KC21001 LABORATORY 4

LAB MANUAL 1

Group 1

Experiment HE1: Plate heat exchanger

Date: 18/03/2015

Objectives

1. To investigate the effect of cold water flow rate on the heat-transfer efficiency (n),
real heat-transfer coefficient (kre) and the theoretical heat-transfer coefficient (kth)
2. To compare between laminar and turbulent flows and compare between co-current
and counter-current configurations in the plate heat exchanger to determine the best
conditions of the heat exchanger.

Theory
In plate heat exchanger normally consists of wavy plates assembled into a frame. Hot fluid
flow in one direction whereas the cold fluid flows in true counter-current flow in the alternating
chambers. The flows of this two fluids can be shown in the Figure 1:

Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a one pass counter current heat exchanger showing the ow
pattern.

Normally, the plate and frame exchangers have been used almost exclusively for liquid to
liquid heat transfer. Plate exchanger are best known for having overall heat transfer
coecients (U-values) in excess of 35 times the U-value in a shell and tube designed for the
same service. The signicantly higher U-value results in far less area for a given application.
The higher U-values are obtained by inducing turbulence between the plate surfaces. Owing
to this they are also known to minimize the fouling.

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 KC21001 LABORATORY 4
LAB MANUAL 1

Experimental procedures:
1. Connect the flexible hoses to prepare the co-current configuration system.
2. Adjust the flow rate of hot water to 200 L/h.
3. Fix the temperature of hot water, Te to 80oC by using the thermoregulator.
4. Change the cold water flow rate to 50 L/h.
5. Wait for the temperature to stabilize and record the temperature.
6. Adjust the cold water flow rates to 100, 150, 200, 250 L/h. Make sure the temperature
is stabilized after each changing of cold water flow rate.
7. Repeat step 1-6 for counter-current configuration.

Result:
Co-current configuration

q (L/h) 200 200 200 200 200

d (L/h) 50 100 150 200 250

Te (oC)

Ts (oC)

te (oC)

ts (oC)

Te - Ts (oC)

ts - te (oC)

Counter-current configuration

q (L/h) 200 200 200 200 200

d (L/h) 50 100 150 200 250

Te (oC)

Ts (oC)

te (oC)

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 KC21001 LABORATORY 4
LAB MANUAL 1

ts (oC)

Te - Ts (oC)

ts - te (oC)

References

1. Lewis, G., Randall, M., Pitzer, K., & Brewer, L. (1961). Thermodynamics. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
2. Perry H. Robert & Green W. Don. (2008). Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook 8th
Edition. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Publications.

3. Saunders, E. A. (1988). Heat Exchanges: Selection, Design and Construction. New

York: Longman Scientific and Technical.