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5.1 INTRODUCTION
127
performance. Only they can examine all the design parameters of their plates to
achieve the optimum solution.
This important factor, usually termed , is shown in Figure 5.1 [7, 4], the
usual range of being 25-65.
128
Figure 5.1 Main dimensions of a Chevron plate
The corrugations increase the flat or projected plate area, the extent
depending on the corrugation pitch and depth. To express the increase of the
developed length, in relation to the projected length (see Figure 5.2 [7, 4]), an
enlargement factor is used. The enlargement factor varies between 1.1 and
1.25, with 1.17 being a typical average [7, 30], i.e.
129
Figure 5.2 Developed and projected dimensions of a
Chevron plate and cross-section normal to the direction of
troughs
The value of as given by Eq. (5.1) is the ratio of the actual effective area as
specified by the manufacturer, A1 , to the projected plate area A1 p : [7, 4, 30]
A1 (5.2)
=
A1 p
A1 p = L p Lw (5.3)
and L p and Lw can be estimated from the port distance Lv and Lh and port
diameter D p as:
L p Lv D p (5.4)
Lw Lh + D p (5.5)
130
5.2.3 Mean Channel Flow Gap
Flow channel is the conduit formed by two adjacent plates between the
gaskets. Despite the complex flow area created by Chevron plates, the mean flow
channel gap b , shown in Figure 5.2 by convention, is given as: [7, 4, 30]
b = pt (5.6)
where p is the plate pitch or the outside depth of the corrugated plate and t is the
plate thickness, b is also the thickness of a fully compressed gasket, as the plate
corrugations are in metallic contact. Plate pitch should not be confused with the
corrugation pitch. Mean flow channel gap b is required for calculation of the
mass velocity and Reynolds number and is therefore a very important value that is
usually not specified by the manufacturer. If not known or for existing units, the
plate pitch p can be determined from the compressed plate pack (between the
head plates) Lc , which is usually specified on drawings. Then p is determined as
[4, 30]
Lc (5.7)
p=
Nt
Ax = bLw (5.8)
131
5.2.5 Channel Equivalent Diameter
4(bLw ) (5.10)
De =
2(b + Lw )
2b (5.11)
De =
132
available for heat transfer between flat flow passages. The conventional approach
for such passages employs correlations applicable for tubes by defining an
equivalent diameter for the noncircular passage, which is substituted for diameter,
d . [4]
As can be seen from Table 5.1, except the correlation given by Savostin
and Tikhonov [16] and Tovazhnyanski et al. [20], all the other correlations give
separate equations for different values of and do not take into account
specifically the effects of the different parameters of the corrugated passage.
The channel flow geometry in Chevron plate pack is quite complex, that is
why, most of the correlations are generally presented for a fixed value of in
symmetric ( = 30 deg/30 deg or = 60 deg/60 deg ) plate arrangements and
mixed ( = 30 deg/ 60 deg ) plate arrangements. The various correlations are
compared by Manglik [15] and discrepancies have been found. These
discrepancies originated from the differences of plate surface geometries which
include the surface enlargement factor , the metal-to-metal contact pitch P , and
the wavelength Pc , amplitude b , and profile or shape of the surface corrugation
and other factors such as port orientation, flow distribution channels, plate width
and length. It should be noted that in some correlations, variable viscosity effects
have not been taken into account.
133
134
As can be seen from Table 5.1, both heat transfer coefficient and friction
factor increase with . From the experimental data base, Muley et al [14] and
Muley and Manglik [13,33] proposed the following correlation for various values
of :
For Re 400
0.38 0.14
2hb
Nu = = 0.44 Re 0.5
Pr b
1/ 3
k 30 w (5.12)
0.2
0.83
30.2 5 6.28 5
f = + 0.5
30 (5.13)
Re Re
For Re 800
0.14
[
Nu = 0.2668 0.006967 + 7.244 10 Re 5 2
] 0.728 + 0.0543 sin [( 2 / 90 )+ 3.7 ]
Pr b
13
w
(5.14)
[ ]
f = 2.917 0.1277 + 2.016 10 3 2 Re {0.2 + 0.0577 sin [2 / 90 + 2.1]} (5.15)
The heat transfer coefficient and the Reynolds number are based on the
equivalent diameter De (= 2b ) . To evaluate the enhanced performance of Chevron
plates, prediction from the following flat-plate channel equations [13] is compared
with the results of the Chevron plates for = 1.29 (surface enlargement factor)
and = 0.59 (channel aspect ratio, 2b Pc ).
24 Re Re 2000 (5.17)
f =
0.1268Re
-0.3
Re > 2000
135
Depending on and Reynolds number, Chevron plates produce up to five
times higher Nusselt numbers than those in flat-plate channels. The corresponding
pressure drop penalty, however, is considerably higher: Depending on the
Reynolds number, from 1.3 to 44 times higher friction factors than those in an
equivalent flate-plate channel equations. [13]
A correlation in the form of Eq. (5.18) has been also proposed by Kumar.
