Texas A&M University at Qatar

CHEN 432

Fall 2018

Team number: 2

Name of experiment: Heat Exchangers

Report number: 3

“On my honor as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on

this academic work”

Name Signature

Muhammad Danyal Imam

Omar Mansour

Safeer Hafeez
 Transmittal Letter
Omar Mansour
Education City
Doha, Qatar
8th November 2018

Dr. Ghada Salama

Instructional Associate Professor
Texas A&M University at Qatar

Dear Dr. Salama:

The purpose of this document is to outline the report prepared by Team 2 on the Heat
Exchanger experiment, which was conducted on October 25th and November 1st, as
part of the CHEN 432 course.
The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of varying operating
parameters on the heat transfer rate in a heat exchanger. The team tested the brass
and stainless-steel, single-pass shell and tube heat exchangers separately, with both
co-current and counter-current flow patterns and varying hot water stream
flowrates. Plots of heat transfer rate, heat transfer coefficient and effectiveness as
functions of flowrate were generated.
The results showed that the heat transfer rate, heat transfer coefficient and
effectiveness of the heat exchanger all increased with increasing flowrate. It was also
found that counter-current flow produced the greater heat transfer rate and overall
heat transfer coefficient. However, even though brass has a higher thermal
conductivity than stainless steel, it was found that heat transfer rate and the overall
heat transfer coefficient were greater for stainless steel, which could be a result of the
system not having stabilized enough before data readings were taken.
For this experiment Omar Mansour was the group leader, and together with
Muhammad Danyal Imam, was responsible for installation of the heat exchanger,
operation of the control panel and varying the hot water stream flowrates. Safeer
Hafeez was responsible for ensuring that the water in the chiller and hot water tank
was filled to the maximum value, and for data collection and in-lab analysis. For
report writing, Omar Mansour was responsible for writing the introduction and
making the references while Muhammad Danyal Imam was responsible for preparing
the title sheet, cover sheet, table of contents, list of figures and tables, summary,
experimental plan and nomenclature. Safeer Hafeez was tasked with data analysis as
well as writing the results and discussion and making the appendices.
In case of any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we
look forward to your feedback.
Regards,
Omar Mansour
Investigating the Effect on Heat Transfer Rate of Varying Heat
Exchanger Operating Parameters

CHEN 432

Team 2
Muhammad Danyal Imam
Omar Mansour
Safeer Hafeez

8th November 2018

“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do”
 Table of Contents
List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. iii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... iii
Summary .......................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Objective ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Background .................................................................................................................................. 3
Double-Pipe Heat Exchangers .................................................................................................. 4
Shell-and-Tube Equipment ...................................................................................................... 5
Plate Heat Exchanger ............................................................................................................... 7
Theory .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Experimental Plan .......................................................................................................................... 15
Equipment .................................................................................................................................. 15
Experimental Setup .................................................................................................................... 17
Operating Procedure.................................................................................................................. 18
Timeline...................................................................................................................................... 19
Error Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 20
Nomenclature ................................................................................................................................ 30

ii
 List of Figures

Figure 1: Left: Double pipe heat exchanger. Right: Schematic of double pipe heat exchanger 4
Figure 2: Shell and tube heat exchanger ...................................................................................... 5
Figure 3: Left: Plate heat exchanger schematic. Right: Plate heat exchanger ........................... 7
Figure 4: Left: Temperature gradient. Right: Co-current flow pattern .......................................... 11
Figure 5: Left: Temperature gradient in counter-current flow. Right: Counter-current flow
pattern ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 6: Heat exchanger service unit ........................................................................................ 16
Figure 7: Left: Hot water flow control knob and pump switch. Right: Control panel. ............ 17
Figure 8: Heat Transferred within the Heat Exchanger for Both Materials and Flow
Configurations at Varying Hot Stream Flowrates .......................................................................... 21
Figure 9 Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient of Inner Tube for Both Materials and Flow
Configurations at Varying Hot Stream Flowrates .......................................................................... 23
Figure 10 Effectiveness for Both Materials and Flow Configurations at Varying Hot Stream
Flowrates........................................................................................................................................ 25
Figure 11 Influence of Volume Flow Rate of Hot Fluid on the Effectiveness on Different Particle
Volume Fraction of CuO Nanofluid for the Concentric Heat Exchanger14 ..................................... 26
Figure 12: Data sheet ................................................................................................................... 33

List of Tables

Table 1: Data used in sample calculations ..................................................................................... 12

Table 2: Timeline of the experiment ........................................................................................... 19
Table 3: Nomenclature .................................................................................................................. 30
Table 4: Risk Assessment .............................................................................................................. 35

iii
iv
 Summary

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of varying operating

parameters on the heat transfer rate in a heat exchanger. The operating parameters

varied included the flow pattern, hot stream flow rate and heat exchanger material.

