CDB 2052

Chemical Engineering Lab I

September 2015

Experiment 12: Plate Heat Exchanger

Group No. : 22
Group members: Wee Mok Siong

19710

Swarnalaxmi Karunamurthy

19704

Muhd. Nasrul Firdaus

20405

Nashweender Singh

19627

Date of experiment: 22nd October 2015

Introduction
The plate heat exchanger experiment is conducted by using co-current and counter-current
plate heat exchanger. A plate heat exchanger consists of a number of heat transfer plates
which are held in place between a fixed plate and a loose pressure plate to form a complete
unit. Besides, a plate heat exchanger is a type of heat exchanger that uses metal plates to
transfer heat between two fluids. Each heat transfer plate has a gasket arrangement which
provides two separate channel systems.
The arrangement of the gaskets (field and ring gaskets) results in through flow in single
channels, so that the primary and secondary media are in counter-current flow. The media
cannot be mixed because of the gasket design.
The plates are corrugated, which creates turbulence in the fluids as they flow through the
unit. This turbulence, in association with the ratio of the volume of the media to the size of
heat exchanger, gives an effective heat transfer coefficient.

Figure 1: Plate heat exchanger

The experimental data was recorded in order to calculate of heat losses, efficiencies and the
overall heat transfer coefficient. Effect of the temperature to the heat transfer rate is also
observed while the flow rate was kept constant throughout the experiment.
The objectives of this experiment is to determine and compare heat loss, efficiencies, and
overall heat transfer coefficients of co-current and counter-current heat exchangers.

Experimental result
From the experiment, it can be observed that changes in the flow rate and temperature
results in the change of amount of heat transfer.

The result obtained for the heat transfer coefficient, heat loss and log mean
temperature is fluctuated.
Based from the result recorded and calculated, counter current flow is more efficient
with higher log mean temperature compared to co current flow.

Brief Conclusion
Therefore based on the result obtained, it can be concluded that the change in temperature
and flow rate will affect the heat transfer coefficient in the heat exchanger. And Counter
current flow heat exchangers are more efficient than the co-current heat exchangers

Experiment 1: Counter Current Plate Heat Exchanger

Effect of Hot Water Temperature

Temperature
setting (C)

Hot water Cold water

flow rate
flow rate
(L/min)
(L/min)

Hot water
temperature
Tinlet

Toulet

Cold water
temperature
Tinlet

Toutlet

50

50.2

35.5

26.2

43.8

55

54.7

37.4

26.3

47.5

59.6

38.9

26.3

50.8

65

64.7

40.5

26.4

54.3

70

69.3

43.4

26.2

57.3

60

14.2

12.2

Experiment 2: Co-Current Plate Heat Exchanger

Effect of Hot Water Temperature

Temperature
setting (C)

Hot water Cold water

flow rate
flow rate
(L/min)
(L/min)

Hot water
temperature
Tinlet

Toulet

Cold water
temperature
Tinlet

Toutlet

50

49.5

38.4

26.1

37.3

55

54.2

41.7

27.2

40.3

59.3

44.4

27.3

42.2

65

64.3

46.5

27.4

44.8

70

68

48.2

27.1

46.2

60

14.2

12.2

Calculations
Given
Area of Heat Transfer Surface, A (m2)

0.9

Specific Heat Capacity of Water, cp (J/kg

K)

4184

Density of Water, (kg/m3)

1000

1. The volumetric flow rate of water is converted from L/min to m3/s

Example:
= 0.0005 m3/s
30 L
1 min
1 m3
min

60 s

1000L

2. The mass flow rate is derived from volumetric flow rate

Example:
= 0.5 kg/s
0.0005 m3
1000 kg
s

m3

3.
The Log Mean Temperature
Difference (LMTD) is calculated using the formula:

=

Co-current Flow
Counter-current Flow
T1 = Thi - Tco

T1 = Thi - Tci

T2 = Tho - Tci

T2 = Tho - Tco

Example:
Counter-current Flow:
T1 = 48.4 24.7= 23.7 oC
T2 = 47.7 44.9= 2.8oC
Tlm =

