Evaluation of a Heat Exchanger 1

Evaluation of a Heat
Exchanger

© 2001 Hyprotech Ltd. - All Rights Reserved

TASC 9.pdf 1
2 Evaluation of a Heat Exchanger

Workshop
The purpose of this example is to demonstrate how to evaluate heat
exchangers in HTFS.TASC, enter fouling resistances to view the results,
and to create a data table that describes exchanger performance.

Learning Objectives
Once you have completed this section you will be able to:

• Use TASC to evaluate a heat exchanger.

• Build a data table that describes the exchanger performance.

Building the Simulation

Process Conditions
Specify the following process conditions for your Hot and Cold streams:

Hot Stream Cold Stream

Flow Rate (lb/hr) 400,000 300,000

Inlet Temperature (F) 195 70

Inlet Pressure (psia) 20 20

Outlet Temperature (F) 168.6 89.4

Allowed Pressure Drop (psig) <6 <6

Heat Exchanger Geometry and

Property Data
On your disk, open the HeatExchang.tai file.

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 Evaluation of a Heat Exchanger 3

Evaluation Using TASC

After loading the case HeatExchang.tai file:

1. Set the mode to Simulation and run the case twice. Run it once
with the Hot stream on the shell side, and again with the Hot
stream on the tube side.
2. Ensure that the Fouling Resistance for both Shell and Tube are
zero.
3. Copy the following information for each run.

Duty Uclean Shell In Shell Tube In Tube Shell ∆ P Tube ∆ P

(KBtu/hr) (Btu/hrft2F) (F) Out (F) (F) Out (F) (psig) (psig)

Shell Hot 10 240 132.5 195 149.5 70 103.1 2.7 3.59

Tube Hot 9178 112 70 99.7 195 154.3 0.87 12.41

Review the preliminary results. It’s easy to see that the hot fluid should
go on the shell side.

1. Switch TASC back to Checking mode and run the exchanger with
the Hot stream on the Shell Side; make sure you specify the outlet
temperatures (listed under Process Conditions).

Duty Uclean Uservice Area Us/Uc Fouling

(KBtu/hr) Ratio Factor

* Fouling factor = (Uc-Us)/(Uc*Us)

From these results we can see that the exchanger is really oversized and
would be operating to meet our process conditions at an efficiency of
48%.

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4 Evaluation of a Heat Exchanger

How much area in excess does this exchanger have for our
process conditions? ____________________

2
ActualArea 980.2ft 2 (0.1)
AreaRequired = ------------------------------ = -------------------
2
- = 469ft
AreaRatio 2.09ft

2 (0.2)
ExcessArea = ActualArea – AreaRequired = 511ft

Because exchangers develop some type of fouling resistance, even

under acceptable conditions, we will now insert fouling resistance
values and see the results.

Based on plant data, we will assume resistances of 0.001 for both Shell
and Tube Side.

Duty Uc/Udirty Uservice Area Us/Uc Fouling

(KBtu/hr) Ratio Factor

5993 130.8 62.7 2.09 0.48 0.0083

Results now show two clean overall coefficients; the truly clean one
called Uclean and the one that has the resistances inserted called
Udirty.

The area ratio now reflects the calculation of Udirty.

The second fouling factor reflects the substitution of Uc for Udirty.

This last part of this example is to build a data table that describes the
exchanger performance at a quick glance.

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 Evaluation of a Heat Exchanger 5

1. Begin a new set of runs under Simulation mode.

2. On the Process tab, insert the Fouling Factor given in the
following table.

T° Duty Shell Inlet Outlet Tube Inlet Outlet Uclean Uservice

0.0 195 70

0.001 195 70

0.01 195 70

0.1 195 70

3. Fill the required information for the Hot Stream Shell Side
(leaving Uclean and Uservice blank).

With the above tables partially filled, switch TASC to Checking mode.
Redo each run specifying Duty. Fill in the last two columns.

Transfer the above information to a spreadsheet and add two columns.

One column calculating the temperature difference for each run (shell
side or tube side). The second column calculating the exchanger
efficiency as Uservice/Uclean.

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6 Evaluation of a Heat Exchanger

Create a graph as shown:

You can also create other graphs, such as:

• Duty vs Fouling Factor

• Uservice vs Fouling Factor
• Uservice vs Tube Temperature Difference
• Uservice vs Shell Temperature Difference