Heat Exchanger Effectiveness

(Revised 9/25/07)

1. Heat exchanger effectiveness is the ratio of actual rate of heat transfer over
the maximum possible rate of heat transfer in a counterflow heat
exchanger with an infinite surface area. With no phase changes or radiation
losses, this results in the following:

a. If Ch > Cc = Cmin (with A = ∞ , Th,i = Tc*,o )

q& actual C (T − Th,o ) C (T − Th,o ) C h (Th,i − Th,o ) C c (Tc,o − Tc,i )

ε= = h h,*i = h h,i = =
q& max ( )
C min Tc,o − Tc,i C min (Th,i − Tc,i ) C c (Th,i − Tc,i ) C c (Th,i − Tc,i )

b. If Cc > Ch = Cmin (with A = ∞ , Tc,i = Th*,o )

q& actual C (T − Tc,i ) C (T − Tc,i ) C c (Tc,o − Tc,i ) C h (T h,i −Th,o )

ε= = c c,o = c c,o = =
q& max ( )
C min Th,i − Th,o
*
C min (Th,i − Tc,i ) C h (Th,i − Tc,i ) C h (Th,i − Tc,i )

where,
ε = heat-exchanger effectiveness, %/100
q& = heat transfer rate, BTU/hr
& = mass flow rate, lbm/hr
m
cp = specific heat, BTU/lbm-F
A = surface area, ft2
T = Temperature, F
T* = Temperature with infinite surface area, F
Cc = m
& c c pc

Ch = m
& h c ph

Cmin = the smaller of Cc or Ch

Cmax = the larger of Cc or Ch
subscript i = inlet
subscript o = outlet
subscript h = hot fluid
subscript c = cold fluid
2. Once the effectiveness is known:

q& = ε C min (Th,i − Tc,i ) = C h (Th,i − Th,o ) = C c (Tc,o − Tc,i )

3. ε can be used to find the Number of Transfer Units, NTU, where

1
NTU =
C min ∫ u dA
A

If u and A are constant, the above equation is reduced to

uA
NTU =
C min

4. See the attached Table 2.2 from Basic Design Methods of Heat Exchangers
(CRC Press, 2002) for equations relating ε and NTU (C* = Cmin / Cmax). Also
attached are charts that can be used to find NTU when ε is known.

5. As NTU increases, the heat exchanger approaches its thermodynamic limit.

Note that for a condenser, evaporator, or boiler
C min
=0
C max = ∞ and C max