STUDY OF HELICAL COIL HEAT EXCHANGER AND

COMPARE IT WITH STRAIGHT TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER

A project submitted to

Bhilai Institute Of Technology, Durg C.G.

For the partial fulfillment of the award of degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
In

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
(November-December 2013)

Project Guided By:

Submitted By:

Mr.Yogesh Kumar

Abhijeet Dewangan

(Assistant Professor)

Ajay Singh
Rahul Yadav
Ravindra Kumar

DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE

I the undersigned solemnly declare that the report the project work entitled Study Of
Helical Coil Heat Exchanger and compare it with Straight Tube Heat
Exchanger is based on our work carried out during the course of our study under the
supervision of Mr. Yogesh Kumar.(Assistant professor)
I assert that the statements made and conclusions drawn are an outcome of our
research work. We further declare that to the best of our knowledge and belief the
report does not contain any part of work which has been submitted for the award of
B.E. degree in C.S.V.T. U.

_____________________

CERTFICATE OF THE SUPERVISOR

This is to certify that the work incorporated in the projectStudy Of Helical Coil
Heat Exchanger and Compare it with Straight Tube Heat Exchangeris a record
of research work carried out by_________________of mechanical branch under my
guidance and supervision for the award of Degree of Bachelor of Engineering in the
faculty of Mr.Yogesh Kumar of Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical
University, Bhilai (C.G.), India.
To the best of my knowledge and belief the thesis
i)
ii)
iii)

Embodies the work of the candidate himself

Has dully been completed
Fulfills the requirements of the ordinance relating to the BE degree of the

iv)

University and
Is up to the desired standard both in respect of contents and language for
being referred to the examiners.

____________________

______________________

Signature

Signature

Project Guide

Prof. Dr S.K. GANGULY

Mr Yogesh Kumar Sahu

Head of Department

(Assistant Professor )

Mechanical Engineering

CERTIFICATE BY THE EXAMINER

This is to certify that the project work entitledStudy of Helical Coil Heat
Exchanger and Compare it with Straight Tube Heat exchangerSubmitted by
________________________ has been examined by the undersigned as a part of the
examination for the award of Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical
Engineering in the Bhilai Institute of Technology,Durg.

__________________________

________________________

Signature

Signature

Internal Examiner

External Examiner

Date:

Date:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Working on this project has been a great learning experience for us. There were
moments of anxiety, when we could not solve for several days and there were
moments when we could solve a problem after struggling for several days. But we
have enjoyed every bit of process and are thankful to all people associated with us
during this period.We also owe our gratitude to respected principal Dr. Arun Arora
who blessed us with this extra ordinary knowledge and experience regarding our
project. He also provided us all the necessary facilities to complete our project.
We would like to express deep gratitude to respected Prof. Dr S.K.Ganguly
( H.O.D of Mechanical Engineering Department) for his helpful solutions and
comments enriched by experience, which improved our ideas for betterment of
project. We owe a great debit of our gratitude for his constant advice, cooperation and
encouragement throughout the project.
The progress of our project STUDY OF HELICAL COIL HEAT EXCHANGER
AND COMPARE IT WITH STRAIGHT TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER could not
have been achieved without the kind support of our project guide Mr Yogesh Kumar
Sahu(Assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering Department).
It will be our pleasure to acknowledge, utmost co-operation and valuable suggestions
from time to time given by staff of Mechanical Engineering Department, to whom we
owe our entire computer knowledge and also we would like to thank all those persons
who have directly or indirectly helped us by providing books and the computer
peripherals and other necessary amenities which helped in the development of this
project which would otherwise not been possible.
At last we would like to progress our sincere thanks to all authors for joining insight
into the working of complete description of the project. We would like to also thank
all those persons who directly or indirectly helped us by sharing their knowledge and
experience as it might become an impossible task to complete our project without
their help and guidance.

TABLE OF CONTENT

i)
ii)
iii)
iv)

v)

ABSTRACT(i)
LIST OF FIGURE...(ii)
LIST OF ABBREVATION AND SYMBOL.(iii)
CHAPTER
1) INTRODUCTION1-13
2) LITERETURE REVIEW14-18
3) PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION.19-20
4) METHODOLOGY..21-27
5) EXPECTED RESULTS & DISCUSSION..28-29
6) CONCLUSION & SCOPE OF FUTURE WORK...30-31
BIBLIOGRAPHY

ABSTRACT

Heat exchange is an important unit operation that contributes to efficiency and safety
of many processes. All the heat exchangers can be operated in both parallel- and
counter-flow configurations. The heat exchange is performed between hot and cold
water. Heat exchanger is important appliance in field of thermal ,heat mass ,fluid
flow, as in nuclear reactor ,steam power plant (in super heater),fertilizers factory,etc.
In this project basic heat exchangers types have been studied and basic operations and
phenomena it works upon, Special emphasis has been laid upon study of helical coil
heat exchanger ,designing the assembly of helical coil heat exchanger . Comparing it
straight tube heat exchanger numerically and theoretically with its advantage over
straight tube heat exchanger, its advantage is proved by secondary flow phenomena,
LMTD( logarithmic mean temperature difference) using nusselt and prandtl number,
considering fouling and other parameters.