23.72.8
ln

23.7
2.8

= 9.79 oC

Co-Current Flow:
T1 = 48.4 27.5 = 20.9 oC
T2 = 45.1 44.3 = 0.8 oC
Tlm =

20.90.8
ln

20.9
0.8

= 6.16 oC

4. Find the rate of heat transfer, using the following formula:

=
Example:
Heat Transfer of Hot Water:
Q h = mh cp Th
Q h = (0.5 kg/s)(4184 J/kg K)(3.3 oC)
Q h = 6903.6 W
Heat Transfer of Cold Water:
Qc = mc cp Tc
Qc = (0.08333 kg/s)(4184 J/kg K)(16.8 oC)
Qc = 5857.37 W

5. Calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient using the formula:

=
Example:
5857.37 W = U (0.9 m2) (6.16 oC)
U = 1056.52 W/m2 oC

using formula:
6. Obtain
= Cmin (Thi Tci)

Cc = mc cp
Ch = mh cp
Cmin is the smaller value among Cc and Ch.
Example:
= (348.65 J/K s)(48.4 27.5 oC)
Q max
= 7286.79 W
Q max

7. Calculate the efficiency using formula:

=

100%

Example:
=

5857.37
7286.79

100% = 80.38%

Discussions
i) The overall heat transfer coefficient vs temperature

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient,U

50
45
40
35
30

Co-current

25

Counter Current

20
15
10
50

55

60

65

70

Temperature,Degree celcius

Table of Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient vs Temperature

Co- current
Temperature hot in
50
55
60
65
70

hot out
49.5
54.2
59.3
64.3
68

38.4
41.7
44.4
46.5
48.2

cold in

cold out
26.1
27.2
27.2
27.3
27.3

37.3
40.3
42.2
44.8
46.2

U, overall heat transfer

coefficent
12.0978696
18.31042586
26.26029883
32.58609963
38.96601874

Counter Current
Temperature
50
55
60
65
70

hot in

hot out
50.2
54.7
59.6
64.7
69.3

35.5
37.4
38.9
40.5
43.4

cold in
26.2
26.3
26.3
26.4
26.4

cold out
43.8
47.5
50.8
54.3
57.3

U, overall heat transfer

coefficent
23.96561891
28.6987547
32.72903639
45.89729274
49.67197286

INTERPRETATION
Base on the Graph of Overall heat transfer Coefficient against temperature it can be seen in the
overall trend that as the temperature increases the overall heat transfer coefficient also increases,
and also it can be seen that counter current has a higher overall heat transfer coefficient than the co
current one thus proving that counter current has a higher efficiency than co current.

ii) Overall efficiencies vs Temperature

Overall Efficiency vs. Temperature for Co-current and Counter

current
75
70
65
Overall Efficiency
(%)
60

Co-current
Counter Current

55
50
45
45

50

55

60

65

70

75

Temperature (C)

A) Co-current flow data:

Temperature (C)
Th, in (C)
Tc, in (C)
Q (W)
Cp (J/kg.K)
Ch (J/kg.K)
Cc (J/kg.K)
Cmin (J/kg.K)
Qmax (W)
Overall Efficiency (%)

50
49.5
26.1
10913.964
4181
982.535
919.82
919.82
21523.788
50.71

55
54.2
27.2
12290.5
4183
983.005
920.26
920.26
24847.02
49.46

60
59.3
27.3
14650.28
4185
983.475
920.7
920.7
29462.4
49.73

65
64.3
27.4
17501.67
4187
983.945
921.14
921.14
33990.066
51.49

70
68
27.1
19468.15
4190
984.65
921.8
921.8
37701.62
51.64

B) Counter current flow data:

Temperature (C)
Th, in (C)
Tc, in (C)
Q (W)
Cp (J/kg.K)
Ch (J/kg.K)
Cc (J/kg.K)
Cmin (J/kg.K)
Qmax (W)
Overall Efficiency

