Tutorial Solution – Heat Exchangers
1. Hot exhaust gases used in a finned‐tube cross‐flow heat exchanger heat 2.5 kg/s of water
from 35 to 85C. The gases [cp = 1.09 kJ/kgC] enter at 200C and leave at 93C. The overall
heat‐transfer coefficient is 180 W/m2C. Calculate the area of the heat exchanger using (a)
the LMTD approach and (b) the effectiveness‐NTU method. (37.8 m2) (c) If the water flow
rate is reduced by half, while the gas flow rate is maintained constant along with the fluid
inlet temperatures. Calculate the percentage reduction in heat transfer as a result of this
reduced flow rate. Assume that the overall heat transfer coefficient remains the same.
(15%)
Solution:
(a)
Hot gases
T1 T2
TLMTD T1 = 200C
ln T1 T2
200 85 93 35
ln 115 58 Water
t2 = 85C
83.3C t1 35C U = 180 W/m2K
to ti 85 35 m w 2.5 kg/s
P 0.30
Ti ti 200 35
Ti To 200 93
R 2.14 T2 = 93C
to ti 85 35
T
From crossflow hx chart (Figure 3 of Handbook),
F 0.92 200
q m wcw t UA F TLMTD
85
2.5 4180 50 180 A 0.92 83.3 Hot
gases
A 37.8 m 2
93
Water
35
A
1 2
(b)
Energy balance:
m g cg Tg m wcw Tw
m g cg 200 93 2.5 4.180 85 35 522.5 kW
m g cg 4.883 kW/C Cmin gas
m wcw 2.5 4.180 10.450 kW/C Cmax water
Cmin 4.883
0.47
Cmax 10.450
200 93
0.65
200 35
Using -NTU chart (Figure 9 of Handbook),
UA
NTU 1.4
Cmin
1.4 4883
A 38.0 m 2
180
(c)
m g cg 4.883 kW/C Cmin
2.5 10.450
m wcw 4.180 5.225 kW/C Cmax
2 2
UA
NTU 1.4 (no change)
Cmin
Cmin 0.467
0.93
Cmax 0.5
Using -NTU chart (Figure 9 of Handbook),
0.55
Tg
200 35
Tg 90.75 200 Tg ,exit
Tg ,exit 109.25C
q Cg Tg 4.883 90.75 443.1 kW
q a q c 522.5 443.1
15%
q c 522.500
2. A shell and tube heat exchange operates with two shell passes and four tube passes.
The shell fluid is ethylene glycol, which enters at 140C and leaves at 80C with a flow
rate of 4500 kg/h. Water flows in the tubes, entering at 35C and leaving at 85C. The
overall heat‐transfer coefficient for this arrangement is 850 W/m2C. Calculate the flow
rate of water required and the area of the heat exchanger. (0.984 kg/s, 5.24 m2) The
flow rate of glycol to the exchanger is reduced in half with the entrance temperatures of
both fluids remaining the same. What is the water exit temperature under these new
conditions, and by how much is the heat‐transfer rate reduced? (70.9C, 28.2%)
Solution:
(a)
Energy balance:
m wcw Tw m g cg Tg
4500
m w 4.180 85 35 2.742 140 80 205.7 kW
3600
m w 0.984 kg/s T
m wcw 0.984 4.180 4.113 kW/ C Cmax
4500 140
m g cg 2.742 3.428 kW/C Cmin
3600
Cmin 3.428 85
Ethylene
0.83
Cmax 4.113 glycol
140 80
0.57
140 35 80
Using -NTU chart (Figure 8 of Handbook), Water
35
NTU 1.3
UA A
1.3 1 2
Cmin
1.3 3.428 103
A 5.24 m 2
850
(b)
4500 2 3.428
m g cg 2.742 1.714 kW/ C Cmin
3600 2
m wcw 4.113 kW/C Cmax
UA 1.3
NTU =2.6
Cmin 0.5
Cmin 0.833
0.42
Cmax 2
Using -NTU chart (Figure 8 of Handbook),
0.82
Tg
140 35
Tg 86.1 140 Tg 2
Tg 2 53.9C
3.428
q C g Tg 86.1 147.6 kW
2
q a q c 205.7 147.6
28.2%
q c 205.7
147.6
Tw 35.9 Tw1 35
4.113
Tw1 35 35.9 70.9C
3. A small steam condenser is designed to condense 0.76 kg/min of steam at 85 kPa with