(i)
LIST OF FIGURE

Fig. 1.1 Parallel flow

Fig. 1.2 Counter flow..
Fig. 1.3 Heat transfer & Temperature distribution
in counter concurrent and concurrent flow..
Fig. 1.4

Cross flow.

Fig. 1.5 Shell and tube heat exchanger ..

Fig. 1.6 Multiple shell and tube heat exchanger..
Fig. 1.7 Helical Heat Exchanger ...
Fig. 1.8 helical coil...
Fig. 1.9 Secondary flow in helical coil.
Fig. 1.10 The fouling resistance as a function of time for all runs.
Fig. 5.1 Overall Heat Resistance..
Fig. 5.2 Section view of Heat Exchanger.

(ii)
LIST OF ABBREVIATION AND SYMBOL

fluid density , kg/m

fluid viscousity at mean bulk temperature kg/mh

fluid viscousity at pipe wall temperature kg/mh

thickness of coil wall ,m

Vf

volume available for flow in annulus area, m3

Vc

volume occupied by N turns of coil, m3

Va

volume occupied by annulus , m3

Overall heat transfer coefficient kcal/hm2C

fluid viscousity, m/h

tim

Log-mean temperature difference C

tc

corrected log-mean temperature difference C

Rt

Tube side fouling factor hm2C/kcal

Ra

Shell side fouling factor hm2C/kcal

Average radius of helical coil ,taken from the centre line to the centre line coil,m

Volumetric flowerate of fluid , m 3/h

Heat load , kcal/h

Re

Reynold number , Du / or DG/ , dimensionless

Pr

Prandtl number , cp/k dimensionless

Actual number ot turns of coil needed for a given process heat duty(N rounded

theoretical number of turns of coil

mc

mass flow rate of cold fluid , kg/h

mh

mass flow rate of hot fluid, kg/h

Length of the coil needed to form N turns, m

kc

Thermal conductivity of coil wall kcal/hm2C

Thermal conductivity of fluid kcal/hm2C

jH

Colbourn factor for heat transfer (hiD/k)(Pr)-1/3 , (/w)-0.14 dimensionless

ho

Heat transfer coefficient outside coil kcal/hm2C

hio

Heat transfer coefficient inside coiled tube based on outside diameter of coil kcal/hm2

hic
Heat transfer coefficient inside coiled tube (hi corrected for coil) based on inside
diameter of coil kcal/hm2C
hi
Heat transfer coefficient inside straight tube tube based on inside diameter
2
kcal/hm C
H

Height of cylinder, m

Gs

Mass velocity of fluid , (m/[(/4)((C2- B2)-(DH22- DH12))] kg/ m2h

DH2

Outside diameter of helix , m

DH1

Outside diameter of helix , m

DH

Average diameter of helix , m

De

Shell side equivalent diameter of coil , m

Di

Inside diameter of coil , m

Do

Outside diameter of coil , m

cp

Fluid heat capacity , kcal/kg C

Outside diameter of inner cylinder, m

Inside diameter of inner cylinder, m

Af

Area of cross-section of coil , (/4)D2 , m2

Aa

Area of fluid flow in annulus, (/4)((C2- B2)-(DH22- DH12)), m2

Area of heat transfer, m2

1. INTRODUCTION

1. INTRODUCTION
Heat exchangers are off-the-shelf equipment targeted to the efficient transfer of heat
from a hot fluid flow to a cold fluid flow, in most cases through an intermediate
metallic wall and without moving parts. Heat exchanger is the process equipment
designed for effective transfer of heat energy between two fluids; a hot fluid and
coolant .Heat exchangers serve a straightforward purpose :controlling a systems or
substances temperature by adding or removing thermal energy. Although there are
many different sizes, levels of sophistication, and types of heat exchangers, they all
use a thermally conducting elementusually in the form of a tube or plateto
separate two fluids, such that one can transfer thermal energy to the other.
Heat losses or gains of a whole heat exchanger with the environment can be neglected
in comparison with the heat flow between both fluid flows; i.e. a heat exchanger can
be assumed globally adiabatic. Thermal inertia of a heat exchanger is often negligible
too (except in special cases when a massive porous solid is used as intermediate
medium), and steady state can be assumed, reducing the generic energy balance to:
openings
E=W +Q+ h dm

openings

0 = mh1 + m h2
time

t,e

time t,
where the total enthalpy ht
has been approximated by enthalpy (i.e. negligible mechanical energy against
thermal energy), and means output minus input.
Classification heat exchanger to meet varying application .
1) On the basis of operating principle
a) Direct contact heat exchanger
The energy transfer between hot and cold fluid is brought about by their complete
physical mixing : there is simultaneous transfer of heat and mass.
Ex: water cooling tower.
b) Regenerator heat exchanger
The hot fluid is passed through certain medium called matrix .The heat is transferred
to the solid matrix and accumulates there. The heat thus stored in heated matrixis
subsequently transferred to the cold fluid by allowing it to pass over aheated matrix.

c) Recuperator
In recuperator , the fluid flow either side of a separating wall; the heat transfer occur
between the stream without mixing or physical contact between each other.
2) On the basis of arrangement of heat flow
a)The Parallel Flow Heat Exchanger
A double pipe heat exchanger can be operated in parallel flow mode as shown in the
diagram at the left. Similarly a shell and tube heat exchanger can be operated in
approximately parallel flow by having both fluids enter at one end and exit at the
other end. With parallel flow the temperature difference between the two fluids is
large at the entrance end, but it becomes small at the exit end as the two fluid
temperatures approach each other. The overall measure of heat transfer driving force,
the log mean temperature difference is greater for counter flow, so the heat exchanger
surface area requirement will be larger than for a counter flow heat exchanger with
the same inlet and outlet temperatures for the hot and the cold fluid.

