Problem 5.4.7

Tank contents are being cooled by water circulating through an external heat exchanger.  What would be the temperature of the tank fluid after 5 hours, if the following data applies? 

 

Water:  Mass flow rate, w, is 10,000 pounds per hour.

Inlet temperature, t1, 85 degrees Fahrenheit

Specific heat, Lower case c, is 1.0 BTU per pound per degree Fahrenheit

 

Fluid: Mass, M, is 50,000 pounds

Batch circulation rate, W, is 25,000 pounds per hour

Initial temperature, T1, 250 degrees Fahrenheit

Specific heat, C, is 0.5 BTU per pound per degree Fahrenheit

 

External Heat-exchanger data:

Heat-transfer coefficient, U, 145 BTUs per pound per square foot per degree Fahrenheit

Heat-transfer surface, A, 100 square feet.

 

Solution: 

 

It is a very specific case where tank contents are being cooled by an external heat exchanger using non-isothermal medium.  Temperature of the fluid at any time, theta, is given in terms of y, where y is given as (K4 minus 1 over M) times (W times lower case w times lower case c over (K4 lower case w times lower case c – upper case W times uppercase C) times theta.

 

K4 is given as e to the power UA times  (1 over (upper case W times upper case C) – 1 over (lower case w times lower case c)).  Plugging in the values of U, A, lower case w, lower case c, upper case W, and upper case C, K4 is found to be 0.748.

 

For theta equal to 5 hours, y is calculated as 1.254.

 

Temperature of the tank contents after time, theta, is equal to lower case t1 plus (T1 - lower case t1) times exp (minus y).  This yields T2 as 132 degrees Fahrenheit.