Dr. Senthilmurugan S.

Department of Chemical Engineering IIT Guwahati - CL204 - Part 19

Heat Exchangers
LMTD method

Temperature Profile and Enthalpy Balances in Heat

exchangers

m& H b H a q
Where = flow rate of stream
q = Q/t = rate of heat transfer into
stream
Ha, Hb = enthalpies per unit mass of
stream at entrance and exit, respectively
For the warm fluid

m&h H ha H hb qh

Tca

For the warm fluid

m&c H cb H ca qc

Tcb

Overall enthalpy balance

qh qc
5/12/16 | Slide 2

Counter Flow HX

Temperature Profile and Enthalpy Balances in Heat

exchangers

Parallel flow
5/12/16 | Slide 3

If only sensible heat is transferred and

constant specific heats are assumed

m&h c ph Tha Thb m&c c pc Tcb Tca

where cpc = specific heat of cold fluid

cph = specific heat of warm fluid

Temperature Profile and Enthalpy Balances in Heat

exchangers
Condenser

The vapor enters the condenser as

saturated vapor (no superheat) and
leaves the condensate leaves at
condensing temperature without being
further cooled.

m&h hlh m&c c pc Tcb Tca q

Where = Rate of condensation of

vapour, hlh = latent heat of vaporization
of vapour
If the condensate leaves at a
temperature that is less than the
condensing temperature of the vapor

m&h hlh c ph Thb Tha

m&c c pc Tcb Tca
5/12/16 | Slide 4

Integration of heat flux across HX

a
Tha

Tca

Hot
fluid
T

dq

Tca

fluid T c
d
l
o
C

Tcb

Tcb

dA

Distance
5/12/16 | Slide 5

Thb

dq U o dAo Th Tc

Integration of heat flux across HX

To calculate heat flux q to the entire area of a
heat exchanger Ao, the equation must be
integrated. This can be done formally where
certain simplifying assumptions are accepted.
The assumptions are
1. The overall coefficient U is constant,
2. The specific heats of the hot and cold
fluids are constant,
3. Heat exchange with the ambient is
negligible,
4. The flow is steady and either parallel or
counter current,
. Moderate temperature , the assumption of
constant U and Cp is not seriously in error.
. Assumptions 2 and 4 imply that if Tc and Th,
are plotted against q gives straight line (linear
relationship). Since Th and Tc , vary linearly
with q, T

5/12/16 | Slide 6

The heat transferred through an element

of area dA may be written

dq U o dAo Th Tc (Convection)

dq m&h c ph dTh

dq m&c c pc dTc

(Energy Balance)

Th= avg. temperature of hot stream at

area dAo
TC= avg. temperature of cold stream at
area dAi corresponding to dAo
Uo= Over all heat transfer coefficient
based on dAo

Integration of heat flux across HX

dq
dTh
m&h c ph

dq
dTc
m&c c pc

1
1
dTh dTc dq

m&c c pc m&h c ph

dq U o dAo Th Tc

d Th Tc
U o

Th Tc

5/12/16 | Slide 7

Thb Tcb

Tha Tca

1
d Th Tc
1
U o

Th Tc
m&c c pc m&h c ph

Ao

dA

1
Thb Tcb
1
ln

U o Ao

Tha Tca
m&c c pc m&h c ph

q m&h c ph Tha Thb ) m&c c pc Tcb Tca )

Thb Tcb
U o Ao
ln
Tha Thb Tcb Tca

q
Tha Tca
1
1

dAo

m&c c pc m&h c ph

Integration of heat flux across HX

Co-current flow
T T
U A
ln hb cb o o Thb Tcb Tha Tca
q
Tha Tca

q U o Ao

Thb Tcb Tha Tca

T T
l n hb cb
Tha Tca

q U o Ao TM
TM

5/12/16 | Slide 8

Thb Tcb Tha Tca

Thb Tcb
l n

T
ha ca

TM

Tha

Ta
Tca

Tb Ta
Tb
l n

T
a

Hot fluid Th

dq
dA

Cold fluid Tc

Distance

Tb

Thb
Tcb

Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD)

TM

Tha

Tb Ta
Tb
l n

T
a

Tha

Hot fluid Th

dq

Tca

dA

Cold fluid Tc

Distance

5/12/16 | Slide 9

TM

Tb

Thb
Tcb

Ta
Tca

Tb Ta
Tb
l n

T
a

Hot fluid Th

dq
dA

Cold fluid Tc

Distance

Thb
Tb
Tcb

Correction factor for LMTD

LMTD correction is required when

following assumptions are not hold;
1. The overall coefficient U is
constant,
2. The specific heats of the hot and
cold fluids are constant,
3. Heat exchange with the ambient is
negligible, and
4. The flow is steady and either
parallel or counter current,
5. Q vs T linear behaviours
1. Hot stream is saturated
vapor,
2. No reaction occur during heat
exchange

5/12/16 | Slide 10

Variable Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

When U varies linearly with the

temperature drop over the entire heating
surface then total heat flux is defined as

q Ao

U ob Tb U oa Ta
U ob Tb
l n

T
oa a

Tha

Tca

Ta
Tca

Tcb

5/12/16 | Slide 11

Hot fluid Th

dq
dA

Cold fluid Tc

Distance

Thb
Tb
Tcb

Correction of LMTD for Crossflow HX

When flow types other than countercurrent

or parallel appear, it is customary to define
a correction factor FG, which is so
determined that when it is multiplied by the
LMTD for countercurrent flow, the product
is the true average temperature drop.

Correction of LMTD for crossflow.

q FGU o Ao TM

The factor Z is the ratio of the fall in

temperature of the hot fluid to the rise in
temperature of the cold fluid.
The factor H is the heating effectiveness,
or the ratio of the actual temperature rise of
the cold fluid to the maximum possible
temperature rise obtainable if the warmend approach were zero (based on
countercurrent flow).

5/12/16 | Slide 12

Thin Thout
Tcout Tcin

Tcout Thin
Thin Tcin

Correction of LMTD
1-2 exchangers

F G is always less than unity. The mean

temperature drop, and therefore the capacity of the
exchanger, is less than that of a countercurrent
exchanger having the same LMTD.
When FG is less than about 0.8, the exchanger
should be redesigned with more passes or larger
temperature differences; otherwise the heattransfer surface is inefficiently used and there is
danger that small changes in operating conditions
may cause the exchanger to become unstable
operation.
When FG is less than 0.75, it falls rapidly as H
increases, so that operation is sensitive to small
changes. In this region, also,
Any deviations from the basic assumptions on
which the charts are based become important,
especially that of a uniform thermal history for all
elements of fluid. Leakage through and around the
baffles may partially invalidate this assumption.

5/12/16 | Slide 13

2-4 exchangers

Sizing a Heat Exchanger:

LMTD method

Case 1: Outlet temperature HX is known

One equation and one unknown
Easy to solve
Case 2: Outlet temperature hot stream HX is
unknown
One equation and three unknowns
Hard to solve and use of iterative techniques
Example
Calculate Q and the unknown outlet hot
stream temperature.
Calculate TM and obtain the correction
factor (F) if necessary
Calculate the overall heat transfer
coefficient.
Determine A.
The LMTD method is not as easy to use for
performance analysis when both steam out let
temperature not known

5/12/16 | Slide 14

Case 1

q U o Ao

Thb Tcb Tha Tca

Thb Tcb

T
ha ca

l n

Case 2

q U o Ao

Thb Tcb Tha Tca

Thb Tcb
l n

T
ha ca