Fig.1.1 Parallel Flow

Fig.1.2 Counter Flow

The Counterflow Heat Exchanger

A counterflow heat exchanger has the hot fluid entering at one end of the heat
exchanger flow path and the cold fluid entering at the other end of the flow path.
Counter flow is the most common type of liquid-liquid heat exchanger, because it is
the most efficient. A double pipe heat exchanger is usually operated as a counter flow
heat exchanger, as shown in the diagram at the left. The flow pattern in a shell and
tube heat exchanger with a single tube pass will be approximately counterflow if it is
long in comparison with its diameter. Because of the baffles and the need to distribute

the flow of the shell side fluid over the cross-section of the shell, the flow is not as
close to counterflow in a shell and tube heat exchanger as it is in a double pipe heat
exchanger. The bottom diagram on the left shows approximately counter flow in a
straight tube, one tube pass shell, and tube heat exchanger.

Heat transfer & Temperature distribution in counterconcurrent and concurrent flow

Fig 1.3

b) Cross flow heat exchanger

In the cross flow arrangement , the hot and cold fluid are directed at right angle to
each other. The hot fluid flow inside separate tube and its
mix.

Fig.1.4 Cross flow

3) On the basis of mechanical design of heat exchanger
Concentric tubes heat exchanger

different stream do not

Two concentric pipes are used each carrying one of the fluids .The direction of flow
may correspond to counter flow or unidirectional arrangement

a. Shell and tube heat exchanger

One of the fluid carried through a bundle of tubes enclosed by shell. The other fluid is
forced through the shell and flows over the outside surface of the tubes.The direction
of flow for either or both fluid may change during its passage through the heat
exchanger.

Fig.1.5 Shell and tube heat exchanger

b. Multiple shell and tube heat exchanger
The two fluid may flow through the exchanger only once ,one or both the fluid may
traverse the exchanger more than once.

Fig.1.6 Multiple shell and tube heat exchanger

Heat exchanger s are one of the most important process equipments that are used in
all industries such as petroleum, gas, petrochemical, power plants, food and etc. The
aim of using heat exchangers in processes is to reduce energy consumption. Shell
and tube hea t exchangers are the commonest and most used ones. Although shell and
tube heat exchanger have lower thermal efficiency than compact exchangers
With the increase in cost of harnessing energy and limited sources of energy there is
need for efficient utilization of waste energy so there is need for more efficient heat
exchanger Helical heat exchanger are considered as modern technology which are
designed and used to fulfil the shortcoming of common heat exchanger
A helical heat exchanger consist of helical coil fabricated out of meatal pipe that is
fitted in the annular portion of two concentric cylinder.

Fig.1.7 Helical Heat Exchanger

In helical coils, the radial velocity component generated from the centrifugal force
results in secondary flow. A pair of generally symmetrical vortices in the vapour core
affecting the main fluid stream is produced as depicted in figure 1.1 The main
differences in heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics between helical coils and
straight tube are related to this secondary flow effect caused by centrifugal forces. The
liquid droplets are pushed from the inner tube wall to the outer tube wall through the
center of the tube then liquid moves to the inner wall due to pressure difference
between the outer and inner surfaces. This phenomenon improves the heat transfer
and retards the dry out and prevents stratification in helical coils compared to straight
tubes as proved for large tube diameters

Fig.1.8 Helical Coil

Fig.1.9 Secondary flow Helical Coil

When a fluid flows through a straight tube, the fluid velocity is maximum at the tube
center, zero at the tube wall & symmetrically distributed about the axis. However,
when the fluid flows through a curved tube, the primary velocity profile indicated
above is distorted by the addition of secondary flow pattern. The secondary flow is
generated by centrifugal action and acts in a plane perpendicular to the primary flow.
Since the velocity is maximum at the center, the fluid at the center is subjected to the
maximum centrifugal action, which pushes the fluid towards the outer wall. The fluid
at the outer wall moves in ward along the tube wall to replace the fluid ejected
outwards. This results in the formation of two vortices symmetrical about a horizontal
plane through the tube center.It has been found that the effect of coil curvature is to
suppress turbulent fluctuations arising in the flowing fluid and smoothing the
emergence of turbulence. Thus it increases the value of the Reynolds number required
to attain a fully turbulent flow, as compared to that of a straight pipe. The above effect
of turbulent fluctuations suppression enhances as the curvature ratio increases.
Another important phenomena observed in helical tubes is the relamianrization. The
fluid flow, which was originally turbulent, changes to laminar while flowing inside a
helical pipe.

