CHAPTER 3: Design of Condenser (Heat Exchanger)

3.1 Chemical Design

The purpose design of the heat exchanger C-105 is to cool the steam from
evaporator, stream 13, to a desired temperature before further reaction. It is
cooled by the chilled water.

3.1.1 Selection of Heat Exchanger

Heat exchanger is a device that provides the flow of thermal energy between 2
or more fluids at different temperature. The purpose of this equipment is to decrease the
steam temperature to the desired temperature that is from temperature 100oC to
temperature 25oC. Type of heat exchanger that has been chosen is the shell-and-tube
heat exchanger.
The shell and tube heat exchanger is the most common of the various types of
unfired heat transfer equipment used in industry. Although it is not especially compact, it
is robust and its shapes make it well suited to pressure operation. Shell-and-tube heat
exchanger gives a lot of advantage, which include;
a) Good mechanical layout; a good shape for pressure operations.
b) It can provide a large transfer area in a small space.
c) It also can be constructed from a wide range of materials.
d) Easy to clean.
e) It used well-established fabrication technique and design procedure.

Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are built of round tubes mounted in long

cylindrical shell with the tubes axis parallel to that of the shell. One fluid stream flows
through the tube while the other flows on the shell side, across or along the tubes. A
number of shell-and-tube flow arrangements are used in shell-and-tube heat exchanger
depending on heat duty, pressure drop, pressure level, fouling manufacturing technique
and cost, and cleaning problems. Shell-and-tube heat exchanger is design on a custom
basis for any capacity and operating condition and this is contrary to many heat
exchanger types.

There are three types of heat exchanger used in industries, which are
a) Shell-and-tube heat exchanger
b) Plate heat exchanger
c) Spiral heat exchanger
Among the three types of exchanger, the one that have been chosen is shell-and-
tubes heat exchanger because it is the most widely used and can be designed for virtually
application. Besides, it also relatively cheaper than other heat exchanger with a sufficient
in its applications.

Selection of Shell-and-Tube-Type of Heat Exchanger

There are various types of heat exchanger used in industries; each one of it can
give its own advantages and disadvantages. Table 5.3.1 shows the advantages and
disadvantages of each type of heat exchanger: (Ramesh K. Shah and Dusan P.Sekulic,
2003).
Table 3.1.1: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Types of Heat Exchanger

Construction Advantages Disadvantages

Non-  Less costly  Shell side can be cleaned only by
removable Give maximum heat transfer chemical means.
Bundle, surface per given size of
Fixed Tube shell and tubes
Sheet Provides multi-tube pass
arrangement

Removable  Shell side can be  Shell side fluids limited to non

Bundle, mechanically cleaned volatile
Packed  Bundle can be easily  Tube side arrangement limited to
Floating replaced or repair one or 2 passes
Tube Sheet  Less costly than pull,  Tubes expand as a group, not
internal floating head individually, so sudden shock’s
types should be avoided
 Maximum surface per  Limits design pressure and
given shell and tube size temperature
Removable  Good for handling  More costly than fixed tube sheet
Bundle, flammable or toxic fluids or U tube heat exchanger design
Internal Clamp
ring,  High surface per given  Shell cover, clamp ring and floating
Types shell and tubes size head cover must be removed prior
Floating
head cover.  Provides multi tubes to removing the bundle. Results in
pass arrangement higher maintenance cost

Removable  Less costly than floating  Tube side only can be cleaned by
Bundle
head or packed floating chemical means
U tube
tube sheet design  Individual tube replacement is not
 Provides multi tube pass practical
arrangement  Cannot made single tube pass
 High surface area  Draining tube side difficult in
 Capable of withstanding vertical position
thermal shock
(Ramesh K. Shah and Dusan P.Sekulic, 2003)
TEMA (Tubular Exchanger Manufacturer Association) give classification of heat
exchanger. Table 5.3.2 give the types of heat exchanger that have been chosen and
reasons why it being selected for this process.

Table 3.1.2: Selection of Heat Exchanger

Type Reasons of Selection
Front End Type A  Good for frequent cleaning of
Stationary  Channel and tubes
Head Types removable
cover
Shell Types Type E  The most commonly used in
 One pass industries
shell  More cheaper and simple
Rear Ends Type T  Give a smaller number of tubes
Head Types  Pull through  Reduced maintenance time
floating head because the bundle can be
withdrawn from the shell without
removing shell or floating-head
covers
(Ramesh K. Shah and Dusan P.Sekulic, 2003)

Assumptions for chemical design:

1. The flow is assumed as steady state flow
2. The kinetic and potential energy changes are negligible
3. The assumption of overall heat coefficient is 4000 W/m2°C (Sinnot,1996)

Assumptions for mechanical design

1. Design pressure is assumed to be 10% above the operating pressure.
2. Design temperature is taken at the maximum of operating temperature.
3. The thickness of design is assumed by adding 4 mm for the corrosion allowance.
4. Assumed that no joint in the head,therefore J = 1 (Sinnot,1996).