For this experiment, the two heat exchangers tested were the brass, single pass-shell

and tube heat exchanger and the stainless-steel single-pass shell and tube heat

exchanger. Both heat exchangers were run with co-current and counter-current flow,

and the hot stream flowrate was varied from 2 – 10 L/m, while the cold stream

flowrate was maintained at 2 L/m.

For each flowrate, the system was allowed to stabilize before the equipment was set

to record data points for 2 minutes, with the values being averaged over the time

interval to reduce the effect of errors. The data obtained was used to plot heat transfer

rate, heat transfer coefficient and effectiveness as functions of flowrate.

The results showed that the heat transfer rate and heat transfer coefficient increase

with increasing flowrate. It was also found that heat exchanger effectiveness

increases with increasing flowrate, and that counter-current flow produces a greater

heat transfer rate and overall heat transfer coefficient when compared to co-current

flow. However, the stainless steel heat exchanger produced greater heat transfer rate

and overall heat transfer coefficient when compared to the brass heat exchanger,
𝑊 𝑊
even though brass has a higher thermal conductivity (45 𝑚⋅𝐾 compared to just 16 𝑚⋅𝐾

for stainless steel). This may have been a result of the system not having stabilized

properly before the readings were taken, causing large fluctuations in the outlet
 2

temperature readings, and resulting in inaccurate calculations for the heat transfer

rate and overall heat transfer coefficient.

 3

Introduction

Objective

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect that varying flow rates

of hot and cold water has on overall heat transfer coefficient as well as the

effectiveness for two different types of heat exchangers. This objective was achieved

by testing one pass heat exchangers made of different materials, brass and stainless

steel. For each of the aforementioned heat exchangers, the flow patterns will be

altered, allowing for the investigation of the effect of co-current and counter-current

operation.

Background

Heat exchangers are devices commonly encountered in almost any chemical process.

These devices transfer heat between two or more fluids, allowing for both cooling and

heating processes to be performed simultaneously 1. This simultaneous cooling of a

“hot” fluid and heating of a “cold” fluid via heat transfer results in process energy

savings in which the individual streams would have to have heat transferred by cold

and hot utility respectively. Heat exchangers achieve the necessary heat transfer via

conduction through a conductive solid wall. This conductive material maximizes heat

transfer rate and also prevents mixing of the individual streams2.

Heat exchangers are commonly found in refrigeration, power stations, chemical

plants, petrochemical plants, etc. The most common of these heat exchangers which

will be briefly discussed below and there advantages and disadvantages will be noted.
 4

Double-Pipe Heat Exchangers

Double pipe heat exchangers are considered of the simplest types of heat exchangers.

They consist of two concentric pipes as shown in Figure 1. The two fluids flow in the

inner and outer tubes, thereby allowing for heat transfer between the conductive

materials separating the two streams. The outer pipe is commonly coated in an

insulative material to prevent heat loss to the surrounding environment 4. These heat

exchangers are commonly operated in a counter-current flow pattern in order to

maintain a feasible temperature gradient between the two streams3. Double-pipe

heat exchangers also commonly contain multiple passes in order to maximize the heat

transfer area and thereby the heat transfer rate as according to Equation3.

Figure 1: Left: Double pipe heat exchanger. Right: Schematic of double pipe heat exchanger

Applications4

 Engine radiators

 Air heating

 Refrigeration systems

 Condensers and evaporators

 5

Advantages5

 Ease of Operation

 Flow pattern easily controlled

 Easy maintenance

 Modular Structure

 Occupy Less Space

Disadvantages5

 Expensive for heavy duties

 Relatively low flow rates and moderate temperature gradient due to the

use of only two single flow areas

 Can’t be used with dirty fluids

 Difficult to inspect the outer tube for scaling or tube damage

Shell-and-Tube Equipment

Shell and tube heat exchangers consist of a bundle of tubes within a cylindrical shell,

as shown in Figure 2. A fluid passes through the inner tubes while the other is

channeled into the encasing shell. The tubes may be permanently fixed inside the

Figure 2: Shell and tube heat exchanger

 6

shell (fixed tubesheet exchanger) or may be removable (floating-head) allowing for

ease of maintenance3. Finned tubing is also available in order to maximize heat

transfer area. The inner bundle of tubes is supported by various types of baffles, also

allowing for control of flow distribution and pressure drop3.