FOULING
Fouling is generally defined as the deposition and accumulation of unwanted
materials such as scale, algae, suspended solids and insoluble salts on the internal or
external surfaces of processing equipment including boilers and heat exchangers. Heat
exchangers are process equipment in which heat is continuously or semi-continuously
transferred from a hot to a cold fluid directly or indirectly through a heat transfer
surface that separates the two fluids. Heat exchangers consist primarily of bundles of
pipes, tubes or plate coils Fouling on process equipment surfaces can have a
significant, negative impact on the operational efficiency of the unit. On most
industries today, a major economic drain may be caused by fouling. About 15% of the
maintenance costs of a process plant can be attributed to heat exchangers and boilers,
and of this, half is probably caused by fouling. Fouling in heat exchangers is not a

new problem. In fact, fouling has been recognised for a long time, and research on
heat exchanger fouling was conducted as early as 1910 and the first practical
application of this research was implemented in the 1920s.Major detrimental effects
of fouling include loss of heat transfer as indicated by charge outlet temperature
decrease and pressure drop increase. Other detrimental effects of fouling may also

include blocked process pipes, under-deposit corrosion and pollution. Where the heat
flux is high, as in steam generators, fouling can lead to local hot spots resulting
ultimately in mechanical failure of the heat transfer surface. Such effects lead in most
cases to production losses and increased maintenance costs.
Loss of heat transfer and subsequent charge outlet temperature decrease is a result of
the low thermal conductivity of the fouling layer or layers which is generally lower
than the thermal conductivity of the fluids or conduction wall. As a result of this lower
thermal conductivity, the overall thermal resistance to heat transfer is increased and
the effectiveness and thermal efficiency of heat exchangers are reduced. A simple way
to monitor a heat transfer system is to plot the outlet temperature versus time. In one
unit at an oil refinery, fouling led to a feed temperature decrease from 210C to
170C. In order to bring the feed to the required temperature, the heat duty of the
furnace may have to be increased with additional fuel required and resulting increased
fuel cost. Alternatively, the heat exchanger surface area may have to be increased with
consequent additional installation and maintenance costs. The required excess surface
area may vary between 10-50%, with an average around 35%, and the additional extra
costs involved may add up to a staggering 2.5 to 3.0 times the initial purchase price of
the heat exchangers. With the onset of fouling and the consequent build up of fouling
layer or layers, the cross sectional area of tubes or flow channels is reduced. In
addition, increased surface roughness due to fouling will increase frictional resistance
to flow. Such effects inevitably lead to an increase in the pressure drop across the heat
exchanger, which is required to maintain the flow rate through the exchanger, and
may even lead to flow blocks. Fouling is responsible for the emission of many
millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide as well as the use and disposal of hazardous
cleaning chemicals. The factors that govern fouling in heat exchangers are many and
varied. Of such factors some may be related to the feed properties such as its chemical
nature, density, viscosity, diffusivity, pour and cloud points, interfacial properties and
colloidal stability factors.
Based on the different physical and chemical processes involved, it is convenient to
classify the fouling main types as:
1- Precipitation Fouling: Crystallization of dissolved salts due to solubility changes
with temperature, and subsequent precipitation onto the heat transfer surface.
Scaling belongs also to this type of fouling [18-20].

2- Particulate Fouling: Deposition of suspended particles in the process stream onto

the heat transfer surfaces [13-16]. This process includes sedimentation where settling
occurs under gravitational forces.
3- Biological Fouling "biofouling": This type occurs in raw water due to the
attachment and growth of macroorganisms and/or their products on the heat transfer
surfaces
4- Chemical Reaction Fouling: Is a result of chemical reactions between reactants in
the flowing fluid in which the surface material itself is not a reactant (e.g. in
petroleum refining. polymer production and food processing).
5- Corrosion Fouling: Due to chemical or electrochemical reaction between the heat
transfer surface itself and the fluid stream to produce corrosion products, which, in
turn, change the surface thermal characteristics and foul it.
6- Solidification Fouling: Due to freezing of a pure liquid or a higher melting point
components of a multi-component solution onto a cooler surface.
Fouling resistance :
The fouling resistance, R is determined by subtracting the fouling resistance when the
test section is clean (at time zero) from that when fouled,

__

Where, Uc and U are the overall heat transfer coefficients for clean
and fouling
conditions respectively. These coefficients are calculated from the
general heat transfer equation ,

and,

is the logarithmic mean temperature difference,

As mentioned before, the most common and widely practically

existing fouling type is the "asymptotic" mode. This type of fouling
can be described by an exponential equation as,

Where,
R*f is the asymptotic fouling resistance. (mC/kW)
tc is the time constant, hr

The percentage reduction in U due to fouling is given by,

Combining with equation (1) yields,

The change in asymptotic fouling resistance

determined.

can be also

Fig. 1.10. The fouling resistance as a function of time for all runs.
Fouling mitigation, control and removal
In order to prevent or mitigate the impact of fouling problems, various steps can be
taken during plant design and construction and also during plant operation and
maintenance. Fouling mitigation and control require scientific considerations in
design and construction. In general, high turbulence, absence of stagnant areas,
uniform fluid flow and smooth surfaces reduce fouling and the need for frequent
cleaning. In addition, designers of heat exchangers must consider the effects of
fouling upon heat exchanger performance during the desired operational lifetime of
the heat exchangers. The factors that need to be considered in the designs include the
extra surface required to ensure that the heat exchangers will meet process
specifications up to shutdown for cleaning, the additional pressure drop expected due
to fouling, and the choice of appropriate construction materials.
fouling is expected on the tube side, some engineers recommend using larger diameter
tubes (a minimum of 25 mm OD) [26]. The use of corrugated tubes has been shown to
be beneficial in minimising the effects of at least two of the common types of fouling.
Corrosion-type fouling can also be minimised by the choice of a construction material
which does not readily corrode or produce voluminous deposits of corrosion products.
Mounting the heat exchanger vertically can minimise the effect of deposition fouling
as gravity would tend to pull the particles out of the heat exchanger away from the
heat transfer surface even at low velocity levels.

