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Heat Transfer NTU Method

The Number of Transfer Units (NTU) method is used to calculate the effectiveness (ε) and rate of heat transfer in a heat exchanger when insufficient information is available to use the Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) method. The NTU method defines effectiveness as the ratio of actual to maximum possible heat transfer. Maximum heat transfer is based on the fluid with the lower heat capacity rate (Cmin) experiencing the largest possible temperature change. Effectiveness (ε) can be calculated from correlations that relate it to the heat capacity ratio (Cr) and number of transfer units (NTU), which depends on the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) and heat exchange area (A). Formulas are provided to calculate effectiveness for

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165 views1 page

Heat Transfer NTU Method

The Number of Transfer Units (NTU) method is used to calculate the effectiveness (ε) and rate of heat transfer in a heat exchanger when insufficient information is available to use the Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) method. The NTU method defines effectiveness as the ratio of actual to maximum possible heat transfer. Maximum heat transfer is based on the fluid with the lower heat capacity rate (Cmin) experiencing the largest possible temperature change. Effectiveness (ε) can be calculated from correlations that relate it to the heat capacity ratio (Cr) and number of transfer units (NTU), which depends on the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) and heat exchange area (A). Formulas are provided to calculate effectiveness for

Uploaded by

Didy RobotIncorporated
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© © All Rights Reserved
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NUMBER OF TRANSFER UNITS (NTU) METHOD

The Number of transfer units (NTU) method  Cmin 


is used to calculate the rate of heat transfer   f  NTU , 
 CMax 
in heat exchangers when there is insufficient
information to calculate the Log-mean For a given geometry,  can be calculated
temperature difference (LMTD). using correlations in terms of heat capacity
To define the effectiveness of a heat ratio.
exchanger, we need to find the maximum Cmin
possible heat transfer that can be Cr 
Cmax
hypothetically achieved in a counter-flow
heat exchanger. Therefore one fluid will and the number of transfer units, NTU
experience the maximum possible
UA
temperature difference. The method NTU  where U is the overall heat
proceeds by calculating the heat capacity Cmin
rates Ch and Cc for the hot and cold fluid transfer coefficient and A is the heat transfer
respectively and denoting the smaller one as area.
Cmin.
 The effectiveness of parallel flow
qmax  Cmin Th ,i  Tc ,i  heat exchanger is calculated with:
1  exp   NTU 1  Cr  
Where qmax is the maximum heat that could 
1  Cr
be transferred between fluids per unit time.  The effectiveness of counter-current
Cmin must be used as it is the fluid with the flow heat exchanger is calculated
lowest heat capacity rate that would, in this with:
hypothetical length exchanger, actually 1  exp   NTU 1  Cr  
undergo the maximum temperature change. 
1  Cr exp   NTU 1  Cr  
The effectiveness  is the ratio between the  For Cr =1
actual heat transfer rate and the maximum
NTU
possible heat transfer rate: 
1  NTU

q  For Cr =0 (Special case in which
qmax phase change is occurring in the heat
exchanger)
Effectiveness is dimensionless quantity
between 0 and 1. If we know  for a   1  exp   NTU 
particular heat exchanger, and we know the
inlet conditions of the two streams, we can
calculate the amount of heat being
transferred between the fluids by:
q   Cmin (Th ,i  TC ,i )

For any heat exchanger it can be shown that:

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