Heat Exchangers

Introduction
• In process industries, the transfer of heat
between two fluids is done in heat exchangers
• Most common is hot and cold fluid do not
come in direct contact with each other but is
separated by a tube or a flat surface
• Mainly by conduction and convection
 Double Pipe Heat Exchanger

• Simplest
• Fluids can be cocurrent or countercurrent
• Useful for small flowrates
 Shell and tube HEs
• Useful for larger flowrates and flow are
continuous
• Most important in process industries
• Many tubes in parallel arranged in bundles, and
are enclosed in a single shells
• The other fluid flows outside the tube in the shell
side
• In 1-1 counter flow exchanger, cold fluid flows
inside all the tubes in 1 parallel in 1 pass. While in
a 1-2, the tube side fluid flows in 2 –pass
• The hot fluid enters the other end and forced to
cross flow by baffles
 Cross flow HEs
• When gas is being heated or cooled, it is
forced to pass past a tube where a cooling or
heating liquid flows inside
• For air conditioning and space-heating
applications
 Log Mean Temp Difference and
Varying Temp Drop
• For convection heat transfer the amount of heat is

• But this only holds at one point in the apparatus,

since ΔT vary
• Consider a double pipe heat exchanger
• For counter current flow of two fluids

where ΔTm is a suitable mean temp difference

• For dA area heat balance for hot and cold fluid:
• Heat balance between inlet and outlet:

where
Problem
Problem
 LMTD Correction Factors
• LMTD hold for single pass and double pipe HEs
• For multi pass HEs, a correction factor (FT)is to be
inserted in the total heat transferred
• To calculate FT, Z and Y must be calculated:

• Then FT is determined graphically. Separate graph

for 1-2 and 2-4 HEs
For 1-2 and 2-4 S&T HEs
 For Cross-flow HEs

• a) for shell fluid mixed the other unmixed

• b) if both are unmixed
• Using the new nomenclature:
Problem
 HE Effectivenss
• If outlet temperature is not known, a tedious
T&E soln is necessary.
• A method using effectiveness is used to avoid
this since it does not require outlet temp
• HE Effectiveness – ratio of the actual rate of
heat transfer in a given HE to the maximum
possible amount of HT is there is an infinite HT
area.
• For a counterflow HE, with CH>CC

• Heat balance Let (mcp)H=CH

(mcp)C=CC

If HT Area is ∞,
THi=Tco if CH>CC
THo=Tci if CC>CH
• For a counterflow HE, with CC>CH

• Actual HT
• Finally rearranging, for counter flow

• For parallel flow

 Graph for ε given NTU

• a) counterflow b) parallel flow

Problem
 Fouling factors
• Dirt, soot, scales and other deposits may
accumulate on sides of an HE or other HT
equipment
• These will add resistance to HE (thus reduce U)
• Chemical inhibitors are often added to minimize
corrosion, salt deposition and algae growth
• Water velocities >1m/s reduce fouling
• Large ΔT may cause excessive fouling
• Overall U (with fouling factors)

• Values of fouling factors for diff fluids are in

Table 4.9-1 (used in design, i.e. sizing, HE)