Helically coiled exchangers offer certain advantages.

1) Compact size provides a distinct benefit. Higher film coefficientsthe rate at
which heat is transferred through a wall from one fluid to another and more
effective use of available pressure drop result in efficient and less-expensive
designs.
2) True counter-current flow fully utilizes available LMTD (logarithmic mean
temperature difference). Helical geometry permits handling of high temperatures
and extreme temperature differentials without high induced stresses or costly
expansion joints.
3) High-pressure capability and the ability to fully clean the service-fluid flow area
add to the exchangers advantages.
4)

Coils give better heat transfer performance, since they have lower wall resistance

& higher process side coefficient.

5) A coil can provide a large surface area in a relatively small reactor volume.
Disadvantages of helical coiled heat exchanger
1) Densely packed coils can create unmixed regions by interfering with fluid flow.

2) Cleaning of vessels with coils becomes much difficult.

APPLICATIONS
Use of helical coils for heat transfer applications:
1)Helical coils are used for transferring heat in chemical reactors and agitated vessels
because heat transfer coefficients are higher in helical coils. This is especially
important when chemical reactions have high heats of reaction are carried out and the
heat generated (or consumed)has to be transferred rapidly to maintain the temperature
of thereaction. Also, because helical coils have a compact configuration ,more heat
transfer surface can be provided per unit of space than by the use of straight tubes.
2) Because of the compact configuration of helical coils, they can be readily used in
heat transfer application with space limitations, for example, in steam generations in
marine and industrial applications.
3) The existence of self induce radial acceleration field in helical coils makes helical
coils most desirable for heat transfer and fluid flow applications in the absence of
gravity field, such as for space ships in outer space
.4) Helical coiled tubes have been and are used extensively in cryogenic industry for
the liquefaction of gases.

2.LITERATURE
REVIEW

2.LITERATURE REVIEW
A heat exchanger is a straightforward device which is utilized to move heat from one
place to another, using an evaporation-condensation cycle. Heat pipes are referred to
as the "superconductors" of heat due to their quick transfer capability with minimal
heat loss .The whole entire process only makes use of 3 major components which are
the container, the working fluid inside the pipe and the thermosyphon effect, also
called the capillary structure. But before studying the specific information of just how
the heat pipe works, it is best to know the history of heat pipe technology to get a
solid "feel" of its mechanism and how it differs from other comparable devices.
Principal differences between heat transfer in laminar flow and that in turbulent
flow:
The principal difference between laminar and turbulent flow, as far as heat transfer is
concerned, is that an additional mechanism of heat transfer in the radial and azimuthal
directions becomes available in turbulent flow. This is commonly termed eddy
transport and is intense, providing much better transfer of energy across the flow at a
given axial position than in laminar flow, wherein conduction is typically the only
mechanism that operates in the transverse directions (an exception occurs when there
are secondary flows in the transverse direction, such as in coiled tubes). Another
difference worthwhile noting is the extent of the thermal entrance region in which
the transverse temperature distribution becomes fully developed. This region is
relatively short in turbulent flow (precisely because of the intense turbulent transverse
transport of energy), whereas it tends to be long in laminar flow. Heat transfer
correlations, based on experimental results, are typically divided into those applicable
in the thermal entrance region, and those that apply in the fully developed region.
In the case of laminar flow, it is important to be aware of this distinction, and
normally a laminar flow heat exchanger is designed to be short, to take advantage of
relatively high heat transfer rates that are achievable in the thermal entrance region.
In the case of turbulent flow, the thermal entrance region is short, as noted earlier, and
typically heat transfer occurs mostly in the fully developed region. Therefore,
turbulent heat transfer correlations are commonly provided for the latter region