Shell and tube heat exchangers have a major advantage in that they are extremely

flexible and have many different operational modes. The following list highlights the

advantages and disadvantages of shell and tube heat exchangers.

Applications6

 Feed water preheating

 Turbine, compressor and engine cooling

 Chemical process gas or liquid cooling

Advantages

 Available for almost all applications7

 Available in almost all materials7

 There is a wide range of flows and capacities (duties)7

 A sturdy and safe construction7

 Efficient thermal and mechanical designs available7

 Less expensive to install than other varieties such as plate heat

exchangers8

 Versatility in terms of temperature and pressure endurance8

 Since this type is very common, easy to find professional services to

properly install and maintain8

 7

Disadvantages

 Relatively expensive per heat exchanging surface area7

 Not the most optimal in terms of heat transfer7

 Cleaning and maintenance of shell is laborious7

 Susceptible to vibration problems as a result of fluid flow through pipes8

 Corrosion issues are common as theyre inactive zones where fluid can pool

and remain stationary8

 Tube and shell heat exchangers take up more space than other types of

heat exchangers and are therefore much more bulky8

Plate Heat Exchanger

Plate heat exchangers are a type of equipment which consist of a series of metal

plates, in which fluids flow in the hollow spaces separating adjacent layers. The hot

and cold fluids flow between alternate plates, thereby allowing heat transfer between

the plates in series9. Fluid flows between the plates via inlet and outlet corners of the

plates as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Left: Plate heat exchanger schematic. Right: Plate heat exchanger
 8

Applications10

 Hydrocarbon processing

 Air Conditioning

 Polymer processing

 Chemical Processing

Advantages

 Plate heat exchangers are extremely compact due to the large heat transfer

area of the individual plates compacted into a small volume11

 Plate heat exchangers are made of pressed plates allowing for greater

resistance to corrosion and are also cheaper than welded plates11

 This equipment is can be easily dismantled for inspection and cleaning as

the plates can be removed individually with ease11

 Plate heat exchangers can operate with relatively smaller temperature

gradients, which is advantageous when high temperature differences must

be avoided in order to reduce local overheating. 11

 Corrugated plates ensure turbulent flow and therefore increasing

convective heat transfer10

 Modular design allows for easily modifying heat transfer by varying the

number of plates10

Disadvantages

 Major drawback is the need for long gaskets to hold the plates together8

 Potential for leaks11

 9

 Significant pressure drop occurs in plate heat exchangers thereby

increasing costs of the pumping system11

 Expensive initial capital investment since plate construction is usually

made of titanium10

Theory12

The rate of heat transfer can be calculated as follows:

𝑞 = 𝑚𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇 (1)

Where

𝑞 = heat transfer rate (W)

kg
𝑚 = mass flow rate ( s )

J
𝐶𝑝 = heat capacity of the fluid (kg∙K)

∆𝑇 = change in temperature (K)

Overall heat transfer coefficient can be calculated as follows:

𝑞 = 𝑈𝐴∆𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 (2)

Where
W
𝑈 = overall heat transfer coefficient (m2 ∙℃)

𝐴 = area of heat exchanger (m2 )

∆𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 = log − mean temperature difference (℃)

 10

(𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜)−(𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )

Δ𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷,𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟−𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜 (3)
𝑙𝑛( )
𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖

(𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖)−(𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜 )

Δ𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷,𝐶𝑜−𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖 (4)
𝑙𝑛( )
𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜

The effectiveness of a heat exchanger is defined as the ratio of the actual rate of heat

transfer in a given heat exchanger to the maximum possible amount of heat transfer

if an infinite transfer area were available. It is calculated as follows:

𝑞
𝜀=𝑞 (5)
𝑚𝑎𝑥

Where

𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) (6)

𝐶𝑐 = 𝑚𝑐 𝐶𝑃.𝑐 (7)

𝐶ℎ = 𝑚ℎ 𝐶𝑃,ℎ (8)

If 𝐶ℎ < 𝐶𝑐 , then 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝐶ℎ

If 𝐶𝑐 < 𝐶ℎ , then 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝐶𝑐

J
𝐶𝑐 = heat capacity of cold fluid (s∙K)

J
𝐶ℎ = heat capacity of hot fluid (s∙K)

𝑇ℎ,𝑖 = inlet temperature of the hot fluid

𝑇𝑐,𝑖 = inlet temperature of the cold fluid

 11

Types of Flow Patterns in Heat Exchangers

Heat exchanger flow pattern significantly impacts the degree of heat transfer. Heat

exchangers can either operate in co-current or counter-current flow.

