Dr. Senthilmurugan S.

Department of Chemical Engineering IIT Guwahati - CL204 - Part 18

Heat Exchangers
Overall heat transfer coefficient

Content

5/12/16 | Slide 2

Temperature profile across HX

Over all heat transfer coefficient
Flat plat configuration
Tubular pipe configuration
Define with respect to heat transfer area
(inside/outside)

Temperature Profile Across Heat Exchangers

Counter Current

5/12/16 | Slide 3

Concurrent

Temperature Profile Across Heat Exchangers

1-2 exchanger

5/12/16 | Slide 4

2-4 exchanger

Temperature Profile Across Heat Exchangers

Cross Flow Exchangers

5/12/16 | Slide 5

Temperature Profile Across Heat Exchangers

Condenser
Super heated Vapour

5/12/16 | Slide 6

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Calculation of overall coefficients from individual coefficients.

The individual, or surface, heat-transfer coefficient h

dq dA
h
T Tw
Where,
dq/dA = local heat flux, based on the area in
contact with fluid
T = local average temperature of fluid
Tw = temperature of wall in contact with fluid

dq dA1
h1
Th Twh

Th Twh

dq
dA1h1

dq dA2
h2
Twc Tc

Twc Tc

dq
dA2 h2

k
dq dAw
hw w
xw Twh Twc
5/12/16 | Slide 7

xw
Twh Twc dq
dAw k w

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Calculation of overall coefficients from individual coefficients.

Th Twh Twh Twc Twc Tc Th Tc

xw
1
1
dq

dA
h
dA
k
dA
h
2 2
w w
1 1

1
xw
1
Th Tc dq

dA
h
dA
k
dA
h
2 2
w w
1 1

Flat plate Configuration HX

q

dq
0

q
5/12/16 | Slide 8

dA2 dA1 dAw

Th Tc

1 xw 1

h2 k w h1
A Th Tc

1 xw 1

h2 k w h1

dA
0

q UAToverall

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Flat plate Configuration HX
q UAToverall

1
U
1 x 1

h1 k h2

1 1 x 1

U h1 k h2
Incorporate the fouling Resistance

1 1
1 x 1
1

U h1 h f 1 k h2 h f 2
5/12/16 | Slide 9

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Tubular Configuration HX

Double-pipe heat exchanger

x
1
1
w

dA
h
dA
k
dA
h
2 2
w w
1 1

Th Tc dq

Assume that the heat-transfer rate is arbitrarily based

on the outside area

dq

dAo

Th Tc
1
xw
1
dAo

dA
h
dA
k
dA
h
o o
L w
i i

Th Tc
dq

dAo 1 dAo xw dAo

ho dAL k w dAi
dAo d o

dAi di
5/12/16 | Slide 10

do
di

hi

dAo d o

dAL d L

Double-pipe heat exchanger

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Tubular Configuration HX
Ao

Th Tc
o dq 1 d x d
o w o

ho d L k w di
q

hi

dA

Ao Th Tc
1 d o xw d o

ho d L k w d i

hi

q U o Ao Toverall

1
1 d o xw d o 1

U o ho d L k di hi
5/12/16 | Slide 11

do

dL

d o di
ln

do
d i

di

Double-pipe heat exchanger

Heat Transfer Coefficient

Tubular Configuration HX

Assume that the heat-transfer rate is arbitrarily based on

the outside area
A

i
Th Tc
o dq d 1 d x 1 0 dAi
i
i w

d o ho d L k w hi
Ai Th Tc
q
d di
dL o
di 1 di xw 1

do

ln

d i
d 0 ho d L k w hi

q U i Ai Toverall

1 di 1 di xw 1

U i d 0 ho d L kw hi
5/12/16 | Slide 12

do
di

Resistance form of overall coefficient.

The overall temperature drop is proportional to 1/U,
and the temperature drops in the two fluids and the
wall are proportional to the individual resistances

q
T

Ai 1 U i
To
Tw
Ti

di d0 1 ho di d L xw kw hi
where T = overall temperature drop
Ti = temperature drop through inside fluid
Tw= temperature drop through metal wall
To = temperature drop through outside fluid

5/12/16 | Slide 13

Fouling Resistance
How to account with over all Heat transfer coefficient

Heat-transfer surfaces do not remain clean. Scale, dirt, and other solid deposits form
on one or both sides of the tubes, provide additional resistances to heat flow, and
reduce the overall coefficient.
The effect of such deposits is taken into account by adding fouling resistance in over
all Heat transfer coefficient
Overall coefficients based on outside and inside areas, respectively

1
1
1 d o xw d o 1 d o 1

U o ho h fo d L k di hi di h fi
1 d i 1 d i 1 d i xw 1 1

U i d 0 ho d 0 h fo d L k w hi h f i
5/12/16 | Slide 14

Fouling Factor Estimation

Fouling factors must be obtained experimentally by determining the values of U for

both clean and dirty conditions in the heat exchanger. The fouling factor is thus
defined as

di 1
1
1
1
Rf

U f U clean d 0 h fo h f i

5/12/16 | Slide 15

Dynamic nature of Fouling Factor

Rate of fouling - dynamic models
dt f
dt

f tf

dt f
dt

f t f ,t

2
f

dt f

dt f
dt

k *exp b * t f a * t 2f c

k, a, b and c are fouling thickness parameters.

2
Z A
K

*exp t f K 3 T s
Tl

dt

- fouling rate coefficient,

Tf - fouling thickness value,
K1 and K2 fouling thickness parameters,
KT coefficient of fouling temperature
parameter, ZS- mass fraction of solids in the
mixture of one or more components,
Tl- temperature of the mixture of one or more
components in the cold chamber at heat
transfer surface,
A- Area of heat transfer,
- initial density of the mixture of the one or
more components.
5/12/16 | Slide 16

kg
m5
K 3 0.003 m

0.01

KT 273.15 K
A=100 m 2
Z s 0.01

1000

Kg
m3

Significance of surface area section

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

Although the choice of area to be used as the basis of an overall coefficient is

arbitrary, sometimes one particular area is more convenient than others. For
example
When hi >> ho and kw/xw >> ho then U=ho
When ho >> hi and kw/xw >> hi then U=hi
When
Fouling effects are negligible,
The ratios do/di and do/dL have so little significance that they can be disregarded,

1 1 xw 1

U ho k hi

5/12/16 | Slide 17

I.e. for large-diameter thin-walled tubes, flat plates or any other case where a
negligible error is caused by using area factor i.e. Ui and Uo are identical

Classification of Individual Heat-transfer Coefficients

Heat flow to or from fluids inside tubes, without phase change

Heat flow to or from fluids outside tubes, without phase change
Heat flow from condensing fluids
Heat flow to boiling liquids

5/12/16 | Slide 18

Numerical ranges of Heat transfer coefficient

With respect to applications

5/12/16 | Slide 19