Heat Exchanger Design
Heat exchangers play a critical role in transferring heat between fluids at varying temperatures without mixing them, and they are essential in various industries like power plants and HVAC systems. The chapter covers different classifications of heat exchangers based on flow configuration, construction, and heat transfer mechanisms. Key methods for analyzing and designing heat exchangers, such as the LMTD method and Effectiveness-NTU method, are described along with selection criteria such as thermal performance, pressure drop limits, and maintenance considerations.
Sections
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What we have learnt
- Heat exchangers transfer heat between fluids without mixing.
- Different types of heat exchangers include shell and tube, plate, and finned tube types.
- The effectiveness of heat exchangers is influenced by factors such as flow arrangement and capacity ratio.
Key Concepts
- -- Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD)
- The logarithmic mean difference used to calculate the heat transfer rate when fluid temperatures along the heat exchanger vary.
- -- Effectiveness
- A measure of a heat exchanger's performance, defined as the actual heat transfer rate divided by the maximum possible heat transfer.
- -- Number of Transfer Units (NTU)
- A parameter that measures the effectiveness of a heat exchanger based on its heat transfer area and the minimum heat capacity rate.
- -- Heat Transfer Coefficient (U)
- A coefficient that indicates the heat transfer capability of the heat exchanger material.
Additional Learning Materials
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