Co-Current Flow

The co-current flow pattern is characterized by hot and cold stream flow in the

same direction. This flow pattern is produces an inconsistent temperature gradient

in which the difference in temperatures are large in the inlet but rapidly stabilize as

shown in Figure. This rapid decrease in temperature gradient often results in low

heat transfer efficiency, as a majority of exchange area experiences minimal heat

transfer.

Figure 4: Left: Temperature gradient. Right: Co-current flow pattern

Counter-Current Flow

Counter-current flow differs from co-current, in that the hot and cold streams flow in

opposite directions as shown in Figure. This results in a relatively constant

temperature gradient throughout the heat exchanger, thereby resulting in an overall

 12

increase in heat transfer efficiency. For this reason, most heat exchangers are

operated in counter-current flow pattern.

Figure 5: Left: Temperature gradient in counter-current flow. Right: Counter-current flow pattern

Sample Calculations

The following sample calculations are based off of a brass countercurrent flow

pattern with a fixed cold water flowrate of 2 lpm. The software for the equipment was

used in order to obtain values for inlet and outlet temperatures for a runtime of

roughly 2 minutes.

The sample data utilized in the subsequent calculations are reported in Table 1. Data

for all other runs may be found in Appendix A.

Table 1: Data used in sample calculations

T h,i (℃) T h,o (℃) T c,i (℃) T c,o (℃) Q c (lpm) Q h (lpm)
39.62 31.20 20.72 29.09 2.13 2.15

1. Volumetric flowrate conversion from lpm to mass flowrate in kg/s

 13

2.15𝐿 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛 994.99 𝑘𝑔 1𝑚3 𝑘𝑔

𝑚ℎ = × × × 1000 𝐿 = 0.0357
𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠 𝑚3 𝑠

2.13𝐿 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛 994.99 𝑘𝑔 1𝑚3 𝑘𝑔

𝑚𝑐 = × × × 1000 𝐿 = 0.0353
𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠 𝑚3 𝑠

2. Calculation of heat transfer rate for the hot water

𝑘𝑔 𝐽 𝐽
𝑞ℎ = 𝑚ℎ 𝐶𝑝,ℎ (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ,𝑜 ) = 0.0357 × 4178 × (39.62 − 31.20)𝐾 = 1255.88
𝑠 𝑘𝑔.𝐾 𝑠

(1)

𝑘𝑔 𝐽 𝐽
𝑞𝑐 = 𝑚𝑐 𝐶𝑝,𝑐 (𝑇𝑐,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 ) = 0.0353 𝑠
× 4178 𝑘𝑔.𝐾
× (20.72 − 29.09)𝐾 = −1234.44 𝑠

(1)

Negative sign resembles heat leaving the system

3. Calculation of Ch and Cc :
𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐽
𝐶𝑐 = 𝐶𝑝,𝑐 𝑚𝑐 = 4178 𝑘𝑔.𝐾 × 0.0353 = 147.48 (7)
𝑠 𝐾.𝑠

𝐽 𝑘𝑔 𝐽
𝐶ℎ = 𝐶𝑝,ℎ 𝑚ℎ = 4178 𝑘𝑔.𝐾 × 0.0357 = 149.15 (8)
𝑠 𝐾.𝑠

The same calculations were used to calculate the values for the cold fluid

4. Comparison between the Ch and Cc

𝐽 𝐽
𝐶ℎ = 149.15 > 𝐶𝑐 = 147.48 𝐾.𝑠 => 𝐶𝑐 = 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝐾.𝑠

5. Calculation of ΔT using the logarithmic mean temperature difference method for

counter-current flow

(𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜)−(𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) (39.62−29.09)−(31.20−20.72)

Δ𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 = 𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜 = 39.62−29.09 = 10.50 ℃ (3)
𝑙𝑛( ) 𝑙𝑛( )
𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖 31.20−20.72
 14