50
50.2
43.8
14453.63
4181
982.535
919.82
919.82
21523.788
67.15

55
54.7
47.5
17010.05
4183
983.005
920.26
920.26
24847.02
68.46

60
59.6
50.8
20353.07
4185
983.475
920.7
920.7
29462.4
69.08

65
64.7
54.3
23794.41
4187
983.945
921.14
921.14
33990.066
70

70
69.3
57.3
26465.916
4190
984.65
921.8
921.8
37701.62
70.2

Interpretation
The graph of overall efficiency versus temperature proves that the efficiency of the heat
exchanger generally increases with time for both the flows. This is because the larger the
heat supplied, the higher the heat transfer rate. However, it is observed that the efficiency
of the counter current flow heat exchanger is much higher than that of the co-current flow
heat exchanger. This is because in the counter current flow, water comes into contact with a
larger surface area of the heat exchanger, thus more heat gets transferred compared to cocurrent flow, where water only flows to a limited surface area of the heat exchanger.

iii) Heat loss vs Temperature

3500
3000

Heat Loss (W)

2500
2000
Cocurrent

1500

Counter Current
1000
500
0
45

55

65
Temperature, oC

75

Co-current flow
Temperature

th in

th out

50
55
60
65
70
Temperature
Heat Hot Water
Heat Cold Water
Heat loss

tc in

tc out

49.5
54.2
59.3
64.3
68

38.4
41.7
44.4
46.5
48.2

26.1
27.2
27.3
27.4
27.1

37.3
40.3
42.2
44.8
46.2

50
10913.96
10309.38
604.58

55
12290.5
12058.29
232.21

60
14650.28
13715.15
935.13

65
17501.67
16016.35
1485.32

70
19468.15
17581.17
1886.98

Counter flow
Temperature

th in
50
55
60
65
70

Temperature
Heat Hot Water
Heat Cold Water
Heat loss

th out

tc in

tc out

50.2
54.7
59.6
64.7
69.3

35.5
37.4
38.9
40.5
43.4

26.2
26.3
26.3
26.4
26.2

43.8
47.5
50.8
54.3
57.3

50

55

60

65

70

14453.63
16200.45
1746.82

17010.05
19514.18
2504.13

20353.07
22551.76
2198.69

23794.41
25681.39
1886.98

25465.916
28626.93
3161.01

Interpretation
For co-current plate heat exchanger, the heat loss shows a directly proportional relationship
when plotted against temperature in a graph. But in the first temperature which are 50
degree celcius, its shows a drop in heat loss due to the errors throughout the experiment.
Meanwhile for the graph of counter current plate heat exchanger, the relationship between
the heat loss and temperature shows a fluctuate patterns. The graph supposedly shows a
directly proportional between the heat loss and temperature but due to some errors the
data is not accurate. When comparing the heat lost between the co-current and counter
current plate heat exchanger, it shows that the heat loss by counter current plate heat
exchanger shows a higher amount. This is due to the higher heat transfer rate when using
counter current as more particles of water will be in contact with opposite stream thus
providing a higher surface area in contact. This will lead to a higher heat transfer rate.

RELIABILITY
During the experiment, there were some incompetence observed that could lead to errors
in the data obtained. First of all, the desired flowrate of both the incoming hot water and
cold water could not be achieved as fluctuations were observed. This will compromise the
accuracy of the results obtained. Besides that, the heat exchanger needs to be well
insulated to prevent heat loss to the surroundings and obtain ideal results. Next, the whole
equipment should be checked for any leakage as a precautionary step before the
experiment is started to ensure the equipment is functioning in a good condition. Therefore,
by implementing the suggested improvements, the data obtained will definitely be errorfree in order to produce an accurate reporting of the experiment conducted.

CONCLUSION
Therefore based on the result obtained, it can be concluded that the change in temperature
and flow rate will affect the heat transfer coefficient in the heat exchanger. The heat
transfer coefficient will increase when the fluids go through the heat exchanger at higher
velocities and also at higher temperature. Through the calculations, it is also known that
counter current flow heat exchangers are more efficient than the co-current heat
exchangers.