The following research work has been done Timothy J. Rennie, Vijaya G.S. Raghavan [1] Have done An experimental study
of a double-pipe helical heat exchanger. Two heat exchanger sizes and both parallel
flow and counter flow configurations were tested. Flow rates in the inner tube and in
the annulus were varied and temperature data recorded. Overall heat transfer
coefficients were calculated and heat transfer coefficients in the inner tube and the
annulus were determined using Wilson plots. Nusselt numbers were calculated for the
inner tube and the annulus. The inner Nusselt number was compared to the literature
values. Though the boundary conditions were different, a reasonable comparison was
found. The Nusselt number in the annulus was compared to the numerical data. D. G.
Prabhanjan, G. S. V. Ragbavan and T. J. Kennic [2] Have done experimental
study to determine the relative advantage of using a helically coiled heat exchanger
versus a straight tube heat exchanger for heating liquids. The particular difference in
this study compared to other similar studies was the boundary conditions for the
helical coil. Most studies focus on constant wall temperature or constant heat flux,
whereas in this study it was a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger. All tests were performed
in the transitional and turbulent regimes. H. Shokouhmand, M.R. Salimpour, M.A.
Akhavan-Behabadi [3] Have done an experimental investigation of the shell and
helically coiled tube heat exchangers. Three heat exchangers with different coil
pitches and curvature ratios were tested for both parallel-flow and counter-flow
configurations. All the required parameters like inlet and outlet temperatures of tubeside and shell-side fluids, flow rate of fluids, etc. were measured using appropriate
instruments. Overall heat transfer coefficients of the heat exchangers were calculated
using Wilson plots. The inner Nusselt numbers were compared to the values existed in
open literature. Nasser Ghorbani, Hessam Taherian, Mofid Gorji, Hessam
Mirgolbabaei [4], Have done an experimental investigation of the mixed convection
heat transfer in a coil-in-shell heat exchanger is reported for various Reynolds and
Rayleigh numbers, various tube-to-coil diameter ratios and dimensionless coil pitch.
The purpose of this article is to check the influence of the tube diameter, coil pitch,
shell-side and tube-side mass flow rate over the performance coefficient and modified
effectiveness of vertical helical coiled tube heat exchangers. The calculations have
been performed for the steady-state and the experiments were conducted for both
laminar and turbulent flow inside coil. It was found that the mass flow rate of tubeside to shell-side ratio was effective on the axial temperature profiles of heat
exchanger -Nian Chen, Ji-Tian Han, Tien-Chien Jen, Li Shao , Wen-wen Chen [5]
Have done an experimental investigation on condensation heat transfer of R-134a in
horizontal straight and helically coiled tube-in-tube heat exchangers. The experiments
were carried out at three saturation temperatures(350 , 400 and 450 ) with the
refrigerant mass flux varying from 100 kg/m2 s to 400 kg/m2 s and the vapor quality
ranging from 0.1 to 0.8. The effects of vapor quality and mass flux of R-134a on the
condensation heat transfer coefficient were investigated. The results indicate that the

condensation heat transfer coefficients of the helical section are 4%-13.8% higher
than that of the straight section. J.S. Jayakumar, S.M. Mahajani, J.C. Mandal, P.K.
Vijayan, Rohidas Bhoi [6], An analysed heat exchanger considering conjugate heat
transfer and temperature dependent properties of heat transport media. because
constant temperature or constant heat flux boundary condition for an actual heat
exchanger does not yield practical condition for heat exchangers. An experimental
setup is fabricated for the estimation of the heat transfer characteristics. The
experimental results compared with the CFD calculated results using the CFD
package FLUENT 6.2. Based on the experimental results a correlation is developed to
calculate the inner heat transfer coefficient of the helical coil. Nasser Ghorbani,
Hessam Taherian, Mofid Gorji, Hessam Mirgolbabaei [7], The mixed convection
heat transfer is reported for various Reynolds and Raylighs numbers, various tube-tocoil diameter ratios And dimensionless coil pitch. Shell-side and mass flow rate over
the performance coefficient and modified effectiveness of vertical coiled tube heat
exchangers. The calculations have been performed for the steady state and the
experiments were conducted for both Laminar and turbulent flow inside coil. The
results also indicate the NTU relation of the mixed convection heat exchangers was
the same as that of a pure counterflow flow heat exchanger. Paisarn Naphon,
Somchai Wongwises[8], The performance of a spiral coil heat exchanger under
cooling and dehumidifying conditions are investigated. The heat exchanger consist of
a steel shell and A spirally coiled tube unit. The spiral coil-unit consist of six layers of
concentric spirally coiled tubes. Air and water are used as working fluids. The chilled
water entering the outermost turn flows along the spirally coiled tube, and flows out at
the innermost turn. The hot air enters the heat exchanger at the centre of shell and
flows radially across spiral tubes to the periphery. A mathematical model based on
mass and energy conservation is developed and solved by using the Newton-Raphson
iterative method to determine the heat transfer characteristics. M.R. Salimpour, [9],
The heat transfer coefficient of shell and helically coiled tube heat exchangers were
investigated experimentally. The heat exchangers with different coil pitches were
selected as test section for both parallel-flow and counter-flow configurations . All the
required parameters like inlet and outlet temperatures of tube-side and shell-side
fluids, flow rate of fluids,etc.were measured using appropriate instruments. Empirical
correlations were proposed for shell-side and tube side. The calculated heat transfer
coefficients of tube side were also compared to the existing correlations for other
boundry conditions. M.R. Salimpour, [10], The heat characteristics of temperaturedependent-property engine oil inside coil and tube heat exchangers. Three heat
exchangers with different coil pitches were selected as the test section for counter
flow configuration. Engine oil was circulated inside the inner coiled tube, while
coolant water flowed in the shell. All the required parameters like inlet and outlet
temperatures of tube side and shell side fluids, and flow rates of fluids, etc were
measured using appropriate instruments. Paisarn Naphon,[11], Numerical and
experimental results of the heat transfer and flow characteristics of the horizontal
spiral-coil tube are investigated. The spiral-coil tube is fabricated bybending a
8.00mm diameter straight copper-tube into a spiral-coil of five turns. The innermost