6. Calculation of average of inside and outside diameter of heat exchanger

𝑑𝑖𝑛 +𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑡 0.00523+0.00635𝑚
𝐷= = = 0.00579 𝑚
2 2

Calculation of area of heat exchanger

𝐴 = 𝜋𝐷𝐿 = 𝜋 × 0.00579𝑚 × 19.9136𝑚 = 0.3622𝑚2

7. Overall heat transfer coefficient (assume F=1 for a single-pass shell and tube

heat exchanger)

𝑞 1255.88 𝑊 𝑊
𝑈= = = 415.25 (2)
A F Δ𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 0.3622𝑚2 ×1× 8.35 ℃ 𝑚2 .℃

8. Maximum heat transfer rate calculation

𝐽
𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) = 147.48 × (39.62 − 20.72)𝐾 = 2787.37 𝑊 (6)
𝐾.𝑠

9. Effectiveness Calculation
𝑞 1255.88 𝑊
𝜀= = = 0.45 (5)
𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 2787.37 𝑊
 15

Experimental Plan

The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of varying heat exchanger

operating parameters (flow pattern, hot stream flowrate, and heat exchanger

material) on the resulting heat transfer rate. The two heat exchangers tested were:

 Brass, single-pass shell and tube heat exchanger

 Stainless-steel, single-pass shell and tube heat exchanger

Both heat exchangers were operated in co-current and counter-current flows, with

the hot stream flowing through the tube and cold stream flowing in the outer shell.

For each experimental run, the cold stream flowrate was held constant at 2 L/m, while

the hot stream flowrate was varied from 2 – 10 L/m with increments of 2 L/m,

generating 5 data points for each run.

Equipment

The equipment used in this experiment is the Heat Exchanger Service Unit as seen in

Figure 4, which allows for the use of interchangeable heat exchangers. The brass shell

and tube heat exchanger was first tested with co-current flow, followed by counter-

current flow, and the process repeated with the stainless-steel shell and tube heat
 16

exchanger. Flow pattern is adjusted by switching the cold water inlet and outlet tubes

connected to the heat exchanger.

A chiller was used to maintain the inlet temperature of the cold stream, and valve CV

1 was used to maintain the cold stream flowrate. The Heat Exchanger Service Unit

Figure 6: Heat exchanger service unit

allowed control of hot stream temperature and flowrate using the control panel and

knob respectively, as shown in Figure 5 below.

 17

Figure 7: Left: Hot water flow control knob and pump switch. Right: Control panel.

The control panel shown above does not include the required input parameters for

the experiment and is only shown for reference purposes.

Experimental Setup

For startup, the desired heat exchanger was installed, and the proper inlet and outlet

tubes connected for the desired flow pattern (for co-current flow, the hot water and

cold-water inlet is on the same side, and on opposite sides for counter-current). Water

was filled in the chiller and the hot-water tank to their maximum capacities, to allow

for reduction in the water level in both as the fluid flows through the heat exchanger.

The control panel was then turned on, and the pump activated using the switch next

to the knob, as indicated in Figure 2.

Inlet temperature of the hot stream was maintained at 40°C (inlet of the heat

exchanger) by the heater. The chiller was turned on and the cold stream flowrate

adjusted to and maintained at 2 L/m. Additional variables fixed for each run included

the inlet cold and hot water stream temperatures, which were maintained at 20°C

and 40°C, by the chiller and heater respectively.

 18

The hot water flow rate was initially set at 2 L/m, and the system allowed to stabilize,

before data recording was initiated. Data was recorded for 2 minutes by the

equipment (after system had stabilized), and the resulting data points were averaged

over the time interval. The process was repeated for hot stream flowrates of 4, 6, 8

and 10 L/m. The main parameters monitored were the outlet temperatures of the hot

and cold streams, and the experiment was run only once for every data point.

Operating Procedure

1. Install the required heat exchanger in the system and make appropriate

connections to allow for co-current flow.

2. Power on the equipment.

3. Ensure valves V1, V2, V3, V4, V5 and V6 are fully open.

4. Turn on the pumps using the switch on the panel.

5. Set temperature of the heater to 41°C. This is done to account for any heat

losses during fluid flow from the water tank to the heat exchanger, and ensure

that temperature of the hot stream entering the heat exchanger is maintained

at 40°C.

6. Power on the heater.

7. Power on the chiller and set temperature of the cold stream as 20°C. Make

sure CV 1 valve is not fully closed.

