To design a shell and tube heat exchanger which cools 3,600 kg/h of a mixture

of 80% methane and 20 % ethane gas from 15 oC and 6.0 bar to 0 oC using
2,700 kg/h of a mixture of 85% methane and 15 % ethane gas at -15 oC and
6.5 bar. The allowable pressure drop is 30 kPa for the shell side and 50 kPa
for the tube side.

Q= mCp ΔT

For Hot Stream

QH=(0.8*(3600kg/h*1kg/3600s)*2.137680654kJ/kgK*15)+(0.2*(3600kg/h*1/3600s)*
1.622639903*15)
= 25.65217 kJ/s

QC= (0.85*(2700/3600)* 2.137680654*(Tout-258))+(0.15*(2700/3600)*1.622639903*(Tout-

258)
= 1.362771417*(Tout-258))+(0.182546989*(Tout-258))
= 1.362771417Tout-351.5950256+0.182546989Tout-47.09712316
= 1.545318406Tout -398.6921488

Now QH = QC

25.65217 = 1.545318406 Tout – 398.6921488

Tout = 274.5999253K
= 1.6oC
Physical Properties of All Streams

tout = 274.6K tin = 258 Tin = 288 Tout = 273

∆LMTD = (Tin -tout) - (Tout -tin)

ln [(Tin -tout)- (Tout -tin)]

=14.18496

Using Q = U*A*∆LMTD
To find A

A = Q/(U*∆LMTD)
= (25652.17 J/s)/(30W/m2K*14.18496K)
= 60.28 m2

Correction Factor:

R= 𝑇1 − 𝑇2⁄𝑡1 − 𝑡2 = 288 − 273⁄274.599 − 258 = 15/16.599 = 0.90366

S = 𝑡2 − 𝑡1⁄𝑇1 − 𝑡2 = 274.599 − 258⁄288 − 258 = 0.5533

Ft Calculated:
1
(1−𝑆)
(𝑅 2 +1)2 ∗(ln⁡((1−𝑅𝑆))
1 = 0.740091
2−𝑆∗(𝑅+1−(𝑅2 +1)2 )
(𝑅−1)∗ln⁡[ 1 ]
2−𝑆∗(𝑅+1+(𝑅2 +1)2 )

Since Correction Factor, Ft < 0.75, an economic heat exchanger will not be achieved. Given
this, a 2 shell and 4 tube side heat exchanger is used and the Ft is calculated.

Ft = 0.95 and > 0.75 therefore we use a two shell pass and four tube pass heat exchanger

LMTD = Ft * ∆LMTD
 = 0.95* 14.18496
= 13.47572

Now finding A, using

A = Q/(U*∆LMTD)
A = (25652.17 J/s)/(30W/m2K*13.47572)
= 63.45283 m^2

Choosing a Fixed Tube Sheet Design Heat Exchanger p.g 642

Finding Tube size and length

a) For 4.88m long 16mm OD tube

Area of tube = π*D*L

= π * 0.016m * (4.88-0.05)
= 0.2427

Therefore the number of tubes required = Heat transfer area/ tube area
= 63.45 / 0.2427
Nt = 262 tubes required

K1 and N1 are found using triangular pitch and two tube passes. P.g 649 table 12.4

K1= 0.175
n1= 2.285

Db = do (Nt/K1)1/n1
Db = 0.016 * (262/0.175)1/2.285
Db = 1.7769m

Shell bundle clearance from graph = 11.5mm

Therefore shell inside diameter = 0.4044 + 0.0115m

= 0.4159m

b) For 6.10m long 16mm OD tube

 Area of tube = π*D*L
= π * 0.016m * (6.10-0.05)
= 0.3041m2

Therefore the number of tubes required = Heat transfer area/ tube area
= 75.35 / 0.3041
Nt = 248 tubes required

K1 and N1 are found using triangular pitch and two tube passes. P.g 649 table 12.4
K1 = 0.249
N1 = 2.207

Db = do (Nt/K1)1/n1
Db = 0.016 * (248/0.249)1/2.207
Db = 0.3651m

Shell bundle clearance from graph = 12mm

Therefore shell inside diameter = 0.3651 + 0.012m

= 0.3771m

Therefore choose the 6.10m long 16mm OD tube size.

First trial calculating overall coefficient (U)

Total A = Nt * A(tubes)
= 248 * 0.3041
= 75.4168m2

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

Q = U*A*∆LMTD

U = Q/(A*∆LMTD)
= 25658.17/(75.4168*11.347968)
= 9.981 W/m2K

Tube Side Pressure Drop

pg 663 coulson and Richardson

Nu = CRe^0.8 Pr^0.33 (μ/μw)^0.14

Where:
Nusselt number= (hi*de)/kf
Reynolds number= (ρ*u*de)/ µ
Prandtls number= (Cp* µ)/kf

The change in viscosity of methane and ethane is very small so (μ/μw) is close to 1. Therefore
the Nusslet number correlation can be left out.

Therefore
Nu = CRe^0.8 Pr^0.33
and Nu =hidi/kf

From page 322 of Coulson and Richardson

kp = k1w1 + k2w2

k = μ (Cp + 10.4/m)

Process Stream:
Methane, kmethane= 0.026627*(2.1377+(10.4/16))
=0.074227
Ethane, kethane= 0.083119*(1.6226+(10.4/30)
= 0.163686
Service Stream:
Methane, kmethane= 0.027991*(2.1377+(10.4/16))
= 0.07803
Ethane, kethane= 0.089016*(1.6226+(10.4/30)
= 0.2486

Mass Fraction (M)

Methane: Mm = 0.7514
Ethane: Me= 1- 0.7514

kf= km*Mm+ke*Me
= 0.102211