Heat transfer

Heat exchanger

By: Omar Samir

117781

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Abstract

The aim of this experiment is to demonstrate the concentric tube heat exchange

device, and how both parallel and counter-current flow process are implemented and

the differences between them. In order to calculate the Overall Heat coefficient (U),

there are couple of calculations like LMTD, Qc,Qh must be obtained first to approach

this experiment's aim.

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Table of Contents
2 ................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Abstract
4 ............. ................................ ................................ ................................ Introduction
9 .......................................... ................................ Experimental Method and Procedure
10 ................................ ................................ ................................ Experimental results
12 ........................ ................................ ................................ Discussion and conclusion
13 ...................................... ................................ ................................ Sources of error
14 ............. ................................ ................................ ................................ Bibliography

List of figuers
4 ....................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Figure 1
5 ....................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Figure 2
5 ....................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Figure 3
6 ....................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Figure 4
8 ....................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Figure 5
8 ....................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Figure 6

List of equation
7 ................... ................................ ................................ ................................ 1 Equation
7 ................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Equation 2
7 ................... ................................ ................................ ................................ Equation 3
10 ................. ................................ ................................ ................................ Equation 4
10 ................. ................................ ................................ ................................ Equation 5
10 ................. ................................ ................................ ................................ Equation 6
11 ................. ................................ ................................ ................................ 7 Equation
11 ................. ................................ ................................ ................................ Equation 8

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Introduction

In the chemical/operation engineering firm there are usually large set of heat
exchanger which there existence is important. These heat exchangers mainly aims to
change a temperature of a particular flow by flowing another fluid close to the
required temperature. This simple and efficient device is called concentric tube heat
exchanger, which includes a relatively small tube (inner tube) encompassed by a
larger tube (outer tube) with an expected different diameters. The internal structure of
the concentric tube heat exchanger gives the chance for a rapid heat exchange
between both fluids while they are separated by a specific thin tube, also to ensure
that they will never mix as the aim of this device is to transfer heat either to hot or
cold fluid (Holman, 2002). The heat exchangers are globally used in several
applications such as: air conditioning, chemical plants, petroleum refineries,
refrigeration, power plants and others. A more reliable demonstrative application for
such a process is the car radiator, the transfer of heat occurs between the following hot
water inside tubes of the radiator and the flowing air inside the near spaced thin plates
from the other side linked to the tubes. The following Figure1 represents the
construction of the car's radiator.

Figure 1

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Mainly the heat exchanger contains two major process which are convection and
conduction. The convection process deals with the heat transfer between fluids while
conduction deals with heat transfer between walls (tubes/solids) that separates both
fluids from each. within the analysis of this experiment the overall heat coefficient
(U) must be taken in consideration when calculating, as it interferes with all of the
heat transfer effect. (Lienhard, 2006. )

There are two major types of heat exchanger depending on their flow array, parallel
flow(co-current flow) and counter-current flow. For the counter-current floe type, the
entrance of both fluids to the exchanger are counteractive to each end, a proof of the
efficient of the counter current flow that it can transfer heat as much s possible to the
other fluid. On the other hand, the parallel (counter) flow, as the entrance of both
fluids are at the same side, they are also parallel aligned to each other as the fluid
passes. The configurations of both flows are represented in the two figures 2 and 3
below (Joshua, 2009). Each type represents the concentric tube array as one of the two
fluids paths in the inner tube while the second fluid passes through the gap between
the tubes. In the case of parallel flow, both the hot and cold fluids flows within the
same direction, while in counter current-current flow case, the two fluids direction is
opposite to each other.

Figure 2
Figure 3

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The applications of heat transfer varies from a type to another that requires respective
types of hardware and diverse configurations equipment of heat transfer. The
endeavor to link between the hardware of the heat transfer and with its requirements
outcomes several types of creative heat exchanger designs like: Plate heat exchanger,
adiabatic wheel, Plate fin, Pillow plate heat exchanger and other. To be consistent to
this particular experiment, the Double Pipe Heat Exchanger will be the specific device
to demonstrate this experiment on.