8. Adjust the cold stream flowrate using the CV 1 valve and set it constant at 2

L/m.

9. Set the hot water flowrate to 2 L/m using the knob on the panel and allow the

system to stabilize.
 19

10. Start data recording for 2 minutes, using the control panel.

11. Vary the hot stream flowrate from 4 – 10 L/m, in increments of 2 L/m, and

record data for all temperatures individually.

12. Switch the cold stream inlet and outlet tubes to allow for counter-current flow

and repeat steps 1 – 10.

13. After completion of data acquisition for both flow patterns, turn off the heater.

14. Turn off the pumps and the chiller, and close valves V1 – V6.

15. Power off the equipment.

Timeline

The experiment was run over two lab sessions, with the brass shell and tube heat

exchanger tested in the first lab and the stainless-steel shell and tube heat exchanger

tested in the second lab. The table below depicts the timeline for the experiment.

Table 2: Timeline of the experiment

Time Requirement (min)

Activity

5
Setup Explanation

15
Process Setup

40
Parameter stabilization

60
Data Collection

5
Cleanup
 20

Error Analysis

Sources of error in this experiment include fluctuations in the temperatures of the hot

and cold streams, and in their flowrates, resulting in fluctuations in the heat transfer

rate calculated. Fluctuations were more pronounced in the inlet temperature of the

hot water, however, the data points were averaged over a period of time in an attempt

to reduce the effect of these systematic errors. No random errors were involved in

the experiment, as all variables were controlled by the equipment, and all readings

were also automatically recorded.

The data points recorded are used in the calculation of the heat transfer rate, which

is used to calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient. Hence, errors in calculation

of the heat transfer rate will also propagate in calculation of the overall heat transfer

coefficient. This propagation of error will not significantly impact the calculation of

heat transfer rate and effectiveness.

 21

Results and Discussions

The objective of this experiment was to compare the performance of heat

exchangers at varying hot stream flowrates. Thus, the following heat transfer

parameters were selected to be used as the performance criteria for the

comparison:

 Rate of heat transfer to the streams (q),

 Overall heat transfer coefficient (U),

 Effectiveness of the heat exchanger (ε).

These parameters were calculated for each heat exchanger at two different flow

configurations and are plotted against hot stream flowrate.

Heat transfer rate

The total heat transferred within the heat exchanger was calculated for the brass

shell and steel shell heat exchangers for both counter and co-current flow

configurations at varying hot stream flowrates. The results are plotted in Figure 8.

Heat transferred vs flowrate

2
Heat Transferred (kw)

1.5

1
Brass Countercurent
Brass Co-current
0.5
Stainless Steel Countercurrent
Stainless Steel Co-current
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Hot Stream Flowrate (lpm)
Figure 8: Heat Transferred within the Heat Exchanger for Both Materials and Flow Configurations at Varying Hot
Stream Flowrates
 22

In Figure 8, it is observed that the rate of heat transfer generally increases with an

increase in the hot stream flowrate. This is expected because the rate of heat

transfer is directly proportional to the flowrate of the streams, according to

Equation 1. The reason for the proportionality is the fact that at higher flowrates,

the hot stream that has been cooled is removed from the heat exchanger at a faster

rate, bringing in fresh hot stream to be cooled. This drives up the rate of heat

transfer. The anomaly for stainless steel counter-current where the heat transfer

rate decreases slightly with the increase in flowrate from 8 lpm to 10 lpm is due to

the combined effect of a slight increase in the hot stream inlet temperature and a

small decrease in the cold stream flowrate.

Stainless steel heat exchanger with counter-current flow configuration is observed

to have the highest rate of heat transfer at all hot stream flowrates. This is followed

closely by the Brass shell heat exchanger with counter-current flow configuration.

This result is the quite opposite of what should have been observed because the

thermal conductivity of stainless steel is 16 W/m.K13 which is much lower than that

of the copper tubes (90% Cu-10% Ni), which is 45 W/m.K 3. Higher than expected

heat transfer rates for stainless steel heat exchanger for both flow configurations

are observed because of greater hot stream inlet temperatures for said heat

exchangers. This is mainly because during the first lab session when the brass shell

heat exchanger was used, the hot stream temperature was not allowed to stabilize

as the system was not given enough time.

