EXPERIMENT NO-2 FIRST-ORDER DYNAMICS HEAT TRANSFER IN AN AGITATED VESSEL

Aim: To determine the time constant of a First-Order system from its response to a step change in the
input variable.

Apparatus:

An insulated cylindrical vessel fixed with an electrical heater, cooling coil and a variable speed fractional horse power motor with a suitable blade for agitation. Cold fluid circulation pump with a cooling mechanism. Digital temperature indicators to measure the inlet and out cooling water temperature and also the hot fluid temperature with accuracy of 0.1oC. Stop watch.

Procedure:
1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

6.

7.

Fill in the cylindrical vessel with desired quantity of the selected liquid with known cP. Quantity should be enough to cover the cooling coil completely. Start the agitator motor and adjust its speed (R.P.M.) at a desired level. Connect the suction line of the cooling water circulation pump to the cooling water supply tank. Cooling water coming out from cooling coil goes to the cooling tower situated above the cooling water supply tank Switch on the heater in the agitated vessel and set the desired temperature on the controller As the temperature approaches the desired temperature in the agitated vessel, Adjust the flow rate of the cooling water to about 470 litres per hour (Temperature rise should be less than 1.5 - 2 degC). When the hot fluid temperature in the vessel attains the desired level switch off the heat simultaneously starting the stop watch. Note down the temperature of the liquid in the agitated vessel at some interval simultaneously noting down the time from the beginning of the experiment and the average of the cooling water. Repeat the experiment at a lower flow rate.

Theory:
Consider an agitated vessel containing m kilograms of fluid having specific heat capacity Cp at temperature of y degC, when cooling water is not flowing through the cooling coil. Suddenly, the cooling water at a temperature of x degC starts flowing through the coil. Due to this, heat will be removed from the fluid in the agitated vessel and its temperature will start decreasing. Our problem is to find out the fluid temperature y with respect to time. The following assumptions were made to analyse this problem. 1. The resistance on the heat transfer is given by [1/U*A] where U is the overall heat transfer coefficient between the fluid in the agitated vessel and the cooling water flowing through the coil and A is the heat transfer are of the cooling coil. 2. All the thermal capacitance is in the fluid in the agitated vessel (i.e. the thermal capacity of the cooling coil is negligible compared to that of fluid in the vessel). Furthermore, at any instant of time temperature of the fluid in the vessel at any location inside the vessel is same (i.e. above are no dead pockets in the agitated fluid.) The unsteady-state energy balance equation for this system can be written as Energy input Energy output = Accumulation of Energy When the fluid in the vessel is exposed to cooling water in the cooling coil heat will be removed from the fluid in the agitated vessel. For this situation thermal energy leaves from the fluid in the vessel and equation can be written as

0 U * A * ( y x ) = m * Cp * [dy/dt]
Where
A = Surface area of the cooling coil available for heat transfer Cp = Specific heat of fluid in the vessel M = Mass of the fluid in the vessel t = Time Rearranging the equation we obtain ( Taking the Laplace transform gives, ( ) ( ) ( ) )

( ) ( ) ( ) It can be seen that equation is that of a first order and hence if a step change is given ( ) (

where, is the step size. Thus knowing the response of the system we can determine its time constant.

Observation Tables:

1. At Cold water flow rate = 450 LPH

t(s) 0.00 33.80 53.50 76.40 98.12 133.40 168.02 206.00 249.37 299.84 375.50 458.70 547.09 660.68 756.21 882.49 1027.49 1196.31 1389.90 1635.84 1944.00 2391.00 3128.00

T(C) 130 127 125 123 121 118 115 112 109 105 100 95 90 84.8 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 Average

theo (s) 1034.19 971.31 979.61 967.29 968.96 958.62 961.09 977.94 961.30 967.95 975.50 977.15 997.20 985.07 991.15 997.31 1002.81 1001.83 1004.25 997.92 988.19 936.00 981.94

Ttheo(C) 130 126.84 125.05 123.02 121.13 118.15 115.33 112.34 109.08 105.45 100.35 95.18 90.15 84.31 79.89 74.68 69.47 64.29 59.35 54.34 49.58 44.87 40.56

% error in T 0 -0.12 0.04 0.01 0.11 0.13 0.28 0.31 0.07 0.43 0.35 0.19 0.16 -0.58 -0.13 -0.43 -0.77 -1.10 -1.09 -1.22 -0.84 -0.28 1.38

2.

At Cold water flow rate = 150 LPH

t(s) 0.00 102.12 168.12 227.52 291.46 361.43 438.40 520.68 601.56 724.74 827.87 948.12 1087.73 1252.40 1473.95 1635.00

T(C) 140 130 125 120 115 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 Average

theo (s) 1002.97 1071.53 1057.30 1051.86 1053.50 1059.63 1063.15 1051.61 1095.27 1089.01 1090.44 1096.29 1106.28 1138.38 1097.92 1075.01

Ttheo(C) 140 130.64 125.04 120.30 115.47 110.51 105.41 100.34 95.73 89.34 84.52 79.46 74.25 68.92 62.92 59.27

% error in T 0 0.49 0.04 0.25 0.41 0.46 0.38 0.34 0.76 -0.74 -0.56 -0.68 -1.00 -1.57 -3.31 -1.23

Result:
1. The average time constant of the agitated vessel for high cold fluid flow rate is 997.49 seconds. 2. The average time constant of the agitated vessel for low cold fluid flow rate is 1097.13 seconds. 3. Thus we obtain an average time constant for the first order system using an agitated vessel. 4. Theoretical value are nearly same as experimental values.

Conclusion:
The temperature of the hot fluid in an agitated vessel on subjecting to a step change varies according to the equation derived. Using the designed experiment, time constant can be easily calculated for above experiment. Also, the time constant for the experiment with high flow rate of cold fluid comes out to be lower than one with low flow rate, as expected.

Graphs: 1. At high flow rate

T(C) vs. t(s)

136.7 126.7 116.7 106.7 96.7 T (C) 86.7 76.7 66.7 56.7 46.7 36.7 0 500 1000 1500 t(s) 2000 2500 3000 3500

2. At low flow rate

T(C) vs. t(s)

156.7 136.7 116.7 T(C) 96.7 76.7 56.7 36.7 0 200 400 600 800 t(s) 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800