The Design of a Domestic Water Heater (Geyser).

Thermal design
The Water heater is enclosed in a steel cylinder diameter D and height H.
The water flows through a copper tube of ID a1 and thickness t having n vertical runs.
The copper is considered to be thermally equipotential; negligible energy is needed to maintain
the copper at the raised temperature.
The parameters n, h, x, z are adjusted to achieve a mass flow rate M=1 kg/min
and a heat transfer rate of Q=3 kW which are the targets for the design.
Symbol Description Unit Min Max Value Comment
D Diameter of the Heater mm 200
H Height of the Heater mm 400
n Number of tube runs 9 Must be an odd integer
Ta Ambient Temperature o
C 10 Minimum value taken
Tw Water temperature o
C 50
h Tube height ratio 40% 80% 60% Ratio of tube height to total height
x Width ratio for tubes 20% 60% 40% Ratio of tube width to diameter
z Thickness to diameter 10% 30% 20% For the copper tube
g Density of water kg/m3 975 At the operating temperature
s Specific heat of water 0.99 kcal/kg/oC
g Constant m/sec2 9.81 Acceleration due to gravity
h Tube height 240 h=h*H
w Width for the tubes mm 80 w=x*D
a1 Tube inside diameter mm 2.2857 w=(3*n-2)*(2*z+1)*a1
t Thickness of tube mm 0.4571 t=z*a1
a2 Tube outside diameter mm 3.2 a2=(1+2*z)*a1
v Velocity of outlet water m/sec 4.6032 v=(n*g*h*10-3)1/2
1.1333 v=p*a1 *v*60*10 /4
2 -3
v Volume flow rate lit/min
M Mass flow rate kg/min 1.105 M=g*v/103
DT Temperature rise C
o
40 DT=Tw-Ta
Heat transfer rate kcal/min 43.757 M*s*DT
Q Heat transfer rate kW 3.0528 Q=M*s*DT*60/860
Electrical design
The heater is a Nichrome strip thickness th, width wh, spirally wound with N turns surrounding
the copper tubes.
The walls of the cylinder are polished and together with the copper tubes the heat energy is
multiple refected.
By suitably adjusting th, N, b, y, ks the delivered power is made more than needed power(Pe>Ph)
and the temperature on the strip kept below the maximum temperature (Th<Tmax).
V Single phase supply V 240 Nominal supply voltage
r Resistivity of Nichrome mWcm 110
Tmax Max strip temperature o
C 1100
K Stefan constant 0.8 1.0 0.9 For single element
e Emissivity 0.7 1.0 0.8
y Reflection coefficient 0.5 1.0 0.75 The outer wall reflects heat
b Ratio of heater dia/tube 1.1 1.5 1.25 b>1
th Thickness of strip mm 0.5 2.0 0.50 The strip must be rigid
ks Strip winding factor 1.1 1.3 1.2 The spacing between two turns
N Number of turns 60 Must be an integer
F Diameter of the Heater mm 100 F=b*w
wh Width of the strip mm 3.3333 wh=h/(ks*N)
Ah Crosssection of strip mm2 1.6667 Ah=wh*th
Lh Length of strip m 18.85 Lh=p*N*F/10
3

12.441 R=r*Lh*10 /Ah

-2
R Resistance W
Sh Surface area of strip m2 0.126 Sh=2*Lh*wh*10
-3

St Surface area of tube m2 0.0217 St=p*n*a2*h*10

-6

a Reflection factor 4 a=1/(1-y)

Ph Power needed kW 4.4167 Ph=(Sh/(a*St))*Q
Pe Power delivered kW 4.63 Pe=V /R check (Pe>Ph)
2

ps Surface loading kw/m2 36.8 ps=Pe/Sh

Th Strip temperature C
o
702.49 Th<Tmax
Tch Strip temperature cold o
C 701.3 There is slight variation
ps=5.72*K*e*[{(273+Th)/100} -{(273+Tw)/100}4]
4

ps=5.72*K*e*[{(273+Tch)/100}4-{(273+Ta)/100}4]
Calorific efficiency 65.9% Q/Pe
Pw Electrical Rating kW 5 Pw>Pe
The two elevations for Heater and Water tubes are shown below for N=24 and n=3.
The plan on XX has been shown above.