 23

Finally, counter-current flow configuration is shown to have higher rate of heat

transfer compared to the co-current flow for both material types. This is because the

counter-current flow configuration maintains a more uniform temperature

difference between the hot and cold streams throughout the length of the heat

exchanger. This results in a larger ∆𝑇𝑙𝑚 , which increases the heat transfer rate due

to the direct proportionality between the two variables, as suggested in Equation 2.

Again, the anomaly when the flowrate is 2 lpm is because the inlet hot stream

temperature was not stabilized. This resulted in ∆𝑇𝐻 for the co-current

configuration to be larger than that for the counter-current one, which results in a

greater rate of heat transfer for the co-current configuration.

Overall heat transfer coefficient

The overall heat transfer coefficient was calculated for the brass shell and steel shell

heat exchangers for both counter and co-current flow configurations at varying hot

stream flowrates. The results are plotted in Figure 9.

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient vs Flowrate

0.3
Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

0.25

0.2
(kW/m2. °C)

0.15 Brass Countercurrent

Brass Co-current
0.1
Stainless Steel Countercurrent
0.05
Stainless Steel Co-current

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Hot Stream Flowrate (lpm)
Figure 9 Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient of Inner Tube for Both Materials and Flow Configurations at Varying
Hot Stream Flowrates
 24

In Figure 9, it can be seen that the overall heat transfer coefficient generally

increases slightly with the increase in hot stream flowrate. This can mainly be

attributed to the fact that the rate of heat transferred increases with increase in

flowrate, which increases the overall heat transfer coefficient. This is confirmed by

Equation 2 which indicates a direct proportionality between the rate of heat

transfer and the overall heat transfer coefficient.

Stainless steel heat exchanger with counter-current flow configuration is found to

have the highest heat transfer coefficient at most flowrates, coming close to the

performance of brass heat exchanger with co-current flow. The reason for stainless

steel having higher heat transfer coefficient is the same- the system was not given

enough time to reach steady temperatures. The results from the brass heat

exchanger with co-current flow are not very reliable because the inlet hot stream

temperature is much different from the stabilized temperature (the temperature

increases by over 2 °C during the experiment). This has a twofold effect on the

calculation of its heat transfer coefficient because it is calculated using heat transfer

rate and∆𝑇𝑙𝑚 , and both of these variables are affected by the inlet hot stream

temperatures. The final point for brass shell with co-current flow is missing due to

the same reason.

Ignoring the curve for brass heat exchanger with co-current flow, heat exchangers

with counter-current flow configuration are shown to have higher overall heat

transfer coefficients for all flowrates compared to those with co-current flow. A

possible explanation for that could be that the average temperature of water is
 25

different for the two configurations. The uniform temperature distribution

maintained in the counter-flow configuration likely causes the water to have a lower

convective resistance. This increases the overall heat transfer coefficient, as it has an

inverse relationship with thermal resistance as suggested by the equation below in

which Rt represents the total thermal resistance.

1
𝑈=
𝑅𝑡

Effectiveness

The effectiveness was calculated for the brass shell and steel shell heat exchangers

for both counter and co-current flow configurations at varying hot stream flowrates.

The results are plotted in Figure 10.

Effectiveness vs Flowrate
0.8

0.7

0.6
Effectiveness (%)

0.5

0.4

0.3 Brass Countercurrent

0.2 Brass Co-current
Stainless Steel Countercurrent
0.1 Stainless Steel Co-current
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Hot Stream Flowrate (lpm)

Figure 10 Effectiveness for Both Materials and Flow Configurations at Varying Hot Stream Flowrates

In Figure 10, it can be observed that the effectiveness of both heat exchangers for

the two flow configurations increases with an increase in hot stream flowrate. This

result is expected because effectiveness is directly proportional to the rate of heat

 26

transfer, as suggested by Equation 5. Since qmax stays relatively constant, increasing

rate of heat transfer with increasing flowrate results in an increase in the

effectiveness of the heat exchanger. This result can also be verified from literature

as Tariq obtained the same result when studying the effectiveness of concentric heat

exchangers14. The results obtained by Tariq et al are shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11 Influence of Volume Flow Rate of Hot Fluid on the Effectiveness on Different Particle Volume Fraction of
CuO Nanofluid for the Concentric Heat Exchanger14

Figure 11 shows how the effectiveness of the heat exchanger increases with

increasing flowrate at different CuO particle volume fractions. The results are

comparable because Tariq uses a shell and tube heat exchanger at the same

flowrates as used in this experiment.