The most straight forward type of heat exchanger is the concentric tube heat
exchanger, that includes two concentric pipes with different diameter. The device that
apply this method is the double-pipe heat exchanger. The figures above represents a
simple version of the double -pipe heat exchanger. A privilege given by such heat
exchanger is that it allows both types of flow array to take place that gives the variety
in results. The following figure illustrate the design of the Double-Pipe Heat
Exchanger device. (Eckert, 1987. )

Figure 4

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As a fluid goes through the content of the concentric tube heat exchanger, the
temperature difference (∆T) will exists as it changes as both fluid's temperature
changes. Depending on the array of the heat exchanger the temperature's rate will
change between the inlet and the outlet of each stream. The two types of flows
(parallel, counter flow) configuration are expected to make difference resulting two
scenarios. In one case, the hot fluid and the cold fluid can flow parallel to each other
where the heat exchanger is named parallel flow arrangement. Substitution, the hot
fluid and the cold fluid can flow oppositely to each other which as stated before it's
known as counter-current flow arrangement. (Nedderman, 1985)

A prerequisite calculations of the (∆T) must be performed for both arrays which is
called Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) or(∆Tln) Equation 1.
When the flow is parallel Equations 2 will be used to calculate (∆T1) and (∆T2), while
in the case of counter-current flow, EQUATION 3 will be used to calculate (∆T1) and
(∆T2) with different priorities. (Sons, 2003)

(∆T1) − (∆T2)
𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 =
𝐿𝑛(∆T1)/(∆T2)

1 Equation
.

(∆T1) = Thi − 𝑇𝑐𝑖

(∆T2) = Tho − Tco

Equation 2

(∆T1) = Thi − Tco

(∆T2) = Tho − Tci

Equation 3

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Where :

 Thi : hot fluid entrance temperature

 Tci : cold fluid entrance temperature
 Tho: hot fluid exit temperature
 Tco: cold fluid exit temperature

The following diagrams illustrate both parallel flow and counter-current flow cases,
which represents how both fluids acts at each case.

Figure 5

Figure 6

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Experimental Method and Procedure

A-Calibration
1. Calibrate the temperature sensors.
2. Calibrate the turbine flow meters.

B-Process
1. Verify that valves are opened and that we have set counter-current flow
configuration.
2. Check that the heating tank is full of water, above the level switch.
3. Switch on the pump and the resistance (equipment power supply).
4. Set the temperature of the tank to 60°C (ST-16).
5. Set the hot water flow at about 2.5 L/min (SC-1) and set the cold water flow to
reach stationary operation conditions, keeping the set temperature in the tank
constant.
6. Record the temperature and flow measurements.
7. Set the valves in the correct position to invert the direction of the cold water flow to
produce parallel flow conditions.
8. Make sure that the temperature is kept constant at 60°C in the tank and that cold
and hot water flows and input temperatures have the same/similar values to those
obtained in the counter-current configuration.
9. Once the system is stabilized, record the temperature and flow measurements.
10. Calculate the heat transferred by the hot fluid, the heat gained by the cold fluid
and the heat losses. Determine the logarithmic difference of average temperatures and
the global heat transfer coefficient and represent the temperature distribution
graphically.

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Experimental results

Counter current flow Parallel current flow

o
ST16 ( C) 60 60
ST1 (oC) 53.2 52.2
ST2 (oC) 47.3 47.1
ST3 (oC) 45.1 44.8
ST4 (oC) 27.3 24
ST5 (oC) 25.6 26.8
ST6 (oC) 23.7 28.6
SC1 (L/min) 3 3
SC2 (L/min) 2.1276 2.1898

𝑚 𝑚
ρ= 1000 = 𝑚ℎ = 0.5 kg/s
𝑣 3
1000𝑥60
Equation 4

Givens : Area=0.00192 mc=3kg/s cp=4.179819

1) Heat transferred by hot water: 𝑄ℎ = 𝑚ℎ𝐶𝑝ℎ (𝑇ℎ𝑖 − 𝑇ℎ𝑜)

Equation 5

 Parallel flow
∆T1h=ST1-ST3=52.2-44.8=7.40C
Therefore: Qh =0.05(4.179819)(7.4)=1.546J/Kg

 Counter flow
∆T1h=ST1-ST3=53.2-45.1=8.10C
Therefore: Qh=(0.05)(4.179819)(8.1)=1.692J/Kg

