Problem 5.4.3

 

A shell and tube heat exchanger is used to cool a hot fluid entering at 500 degrees Fahrenheit with a cold fluid entering at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.  Length of the tubes is 16 feet and there are 413 tubes having 0.0625-foot diameter.  Hot fluid is entering the exchanger at mass flow rate of 200,000 pound per hour.  The cold fluid has a mass flow rate of 500,000 pounds per hour.  Specific heat data is provided as 0.5 BTU per pound per degree Fahrenheit for cold fluid, and 1.0 BTU per pound per degree Fahrenheit for hot fluid.  Heat transfer coefficient for the heat exchanger is given as 129.8 BTU per hour per square foot per degree Fahrenheit. 

 

With this information, find the outlet temperatures of the both cold and hot fluids.  How much heat is being transferred?

  

Solution: 

 

Let us calculate the parameters UA over wc and R.  Area of the tubes is equal to pi n do L equals 1297 square feet.  The parameter UA over wc is found to be 0.674 and the value of R, wc over (upper case WC) is 1.25.  The temperature efficiency, P, of the counter-flow exchangers can be read for these parameter values as 0.36.  We know that P is equal to the ratio of (t2 minus t1) and (upper case T1 minus t1).  This gives t2 equal to 223.52 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 

R is also given as a ratio of (upper case T1 minus upper case T2) and (t2 minus t1).  Now we can use the value of R to find T2 as 305.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  Finally, amount of heat transferred can be calculated as w c times (t2 minus t1).  This is found to be 3.89 times 107 BTUs per hour.