In Figure 10, the effectiveness of stainless steel heat exchanger with counter-current

flow configuration can be seen to be the highest. This is due to the greater heat

transferred rate that is achieved by this heat exchanger. The qmax for brass and
 27

stainless steel heat exchangers are nearly the same as it only depends on cold

stream flowrate and the inlet temperatures of hot and cold stream. Therefore,

greater heat transfer rate results in higher effectiveness.

Lastly, Figure 10 shows that the counter-current flow configuration is generally

more effective than the co-current configuration. This can also be attributed to the

fact that counter-current configuration produces a greater rate of heat transfer,

making it more effective.

 28

Conclusions

The stainless steel heat exchanger with counter-current flow configuration was

found to have the greatest heat transfer rate at all flowrates, while the brass-copper

heat exchanger with counter-current flow performed almost equally as well in

terms of this performance parameter. In contrast, stainless steel heat exchanger

with co-current flow had the lowest heat transfer rate at all flowrates. Counter-

current flow in general provided greatest heat transfer rates.

The stainless steel heat exchanger with counter-current flow configuration was also

found to have the greatest overall heat transfer coefficient for most flowrates. The

heat transfer coefficient results from brass heat exchanger with co-current flow

configuration is discarded because the error is too great and cannot be used to

compare the heat exchangers. Furthermore, counter-current flow configuration has

heat transfer coefficients greater than those of co-current flow.

The stainless steel heat exchanger with counter-current flow configuration is the

most effective for most flowrates, whereas the same heat exchanger with co-current

flow is the least effective.

In general, counter-current flow configuration produces the greatest heat transfer rate and

overall heat transfer coefficient while also having the highest effectiveness.

Finally, an increase in hot stream flowrate led to an increase in heat transfer rate, the

overall heat transfer coefficient and the effectiveness of both heat exchangers for both

configurations.
 29

Recommendations

 Recalibrate the hot flowrate control knob as the values written on the knob do

not accurately represent those achieved in operation.

 Allow for comparison of finned heat exchangers in order to better understand

the degree to which effect they have on heat transfer rate.

 Allow suitable time to achieve steady state temperatures.

 Label the button that switches on the hot stream pump to avoid confusion
 30

Nomenclature

Table 3: Nomenclature

Symbols Description Unit

𝑞 heat transfer rate W

kg
𝑚 mass flow rate
s
J
cp heat capacity of the fluid
kg ∙ K

W
𝑈 overall heat transfer coefficient
m2∙℃

𝐴 area of heat exchanger m2

T temperature ℃

𝑞𝑚𝑎𝑥 maximum possible amount of heat transfer W

J
𝐶𝑚𝑖𝑛 minimum heat capacity
kg ∙ K
𝑇ℎ,𝑖 inlet temperature of the hot stream ℃

𝑇𝑐,𝑖 inlet temperature of the cold stream ℃

kg
𝑚𝑐 mass flow rate of cold fluid
s
kg
𝑚ℎ mass flow rate of hot fluid
s
J
𝐶𝑐 heat capacity of the cold stream
kg ∙ K
J
𝐶ℎ heat capacity of the hot stream
kg ∙ K
∆𝑇 change in temperature ℃

∆𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 log − mean temperature difference ℃

ε effectiveness of a heat exchanger -

 31

Appendix A: Data Sheets and Sample Calculations

 32

Table A. 1: Spreadsheet calculations for heat transfer rate

 33

Figure 12: Data sheet

 34

Appendix B: Risk Assessment

 35

Table 4: Risk Assessment

Hazard Consequence Controls Probability Prevention

Hot water Skin burns Temperatures 4 Wait for water
not high to cool before
enough to disassembly,
cause severe wear heat-
burns proof gloves if
necessary
Slippage Bone fracture, Policy to clean 2 Clean up spills
concussion up spills immediately
immediately,
tray to avoid
spilling water
on floor
Electric Numbness, All wires are 2 Do not come
Shock skin burns, insulated, into contact
death in grounded and with open
serious cases hidden away wires, don’t let
water come
into contact
with water
Heater Damage to Policy to not 2 Make sure to
running equipment, have heater turn off heater
while possible fire running while before
there’s no there’s no fluid switching off
flow flow pumps
Noise Stress, Experiment 1 Don’t operate
irritability not run for too at high
long, low flowrates for
flowrates long, use ear
muffs if
necessary
 36

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 37

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