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HVAC: Heating, Ventilation &
Air-Conditioning
Mechanical Engineering

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient Calculation

with Excel Spreadsheets for Heat Exchanger
Design
HVAC: Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning / By Harlan
Bengtson / Mechanical Engineering
Background

Heat exchanger design is an iterative process. At the beginning an

estimated value of the overall heat transfer coefficient, U, is
needed, based on the type of heat exchanger and the fluids
involved. Information about the fluid temperatures, flow rates,
and properties allows determination of the required heat transfer
rate, Q, and the log mean temperature difference, ΔTlm. Then,
using the heat exchanger design equation, Q = UAΔTlm, allows an
initial calculation of the needed heat transfer area, and then
choice of a preliminary configuration for the heat exchanger can
be made (e.g. pipe diameters and length for a double pipe heat
exchanger or number and size of tubes for a shell and tube heat
exchanger). At this point, a more detailed estimate of the overall
heat transfer coefficient can be made, as described in this article.
For more details on the overall heat exchanger design process,
see the articles in this series like, "Fundamentals of Heat
Exchanger Theory and Design," and "Preliminary Heat Exchanger
Design Example."
Equations for the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

The overall heat transfer coefficient for a heat exchanger depends

upon the convective heat transfer coefficient between the hot
fluid and the heat
transfer surface, the thermal conductivity and thickness of the
heat transfer surface, and the convective heat transfer coefficient
between the heat transfer surface and the cold fluid. Emphasis in
this article will be on a cylindrical shape for the heat transfer
surface, as in a shell and tube or double pipe heat exchanger. The
general principles can be applied to heat exchangers of other
shapes as well.

The diagram at the right shows a sketch of a heat transfer tube or

pipe with the parameters and equations that lead to an equation
for the overall heat transfer coefficient:

1/UoAo = 1/hoAo + ln(ro/ri)/(2πLk) + 1/hiAi

In view of the accuracy of the correlations for estimation of ho and
hi, the heat transfer tube or pipe is often treated as a ‘thin-walled
tube’ with Ao, Ai, and Am [ = 2πL(ro – ri)/ln(ro/ri) ]. The equation
above then simplifies to:
1/U = 1/ho + (ro – ri)/k + 1/hi (Note that the thickness of the
tube wall, ro – ri, is represented by the symbol ΔXw in the diagram
at the right.)
This equation gives an estimate for the overall heat transfer
coefficient, U, for a new heat exchanger, or one with newly
cleaned heat transfer surfaces. As a heat exchanger is used and
fluids flow past the heat transfer surface, both sides of that heat
transfer surface tend to accumulate a coating that slows down the
rate of heat transfer. This is called fouling of the heat transfer
surface. The resistance to heat transfer added by the fouling of
the surface is typically accounted for by adding a fouling
resistance for each side of the heat transfer surface, Rfo and Rfi to
the equation above to give the following:
1/U = 1/ho + Rfo + (ro – ri)/k + 1/hi + Rfi. This is the equation
that will be used in the Excel spreadsheets in the next section.
Excel Spreadsheets for Estimation of an Overall Heat
Transfer Coefficient

The Excel spreadsheet shown in the image at the left is set up to

calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient, U,
based on the indicated input values, which are: the wall thermal
conductivity, k; the outside diameter of the tube, 2ro; the tube wall
thickness, ro – ri; the outside convective heat transfer coefficient,
ho; the inside convective heat transfer coefficient, hi; the outside
fouling resistance, Rfo; and the inside fouling resistance, Rfi.
The Excel formulas are set up to calculate the overall heat transfer
coefficient, U, using the equation discussed in the previous
section:
1/U = 1/ho + Rfo + (ro – ri)/k + 1/hi + Rfi.
Values for the tube dimensions should be available from
preliminary heat exchanger design calculations, which could be
done using Excel spreadsheets like those available from the
articles, "Excel Spreadsheet Templates for Preliminary Heat
Exchanger Design," and "Excel Formulas for Pressure Drop in Shell
and Tube Heat Exchanger Design." The table at the upper right
gives BWG (Birmingham Wire Guage) wall thicknesses for heat
exchanger tubes, which typically have diameters between 1/4"
and 2".
The inside and outside convective heat transfer coefficients could
be determined from the Excel spreadsheets that can be
downloaded from the article, "Calculation of Forced Convection
Heat Transfer Coefficients with Excel Spreadsheets."
Typical fouling resistance values for various combinations of
fluids, temperatures and velocities are given in reference #1
below. Most of the fouling resistance values fall between 0.0005
and 0.01 ft2–oF-hr/Btu. For many common heat exchanger
situations, the fouling resistance will be between 0.001 and 0.005
ft2–oF-hr/Btu.
The overall heat transfer coefficient calculated in the example
Excel spreadsheet shown above turned out to be 116 Btu/hr-ft2–oF,
which is amazingly close to the initial ‘rough estimate’ of 120
Btu/hr-ft2–oF, made in the article, "Preliminary Heat Exchanger
Design Example several months ago!"
The example Excel spreadsheet uses U.S. units, however the
spreadsheet template can be downloaded below with U.S. units or
with S.I. units.

Click here to download this Excel spreadsheet in U.S. units.

Click here to download this Excel spreadsheet in S.I. units.
References

References for Further Information:

1. Wolverine Tube Heat Transfer Data Book – has tables of typical

fouling resistance values and tables of typical overall heat transfer
coefficient values.
2. Bengtson, H., Fundamentals of Heat Exchangers, an
online, continuing educationcourse for PDH credit.
3. Kakac, S. and Liu, H., Heat Exchangers: Selection, Rating and
Thermal Design, CRC Press, 2002.
4. Kuppan, T., Heat Exchanger Design Handbook, CRC Press, 2000.
This post is part of the series: Heat
Exchanger Design
Heat exchanger design includes estimation of the heat transfer
area needed for known or estimated heat transfer rate, overall
heat transfer coefficient and log mean temperature difference.
The tube or pipe diameters and length also need to be
determined, as well as the pressure drop.
1. Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Theory and Design
2. Preliminary Heat Exchanger Design Example
3. Preliminary Heat Exchanger Design – Calculations Involved
4. Excel Formulas for Pressure Drop in Shell and Tube Heat
Exchanger Design
5. Calculations for Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient Estimation
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