and outermost diameters of the spiral-coil are 270.00 and 406.00 mm, hot water and
cold water are used as a working fluid. Experiments are performed to obtain the heat
transfer and flow characteristics for verifying the numerical results. Paisarn Naphon,
Jamnean Suwgrai,[12], Effect of curvature ratios on the heat transfer and flow
developments in the horizontal spirally coiled tubes are investigated. The spiral-coil
tube is fabricated by bending a 8.00mm diameter straight copper-tube into a spiralcoil of five turns. The spirally coiled tube with three different curvature ratios of 0.02,
0.04, 0.05 under constant wall temperature are tested. A finite volume method with an
unstructured nonuniform grid system is employed for solving the model. The
centrifugal force has asignificant effect on the enhancements of heat transfer and
pressure drop. Due to this force, the heat transfer and pressure drop obtained from the
spirally coiled tube are higher than those from the straight tube..Piroz Zamankhan,
[13], A 3D mathematical model has been developed to investigate the heat transfer
augmentation in a circular tube with a helical tabulator. Glycol water blends of
various concentrations were used in the inner tube, and pure water was used in the
outer tube. Changes in fluid physical properties with temperatures were taken into
account. And k-, k-, and large eddy simulations were developed for turbulence
modeling. The simulation results showed a nonlinear variation in Reynolds and
prandtl numbers for a long model of heat exchanger even in the absence of a
turbulator, and was found to increase the heat transfer. Rahul Kharat, Nitin
Bhardwaj, R.S. Jha[14], Experimental data and CFD simulations using fluent 6.3.26
are used to developed improved heat transfer coefficient correlation for the flue gas
side of heat exchanger. Mathematical model is developed to analyze the data obtained
from CFD and experimental results to account for the effects of different functional
dependent variables, tube diameter and coil diameter which effect the heat transfer.
Optimization is done using numerical techniques. Paisarn Naphon [15], has studied
the thermal performance and pressure drop of the helical-coil heat exchanger with and
without helical crimped fins. The heat exchanger consists of a shell and helically
coiled tube unit with two different coil diameters. Each coil is fabricated by bending a
9.50 mm diameter straight copper tube into a helical-coil tube of thirteen turns. Cold
and hot water are used as working fluids in shell side and tube side, respectively. The
experiment done at the cold and hot water mass flow rates ranging between 0.10 and
0.22 kg/s, and between 0.02 and 0.12 kg/s, respectively. The inlet temperatures of cold
and hot water are between 15 and 25 C, and between 35 and 45 C, respectively. The
effects of the inlet conditions of both working fluids flowing through the test section
on theheat transfer characteristics discussed

3.PROBLEM
IDENTIFICATION

3.PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Heat exchanger is the process equipment designed for effective transfer of heat energy
between two fluids; a hot fluid and coolant .Heat exchangers serve a straightforward
purpose :controlling a systems or substances temperature by adding or removing
thermal energy.
The main objective of this research is to determine the heat transfer characteristics of
a helical heat exchanger, both numerically and experimentally, and to determine the
effects of heat exchanger geometry and fluid properties on the heat transfer
characteristics. To accomplish this goal, the following problems were encountered:
1. Various parameters changing due to coil shape, temperature gradient and various
thermodynamic properties.
2. Problems in determining overall heat transfer coefficient due to fouling, and other
parameters.
3. Design and construction of a physical model of the heat exchanger.
4. Testing of the physical model under different flow rates and flow configurations
(parallel flow and counter flow).
5. Comparison of the results from both theoretical and experimental work.

4.METHODOLOGY

4.METHODOLOGY
Heat Exchanger is a very efficient device in which exchange of heat between two
fluids takes place one fluid is hot while another is cold. Heat exchangers are widely
used in various industries such as power plants ,automobiles ,cryogenic industries,
chemical reactors etc. Helical coil heat exchangers also got vary vast applications in
modern industries as compare to straight tube heat exchangers .Here we are going to
discuss about the heat transfer coefficient of Helical coil heat exchangers
Letting the cold and hot fluid flow through heat exchanger coil then by virtue of
temperature difference hot fluid will transfer heat to cold fluid, therefore this rate of
heat transfer can be calculated by below equation

Where,
U = overall heat transfer coefficient
A = heat exchanger area
Tm = average temperature difference between the fluids

Basic study of terminologies related to above equation

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient
The overall heat transfer coefficient represents the total resistance to heat transfer
from one fluid to another. The functional form of U or the product UA, may be
derived for any particular geometry by performing a standard conduction analysis on
the system of interest. To illustrate this, consider first a planar wall of thickness L,
subject to convection on both sides.

Fig.5.1 Overall Heat Resistance

Where U is the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

LMTD:The log mean temperature difference (also known by its initialism LMTD)
is used to determine the temperature driving force for heat transfer in flow systems,
most notably in heat exchangers. The LMTD is a logarithmic average of the
temperature difference between the hot and cold streams at each end of the
exchanger.The LMTD represents the effective, average temperature difference
between the two heat transfer fluids over the length of the heat exchanger and though
derived here for parallel flow, formula is also valid for counter flow heat exchangers.
If we assume parallel flow, the steady state heat transferred through a differential area
dA is

(01)

Where the subscripts h and c denote the hot and cold fluids respectively. We have
already seen that we can write the heat transfer across this differential area in terms of
the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient as
(02)
From Equation 01,

such that

Substitute for

, from Equation 02,

...(03)
Assuming all terms on the right hand side of Equation 03 are constant, we can
integrate from point (1) to point (2) along the length of the heat exchanger

..(04)
We further take advantage of the fact

such that,

Substituting into Equation 04,

and rearranging gives

where

is called the Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD).