[26-29] This correlation is in the Nusselt form. Provided the appropriate value of
J h , channel flow area, and channel equivalent diameter, are used, calculations are
similar to single-phase flow inside tubes, i.e.
hDe
0.17 (5.18)
Nu = = J h Pr 1/ 3 b
k w
or
0.17
b
J h k (Pr )
1/ 3
h= w (5.19)
De
Gc De (5.20)
Re =
136
m (5.21)
Gc =
N cpbLw
Nt 1 (5.22)
N cp =
2N p
Table 5.2 Constants for single-phase heat transfer and pressure loss
calculations for gasketed-plate heat exchangers
137
5.3.2 Channel Pressure Drop
following correlation is given for the frictional channel pressure drop [4, 7, 26,
30]:
0.17
2
4 fLeff N p Gc b (5.23)
pc =
De 2 w
where Leff is the effective length of the fluid flow path between inlet and outlet
ports and it must take into account the corrugation enlargement factor ; this
effect is included in the definition of friction factor. Therefore Leff = Lv , which is
the vertical port distance. The Fanning friction factor f (which is defined as w/
( u2) and is equal to q times the Moody friction factor which is equal to
Kp (5.24)
f =
Re z
Table 5.2. For various plate surface configurations, friction coefficient vs.
Reynolds number must be provided by the manufacturer.
The total port pressure loss may be taken as 1.3 velocity heads per pass
based on the velocity in the port, i.e. [4, 7, 26, 30]
G p2 (5.25)
p p = 1.3 Np
2
138
where
m
Gp =
D p2 (5.26)
4
where m is the total flow rate in the port opening and D p is the port diameter.
ptot = pc + p p (5.27)
T1 T2 (5.28)
Tlm ,cf =
T
ln 1
T2
T1 and T2 in Eq. (5.28) are the terminal temperature differences at the inlet
and outlet.
139
Figure 5.3 Temperature difference correction factor (F ) for gasketed-plate
heat exchangers two-pass/one-pass system (applicable to 20 or more plates)
Once both film heat transfer coefficients have been determined from
section 5.3.1 the overall heat transfer coefficient is calculated:
1 1 1 t (5.29)
= + + + R fh + R fc
U f hh hc k w
where U f is the fouled or service heat transfer coefficient, hh and hc are the heat
transfer coefficients of hot and cold fluids, respectively, R fh and R fc are the
fouling factors for hot and cold fluids, and (t k w ) is the plate wall resistance.
1 1 1 t
= + + (5.30)
U c hh hc k w
140
The service or fouled overall heat transfer coefficient, when the
cleanliness factor is CF, is given by
1
U f = U c (CF ) = (5.31)
1
+ R fh + R fc
Uc
The heat balance relations in gasketed-plate heat exchangers are the same
as for tubular heat exchangers. The required heat duty, Qr , for cold and hot
streams is
On the other hand, the actually obtained heat duty, Q f , for fouled
where Ae is the total developed area of all thermally effective plates, that is,
N t 2 that accounts for the two plates adjoining the head plates.
design: [4]
Qf (5.34)
Cs =
Qr
141
5.7 THERMAL PERFORMANCE
A plate having a low Chevron angle provides high heat transfer combined
with high pressure drop. These plates are long duty or hard plates. Long and
narrow plates belong to this category. On the other hand, a plate having a high
Chevron angle provides the opposite features, i.e. low heat transfer combined with
low pressure drop. These plates are short duty or soft plates. Short and wide plates
are of this type. A low Chevron angle is around 25 - 30, while a high Chevron
angle is around 60 - 65. Manufacturers specify the plates having low values of
as high- plates and plates having high values of as low- plates. Theta
is used by manufacturers to denote the number of heat transfer units (NTU),
defined as: [4, 13, 14]
UA T T (5.35)
= NTU c = = c 2 c1
(m c p )c Tm
UA T T (5.36)
= NTU h = = h1 h 2
(m c p )h Tm
The - NTU method is described in Chapter 3; the total heat transfer rate from
Eq. (3.35) is
142
Heat capacity rate ratio is given by Eq. (3.27) as:
Cc Th1 Th 2 (5.38)
R= =
C h Tc 2 Tc1
When R < 1 :
(m c ) = (m c )
p c p min = C min (5.39)
UA UA (5.40)
NTU = =
C min (m c p )c
(m c ) = (m c )
p h p min = Cmin (5.41)
UA UA (5.42)
NTU = =
C min (m c p )h
In calculating the value of NTU for each stream, the total mass flow rates
of each stream must be used.
The heat exchanger effectiveness for pure counter flow and for parallel
flow are given by Eqns. (3.38) and (3.39), respectively. Heat exchanger
effectiveness, , for counter flow can be expressed as: [1, 12, 44]
which is useful in rating analysis when outlet temperatures of both streams are not
known.
143
5.8 THERMAL MIXING
144