Heat Exchangers

The most common problem in heat exchanger design are rating and sizing. The rating
problem is concerned with the determination of the heat transfer rate and the fluid outlet
temperatures for prescribed fluid flow rates, inlet temperatures, and allowable pressure drop for
an existing heat exchanger; hence, the heat transfer surface area and the flow passage dimensions
are available. The sizing problem involves determination of the dimensions of the heat
exchanger, that is selecting an appropriate heat exchanger type and determining the size to meet
the requirements of specified hot and cold fluid inlet and outlet temperatures, flow rates and
pressure drops.
Heat transfer surface area A is plotted along the x axis and the temperature of the fluids is
plotted along the y axis. The nature of the temperature profiles also depend on the heat capacity
ratios of the fluids. In the heat transfer analysis of heat exchangers, it is convenient to establish
an appropriate mean value of the temperature difference between the hot and cold fluids such
that the total heat transfer rate Q between the fluids can be determined from the following
equation: Q = UA(deltaT)
Where A is the total hot side or cold side heat transfer area, and U is the average overall heat
transfer coefficient based on that area. Those equations are for thermal analysis of a heat
exchanger under steady state conditions. If Q, the total heat transfer rate, is known then the
equation can be used to calculate the heat transfer surface area A. The problem of calculating the
heat transfer area comes down to determining the overall heat transfer coefficient and the mean
temperature difference delta T.
Heat exchanger walls are usually made of a single material. In addition, fins are often
added to the surfaces exposed to either or both fluids, and by increasing the surface area, they
reduce the resistance to convection heat transfer. In heat exchanger applications, the overall heat
transfer coefficient is usually based on the outer area.
The LMTD Method for Heat Exchanger Analysis
In a counterflow heat exchanger, the temperature difference T
h
T
c
increases in the
direction of flow of the hot fluid, if C
h
> C
c
. If the length of the heat exchanger is infinite, the
cold fluid outlet temperature becomes equal to the inlet temperature of the hot fluid. If C
h
< C
c
,
both curves are convex and T
h
T
c
decreases in the direction of flow of the hot fluid. If the
length is infinite the hot fluid exit temperature becomes equal to the inlet temperature of the cold
fluid. For a crossflow arrangement we would add a correction factor F to the equation. F is
nondimensional and depends on the temperature effectiveness P, the heat capacity rate ratio R,
and the flow arrangement.
Assumptions
The heat exchanger operates under steady state, steady flow conditions.
Heat transfer to the surroundings is negligible.
There is no heat generation in the heat exchanger.
In crossflow heat exchangers, each fluid is considered unmixed at every cross section
depending upon the specifications.
The specific heat at constant pressure is constant for each fluid.
Longitudinal heat conduction in the fluid and the wall are negligible.
The overall heat transfer coefficient between the fluids is constant throughout the heat
exchanger.
If inlet temperatures, one of the fluid outlet temperatures, and mass flow rates are known, then
the unknown outlet temperature can be calculated from heat balances and the LMTD method can
be used to solve this sizing problem as follows:
1. Calculate Q and the unknown outlet temperature from equation 2.5 and 2.6
2. Calculate delta T from equation 2.28 and obtain the correction factor F if necessary.
3. Calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient U.
4. Determine A from equation 2.36
The NTU method may also be used for the sizing problem as follows:
1. Knowing the outlet and inlet temperatures, calculate effectiveness from equation 2.42
2. Calculate the capacity rate ratio C
min
/C
max

3. Calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient U.
4. Knowing effectiveness, C ratio, and the flow arrangement, determine NTU from charts or
from effectiveness NTU relations.
5. Knowing NTU, calculate the heat transfer surface area A from equation 2.44.
Based on the problem specifications, the heat exchanger construction type, flow arrangement,
surface or core geometry and materials must be selected. In the sizing problem, the surface area
and heat exchanger dimensions are to be determined; inputs to the sizing problem are: flow rates,
inlet temperatures and one outlet temperature, surface geometries, pressure drop limitations, and
thermophysical properties of streams and materials.
In the rating problem, the heat exchanger already exists or the heat exchanger configuration is
selected by approximate sizing. Inputs to the rating problem are: heat exchanger surface
geometry and dimensions, fluid flow rates, inlet temperatures, and pressure drip limitations. The
fluid outlet temperatures, total heat transferred, and pressure drop for both streams through the
heat exchanger are to be calculated in the rating analysis. If the rating gives acceptable thermal
performance with pressure drops in both streams below the maximum allowable ones, this heat
exchanger configuration may be considered a solution to the problem.