Simple procedure for designing helical heat exchanger are
To calculate heat transfer coefficient in the coil
parameter must be known
1.The length of coil needed to make N turns :
L= N ((2r))2 +p2 )

(1)

2.The volume occupied by coil,

Vc =(/4)Do2 L

(2)

3.The volume of annulus

Va =(/4)(C2-B2)pN

(3)

4.The volume available for the flow of fluid in annulus

Vf = Va -Vf

(4)

5The shell side equivalent diameter

De= 4Vf/Do2 L

(5)

and the annulus following

Fig-5.2 Schematic cutway of helical heat exchanger

6.The heat transfer coefficient in the annulus, h, can be calculated using one of the
following two equations for Reynolds numbers, Re, in the range of 50-10000 Eq (6)
[3] is recommended
hoDe/k=0.6Re0.5Pr0.31

(6)

For Re over 10000,Eq(7)[4] should be used

hoDe/k=0.36Re0.55 Pr1/3(/w)0.14

(7)

The heat transfer coefficient of fluid flowing inside the coil, hio ,can be determined
using conventional methods such as described in Ref [4],The heat transfer coefficient
based on inside coil diameter ,hi, is obtained using a method for a straight tube either
one of the Sieder-Tata relationships or a plot of Colburn factor, That must be then
corrected for a coiled tube multiplying hi by [1+3.5(D/DH)] to get hic.the coefficient
based on outside diameter of the coil, hio , is then obtained by
hio = hic(Di/Do)

(8)

x=((Do- Di)/2)
The overall heat transfer coefficient,U,is given by
1/U=1/ ho +1/ hio+x/ kc + Rt + Ra (9)

Determine the required area-The area needed for heat transfer is given by
A=Q/tc

(10)

The log-mean-temperature-difference,tlm,must be corrected to take into account the

fact that the fluids are flowing perpendicular to each other,which is done by standard
correction factor for perpendicular flow[4]
Determine the number of turns of coil .Since A= D oL,and L is expressed in terms of
N,the number of turns of coil needed can be calculated by-N=A/( Do(L/N)) (11)

5.EXPECTED RESULT &

DISCUSSION

5.EXPECTED RESULTS & DISCUSSION

From the experiment we can determine that the Helical; coil heat exchanger is found
to be more effective as compare to straight tube heat exchanger. heat transfer coefficient
of Helical Coil Heat Exchanger is comparatively greater than straight tube heat
exchanger. There is effect of curvature on the flow of fluids which causes a secondry
flow due to centrifugal force so the heat transfer between two fluids takes place in the
efficient manner thats why Helical coil heat exchanger has high effectiveness compare
to straight tube heat exchanger

6.CONCLUSION &
SCOPE OF FUTURE
WORK

6.CONCLUSION & SCOPE OF FUTURE WORK

Various research work has been carried out in the past regarding to effectiveness of
helical coiled heat exchanger and also form this experiment it is found that the helical
coil heat exchanger may be a great option for effective heat transfer between two fluids
in the modern industries where it may incorporated in the place of straight tube heat
exchanger.
In present Scenario there is need for more efficient and compact heat exchanger
.helical coil heat exchanger may be a suitable solution for more efficient heat
transfer .helical coil heat exchanger may also be incorporated with the fins which
increases the heat transfer rate and also can improve the effectiveness of helical coiled
heat exchanger

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. D.S.Kumar Heat and Mass Transfer 7th revised edition pg-682-684 S.K. Kataria
& Sons
2. R.K. Rajput Thermal Engineering 4th edition, S.Chand publication
3. NAG ,P.K , Heat and Mass Transfer, 3rd edition ,Tata Mcgraw-Hill publication
4 D.S. Kumar, Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power Engineering, S.K. Kataria & Sons
5 S.P. Sukhatme Heat and Mass Transfer
6. J.P.Holman, Heat transfer, McGraw Hill Book Company
7 Acharya, N., Sen, M., and H. C. Chang. 2001. Analysis of heat transfe
enhancement in coiled-tube heat exchangers. International Journal of Heat and Mass
Transfer, Vol.
44: 3189-3199
8. Akiyama, M. and K. C. Cheng. 1972. Laminar forced convection heat transfer in
curved pipes with uniform wall temperature. International Journal of Heat and Mass
Transfer, Vol. 15:1426-1431..
9. Berger, S. A., Talbot, L., and L. S. Yao. 1983. Flow in curved pipes. Ann.
Rev.FluidMech., Vol. 15:461-512.
10. Minton P.E., Designing Spiral Tube Heat Exchangers, Chemical Engineering,
May 1970, p. 145.
11. Noble, M.A., Kamlani, J.S., and McKetta, J.J., Heat Transfer in Spiral Coils,
Petroleum Engineer, April
1952, p. 723.
14. Heliflow Coolers and Heaters, Bulletin H-84-3, Graham Manufacturing Co. Inc.
15. Heliflow Heat Exchangers, Bulletin HHE-30, Graham Manufacturing