3.1.2 Design Calculation

The steps in a typical design procedure are given below:

1. Define the duty: heat-transfer rate, fluid flow-rates, and temperatures.

2. Collect together the fluid physical properties required: density, viscosity, thermal
conductivity.
3. Decide on the type of exchanger to be used.
4. Select a trial value for the overall coefficient, U.
5. Calculate the mean temperature difference, ∆Tm.
6. Calculate the area required from equation 12.1.
7. Decide the exchanger layout.
8. Calculate the individual coefficients.
9. Calculate the overall coefficient and compare with the trial value. If the calculated
value differs significantly from the estimated value, substitute the calculated for the
estimated value and return to step 6.
10. Calculate the exchanger pressure drop; if unsatisfactory return to steps 7 or 4 or 3, in
that order of preference.
11. Optimize the design: repeat steps 4 to 10, as necessary, to determine the cheapest
exchanger that will satisfy the duty. Usually this will be the one with the smallest
area.
 Figure 5.3.1 Flowchart for design procedure for horizontal floating shell-and-
tube-heat exchangers

The tables below show the physical properties of streams involved collected from
hysys simulation. Table 3.1.3 is the physical properties for stream 1 and 3. Stream
1 is to be cooled by cooling water before release to the environment.

Table 3.1.3: Physical properties of Stream 1 and 3

 Properties of mixture Stream 1 Mean Stream 3
Temperature (0C) 100 62.5 25
Specific heat (kJ/kg0C) 2.08 4.186 4.180
Thermal conductivity ( W/m0C) 0.1531 0.087 0.607
Viscosity ( N sm-2) 0.00037251 0.000190793 9.08x10-06
Density (kg/m3) 784.07 397.9935 11.917

Table 3.1.4 shows the physical properties for stream 2 and 4. This stream, cooling water, will cooled
stream 1 to the desired temperature.

Table 3.1.4: Physical properties of Stream 2 and 4

Properties of mixture Stream 2 Mean Stream 4

Temperature (0C) 5 12.5 20

Specific heat (J/kg.k) 4205 4189 4182

Thermal conductivity ( W/m.K) 0.571 0.585 0.598

Viscosity ( N sm-2) 0.001519 0.00002192 0.0000193

Density (kg/m3) 6.6152 7.0297 7.4442

3.1.2.1 Determine the heat load

Q = ṁCp∆T (eqn. 3.1.1)

Q = quantity of heat energy (kW/s)

ṁ = fluid flowrate

Cp = Specific heat Capacity

∆T = Temperature Difference

Mass Flowrate, ṁ = (1,546,923 kg/batch)/ (72 hr/batch)

= 21,485.04 kg/hr

Qnormal = ṁCp∆T

= 21,485.04 kg/hr x 4.18 kJ/kg. 0C x (25-100) 0C

= -6,735,560.56 kJ/hr

Qcondensation = ṁCpcond (eqn. 3.1.2)

 = 21,485.04 kg/hr x 2260 kJ/kg

= 48,223,194 kJ/hr

Total heat load, Q

= -6735560.56 kJ/hr + 48556194.17 kJ/hr

= 41820633.6 kJ/hr

3.1.2.2 Calculation for overall Coefficient Uo assumption value

The value of overall coefficient for preliminary sizing of shell and tube must be assumed
to start the calculation. From Figure 1 in Appendix A, under the heater, the hot fluid is
condensation steam and the cold fluid is cooling water. The overall heat transfer coefficient is
between 4000 – 15000 W/m2 0C. Therefore, for the calculation, the overall heat transfer area is
assumed as 4000 W/m2 0C. (Sinnot, 1996)

Uo, ass = 4000 W/ m2.oC

3.1.2.3 Mean Temperature Difference

The flow arrangement of the fluid is counter current where hot and cold fluids enter at
opposite directions, flow in opposite direction and leave at opposite ends. The temperature’s
distribution between the fluids can been shown in figure below;

(𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜 )−(𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )

Tlm = (𝑇ℎ,𝑖 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜) (eqn.3.1.3)
𝑙𝑛
(𝑇ℎ,𝑜 −𝑇𝑐,𝑜 )

Where,

Tlm = Log mean temperature difference

Th,I = Hot fluid inlet temperature

Th,o = Hot fluid outlet temperature

Tc,I = Cold fluid inlet temperature

Tc,o = Cold fluid outlet temperature

(100−20)−(25−20)
Tlm = 100−20
𝑙𝑛
25−5

= 273.8 oC

In most shell and tube exchangers, the flow will be a mixture of co-current,
counter-current and cross flow. The usual practice in the design of shell and tube
exchangers is to estimate the “true temperature difference” from the logarithmic
mean temperature by applying a correction factor for the departure from true
counter-current flow.

The “true temperature difference” is given by:

Tm  FtTlm (eqn.3.1.4)

Where Tm = true temperature difference, the mean

temperature difference for use in the
design equation Q=UAΔTm

Ft = The Temperature Correction factor

The correction factor is a function of the shell and tube, fluid temperatures,
And the number of tube and shell passes. It is normally correlated as function
of two dimensionless temperature ratios:
𝑇1 −𝑇2
R = (eqn.3.1.4)
𝑡2 −𝑡1