cooling water at 10C. The exit water temperature is not to exceed 57C. The overall
heat‐transfer coefficient is 3400 W/m2C. Calculate the area required for a double‐pipe
heat exchanger. Use both LMTD and effectiveness – NTU methods. (0.145 m2)
Solution:
(a) T
Steam is condensed at 85 kPa Steam
Tsat = 95C
h fg 2270 kJ/kg
0.76 57
q m s h fg 2270 28.75 kW
60
T1 T2
TLMTD
ln T1 T2 Water
95 10 95 57 10
ln 85 38
58.3C A
q UATLMTD 1 2
28.75 103
A 0.145 m 2
3400 58.3
(b)
Cmax steam
Cmin water
q Cmin 57 10 28.75 103
Cmin 611.7 W/ C
57 10
0.553
95 10
For heat exchanger with steam condensing,
1 e NTU 0.553
UA
NTU 0.805
Cmin
0.805 611.7
A 0.145 m 2
3400
4. A shell‐and‐tube exchanger operates with one shell pass and two tube passes with a
total surface area of 47.5 m2. Water (the tube‐side fluid) enters the heat exchanger at
15C and 6.5 kg/s and is heated by exhaust gas entering at 200C and 5 kg/s. The gas
may be assumed to have the properties of atmospheric air, and the overall heat transfer
coefficient is approximately 200 W/m2. What are the gas and water outlet
temperatures? (55.7C, 41.6C)
Solution:
m wcw 6.5 4.200 27.3 kW/C Cmax T
m g cg 5 1.005 5.025 kW/ C Cmin
200
Cmin 5.025
0.184
Cmax 27.3
Tw1
UA 200 47.5
NTU 1.89 Gas
Cmin 5.025 103
Using -NTU chart (Figure 7 of Handbook),
Tg2
0.78 Water
200 Tg 2 15
0.78
200 15 A
Tg 2 55.7C 1 2
Energy balance:
Cw Tw C g Tg
27.3 Tw1 15 5.025 200 55.7
Tw1 41.6C
5. A single‐pass cross‐flow heat exchanger uses hot exhaust gases (mixed) to heat water
(unmixed) from 30 to 80C at a rate of 3 kg/s. The exhaust gases, having thermophysical
properties similar to air, enter and exit the exchanger at 225 and 100C, respectively. If
the overall heat transfer coefficient is 200 W/m2K, estimate the required surface area.
(33.2 m2)
Solution:
LMTD Method
TLMTD
T1 T2
225 80 100 30 103C
ln T1 T2 ln 145 70
to ti 80 30
P 0.26
Ti ti 225 30
T
T T 225 100
R i o 2.5
to ti 80 30
225
From crossflow hx chart (Figure 4 of Handbook),
F 0.92 80
q m wcw Tw UA F TLMTD Gas
3 4200 50 200 A 0.92 103
A 33.2 m 2 100
-NTU Method Water
30
Energy balance:
m g cg Tg m wcw Tw A
1 2
m g cg 125 3 4.200 50
m g cg 5.04 kW/C Cmin
m wcw 3 4.200 12.6 kW/C Cmax
Cmixed 5.04
0.4
Cunmixed 12.6
225 100
0.64
225 30
Using -NTU chart (Figure 10 of Handbook),
NTU 1.3
UA
1.3
Cmin
1.3 5.04 103
A 32.8 m 2
200
6. The oil in an engine is cooled by air in a cross‐flow heat exchanger where both fluids are
unmixed. Atmospheric air enters at 30C and 0.53 kg/s. Oil at 0.026 kg/s enters at 75C
and flows through a tube of 10 mm diameter. If the overall convection coefficient is 53
W/m2K and the total heat transfer area is 1m2, determine the effectiveness. What are
the exit temperatures of the oil and water? (46.2C, 32.9C)
Solution:
m o co 0.026 2047 53.2 W/C Cmin
m a ca 0.53 1005 533 W/C Cmax
T
Cmin 53.2
0.10
Cmax 533 75
UA 53 1
NTU 1.0
Cmin 53.2 Ta1
Using -NTU chart (Figure 9 of Handbook),
Oil
0.64
75 To 2 To2
0.64
75 30 Air
30
To 2 46.2C
Energy balance: A
1 2
Ca Ta1 Ta 2 Co To1 To 2
533 Ta1 30 53.2 75 46.2
Ta1 32.9C