ChE 462

Prof. C. Steiner
Heat exchanger analysis:

prepared Oct. 10, 2015

You have 3 equations, as follows (please fill in all the variable

definitions, with units!):
2 axial convection equations, with 4 unknowns in each (Q, mdot, Tout,
and Tin):
(1) Qemitted = - mdot,hot x Cphot x (Thot,out Thout,in) at
steady state
(2) Qabsorbed = mdot,cold x Cpcold x (Tcold,out Tcold,in) at
steady state
1 radial conduction equation, with 3 additional unknowns (Qwall, U,
and A)
(3) Qwall = U x A x Tlnmean (is this a steady state only
expression?)
for a total of (2 x 4) + 3 = 11 unknowns, 3 equations.
Note Equation 3 is actually one form of the solution to Fouriers law
integrated over the length of the unit, where Fouriers law for steady
state heat conduction is given by:
(4) Q(r, z) = - k x A x (T/r) , where means partial derivative
(make sure you know k and U are they are hardware factors
characteristic of the unit!).
So how can we use this system of equations to learn about the
performance of the unit, or to determine important hardware factors or
operating conditions of the unit to meet a desired goal?
1 Select a heat exchanger for study, and determine U x A for that
unit. To do this,
a - run the unit to steady state with known mdots and Tins and
measure Touts. Then solve equations 1 and 2 for Qe and Qa,
respectively. If they are equal, you can conclude that the system
is perfectly insulated, and Qe = Qa = Qwall = Q (note weve
just taken 3 variables and replaced them with 1). If they are not

equal, you will have to insulate the system and run it again until
you find conditions where Qe = Qa.
b Using this Q = Qwall and the known inlet and measured
outlet temps, solve equation 3 for U x A. (note weve just
taken 2 variables and replaced them with a constant)
***Were now down to 7 unknowns (Q, Tins, Touts, mdots), 3
equations. So we need 4 specifications to be able use this
information to solve for the remaining 3 variables.
Below are two examples of practical problems this analysis can be
used for:
Example 1 Say you want to use a particular heat exchanger (i.e.
known U x A) to process a given amount (mass/time) of hot fluid from a
known Tin to a required Tout, and you have available some cold fluid at
a known T. What mass flow rate do you need to use with the given
heat exchanger? (Given U x A, mdot,hot, Thot,in, Thot,out, and
Tcold,in). Steps:
i. Solve equation 1 for Q
ii. Solve equation 3 for Tcold,out
iii. Solve equation 2 for mdot,cold
Now, what options do you have if this flow rate is higher than what you
can supply? Well, if you run the cold water at a flow rate below the
calculated value, the resulting Q will be too low (per equation 2).
(Question Why does Qabsorbed go down as mdot,cold goes down?
The answer lies in the fact that as the cold water flow rate goes down,
its residence time in the unit goes up, allowing it to absorb more heat.
This means its average temperature inside the unit is higher, so the
temperature gradient across the wall, which is the driving force for
heat transfer between the two fluids, goes down.). So how can you
increase Q? How about increasing the area! You can do this, perhaps,
by using 2 units in series, or, if necessary, buying a different unit with a
higher characteristic U x A (which will have to be determined
experimentally).
Example 2 Say your inlet flow rates and inlet temperatures are all
fixed. What will the outlet temperatures be from a given heat
exchanger (known U x A)?
This one is a little harder to solve, but its still 3 equations, 3 unknowns
(Q, Thot,out, and Tcold,out):
i. Solve equation 1 for Thot,out in terms of Q
ii. Solve equation 2 for Tcold,out in terms of Q
iii. Plug these Touts into equation 3 and solve for Q

iv. Solve equations 1 and 2 for Thot,out and Tcold,out,

respectively
Now suppose the outlet temperatures are not suitable for your
purposes (for example, there are regulations that limit the maximum
temperature of water that can be returned to lakes and rivers)? You
may need a higher Q here again higher U x A (make sure you know
what U is, so you can suggest different ways of getting this!).
Summary There are hardware factors (U, A) and operating conditions
(mdots, Tins, and the fluid compositions (hence Cps)) that contribute
to the final (outlet) temps of the fluids processed in a heat exchanger.
If there are constraints (i.e. required values or limiting values) on some
of these, you must adjust some or all of the others to obtain the
desired outcome.