2) Heat absorbed by cold water: 𝑄𝑐 = 𝑚𝑐𝐶𝑝𝑐 (𝑇𝑐𝑜 − 𝑇𝑐𝑖)

Equation 6

 Parallel flow
∆T2c=ST6-ST4=28.6-24=4.60C

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 Therefore: Qc=3(4.179819)(4.6)=57.681J/Kg

 Counter flow

∆T2c=ST4-ST6=27.3-23.7=3.60C

Therefore: Qc =3(4.179819)(3.6)=45.142J/Kg

3) Logarithmic Mean Temperature difference (LMTD) of average temperatures

between hot water and cold water can be calculated by the following Equation 7.
(∆T1) − (∆T2)
𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷 =
𝐿𝑛(∆T1)/(∆T2)
7 Equation

 For the Parallel flow case

7.4−4.6 0
∆𝑇 = 7.4 =5.889 C
ln
4.6

 For the Counter flow case

8.1−3.6 0
∆𝑇 = 8.1 = 5.549 C
ln
3.6

1) Heat transfer global coefficient (U):

𝑄ℎ
𝑈. 𝐴 =
∆𝑇𝑙𝑚
Equation 8
Where: Area=0.00192

 Parallel
1.546
𝑈 ∗ 0.00192 = 5.889 =136.731W/m2 0C

 Counter flow
1.6
𝑈 ∗ 0.00192 = 5.549 = 150.177 W/m2 0C

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Discussion and conclusion

To conclude it all without any exaggerations, This experiment offers a general outline
of the analytical methods viable to the design of the Concentric Tube Heat Exchanger.
Logarithmic mean temperature difference (LMTD) calculations was used to reinforce
the analysis of the design. The overall heat coefficient (U), and the efficiency were
computed.. upon the experimental calculations and the data analysis, the calculated
temperature from the counter-current and the parallel heat exchanger is higher when
correlated with hot fluids than the cold fluids. Furthermore, the hypothesis that claims
that the counter-flow is more efficient than the parallel flow has been proven, as the
results reinforces the hypothesis. Also it was obvious that the process of heat transfer
rate has a directly proportional relation with the flow rate of the streams. That
demonstrates the indirect relation between heat transfer and the basic law of
Thermodynamics (Equation 5,Equation 6). Due to the amount of heat lost through the
surroundings which is not taken in consideration, the amount of heat loss from the hot
fluid isn't sharply equal to the amount of heat gained by the cold fluid, which doubt's
the theoretical calculations.

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Sources of error

1) Neglecting the heat loss to the surroundings in calculations doesn't obtain a

true value of the Overall Heat Coefficient (U)
2) Fouling factor (dirt's) could affect the heat exchange rate as a resistance,
where the fouling factor wasn't taken in consideration within the calculations.
3) Bubbles included in the water (which is caused by several reasons) could
affect the flow rate of the fluid.
4) Calibrating the temperature sensors could have been not performed properly,
which causes error in temperatures reading.
5) Calibrating the flow rate sensors could have been not performed properly,
which causes error in flow rate readings.
6) The heating water tank may didn't reach the level switch, which obeys the
requirements of the experiment.
7) A human error while setting the valves position, when converting from
counter-current to parallel vice versa, the student could confuse on switching
one of the valves from a position to another.
8) Room temperature must be maintained, to avoid the tubes gain or loss heat
from the surroundings that affect the heat exchange.

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Bibliography

Eckert, E. (1987. ). Analysis of heat and mass transfer. . Washington, DC, USA.: Hemisphere
Publ., .

Holman, J. (2002). Heat transfer. 9th ed., . New York, NY, USA, : McGraw Hill, .

Joshua, F. (2009). Design and Construction of a Concentric Tube Heat Exchanger. Journal 132
, 128 -133.

Lienhard, J. I. (2006. ). A heat transfer textbook. 3rd ed. MA, USA.: Phlogiston Press
Cambridge, .

Nedderman. (1985). Fluid Mechanics and Transfer Processes.

Saunders, E. (1988). Heat exchanger selection, design and construction. . New York, NY, USA:
John Wiley & Sons.

Sons, R. K. (2003). Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Design.

Vairam, D. S. (2013). Engineering Chemistry. New Delhi : John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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