall conductivity Proceedings of the 7th National
Symposium on Refrigeration and Air conditioning India (1980)
Chowdhury, K., Sarangi, S. A second law analysis of the concentric tube counterflow heat exchanger: optimisation of
wall conductivity In J Heat and Mass Transfer (1981 )
(Submitted)
Kays, W.M., London, A.L. Compact Heat Exchangers
McGraw Hill, New York (1964)

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