Safety Hazards

Thermal Systems Laboratory Rooms 106 & 110

HAZARD: Rotating Equipment

Be aware of pinch points and possible entanglement

Personal Protective Equipment: Safety Goggles; Standing Shields,

Sturdy Shoes
No: Loose clothing; Neck Ties/Scarves; Jewelry (remove);
Long Hair (tie back)

HAZARD: Projectiles / Ejected Parts

Articles in motion may dislodge and become airborne

Personal Protective Equipment: Safety Goggles; Standing Shields

HAZARD: Heating - Burn

Be aware of hot surfaces

Personal Protective Equipment: Safety Goggles; High Temperature Gloves;

HAZARD: Electrical - Burn / Shock

Care with electrical connections, particularly with grounding and not
using frayed electrical cords, can reduce hazard. Use GFCI receptacles near
water.

HAZARD: High Pressure Air-Fluid / Gas Cylinders / Vacuum

Inspect system integrity before operating any pressure / vacuum equipment.
Gas cylinders must be secured at all times. Use appropriate equipment guards.

Personal Protective Equipment: Safety Goggles

HAZARD: Water / Slip Hazard

Clean any spills immediately.

HAZARD: Noise
Personal Protective Equipment: Use Rated Ear Plugs
 ME 406: Experiment 6

Performance Test of a Concentric Tube Heat Exchanger

I. Objective:
To evaluate the performance of a concentric tube heat exchanger in parallel
flow (cocurrent flow) and counter flow under variations of high temperature
and low temperature flow rates.

II. Background
A concentric tube heat exchanger is composed of a tube, through which one
fluid flows, located concentrically inside another tube. The other fluid flows
through the annular region between the two tubes. In this heat exchanger, the
hot fluid (water) flows through the inside tube and the cold fluid (water) flows
through the annular space.

For parallel flow, both hot and cold water enters the same end of the heat
exchanger.
Cold
Water
In Hot
Hot Water
Water Out
In
Cold
Water
Tci = cold water inlet Out
Temperature Thi
Tco = cold water outlet
Temperature ∆T1 Tho
Thi = hot water inlet
Temperature ∆T2
Tco
Tho = hot water outlet
Temperature Tci

∆T1 = Thi – Tci

∆T2 = Tho – Tco
 For counter flow, the hot water enters one end of the heat exchanger, the cold
water enters the opposite end.
Cold
Water
Out Hot
Water
Hot Out
Water
In

Cold
Water
In
Thi

∆T1 Tho

Tco ∆T2

Tci

Since the temperatures of the hot and cold water vary over the length of the
tubes, the temperature difference, ∆T = Th - Tc , is not constant over the
length. To account for the variation, a Log Mean Temperature Difference
(LMTD) is used.
∆T1 - ∆T2
LMTD =
ln(∆T1/∆T2)

The rate of heat transfer from the hot water to cold water is then given by;

Q = UA*LMTD Q = heat transfer rate (kJ/min)

U = overall heat transfer coefficient (kJ/min-m2-oC)
A = Hot water tube surface area (ft2)
UA = Q/LMTD

NOTE: It is possible that for counter flow, ∆T1 = ∆T2. In that case,
Q = UA*(Thi – Tco) or Q = UA*(Tho – T).
Applying the First Law of Thermodynamics,

to the hot water side, Qh = MhCh(Thi – Tho)

to the cold water side, Qc = McCc(Tco – Tci)

M = mass flow rate of water (kg/min)
C = specific heat of water (kJ/min-kg-oC)

With negligible losses to the surrounding air from the cold water, Qc = Qh

If the tube surface area is based on inside diameter, (Ai = πDiL),

then U = Ui.

If the tube surface area is based on outside tube diameter, (Ao = πDoL),

then U= Uo.

Using a 1 dimensional steady state analysis for cylindrical surfaces, the total
thermal resistance, Rt, is the sum of the hot water convection resistance (Rh), the
tube wall conduction resistance (Rw), and the cold water convection resistance
(Rc).

Rt = Rh + Rw + Rc Rh = 1/hhAi (hot water convection resistance)

Rw = ln(Do/Di)/2πkL (tube wall conduction resistance)

Rc = 1/hcAo (cold water convection resistance)

k = tube wall thermal conductivity
h = convection heat transfer coefficient

The convection heat transfer coefficients can be determined from empirical

relations for Nusselt Number (Nu) for flow through a tube, (hot water side), and
flow through an annulus, (cold water side).

The overall heat transfer coefficient is related to the total thermal resistance as,

UiAi = UoAo = 1/Rt

Heat exchanger effectiveness, ε, is defined as,

MhCh(Thi - Tho) McCc(Tco – Tci)

ε= =
MCmin(Thi – Tci) MCmin(Thi – Tci)

MCmin = minimum of either MhCh or McCc.

The number of transfer units (NTU) for a heat exchanger is defined as,

NTU = UA/MCmin
 The effectiveness of the heat exchanger is a function of heat exchanger NTU,
represented typically by the graph below.

C*
C* = MCmin/MCmax
ε

NTU
Empirical relations for the above are;

Parallel Flow Counter Flow

1 – exp[-NTU(1 + C*)] 1 – exp[-NTU(1 – C*)]

ε= ε=

1 + C* 1 – C*exp[-NTU(1 – C*)]

In the special case of C* = 1

Parallel Flow Counter Flow

ε = ½ [1 – exp(-2NTU)] ε = NTU/(1 + NTU)

III. Equipment

Armfield HT30X Heat Exchanger Apparatus

Hot Water Tube
Di = 0.0083 m
Do = 0.0095 m
L = 0.660 m
Stainless steel

Computer/Software
Armfield HT31 Tubular Heat Exchanger
Log in Username: student
Log in Password: meclab
IV. Procedure
1. Make sure the drain valves for the refrigeration apparatus and convection
apparatus are closed
2. Open drain valve for the heat exchanger apparatus
3. Check that the 3-way valve on the heat exchanger is in the cocurrent
(parallel flow) arrangement. If not, set the valve that way.
4. Turn on the computer, log in, and open the HT31 Tubular Heat
Exchanger.
5. Open exercise D – Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient.
6. Click through the, “Walk through presentation”, (procedure and questions
can be ignored).
7. Make sure the hot water reservoir is primed (full). If not, fill the reservoir
up to the overflow.
8. Turn on the power to the HT30X apparatus
9. Set the temperature controller on the HT30X to 60oC by pressing SET and
the up or down arrows.
10. Turn on the cooling water supply (main valve and heat exchanger
apparatus water valve).
11. Switch on the hot water toggle switch (from 0 to 1) on the HT30X.
12. On the computer “Results” screen, make sure the radio button for flow
orientation is set to the appropriate cocurrent (parallel flow) or counter-
flow orientation.
13. Adjust the hot water flow valve to 1 L/min.
14. Adjust the cold water flow valve to 3 L/min.
15. Allow the temperatures to stabilize (monitor on the computer Results
screen), then click on “Sample Now”.
16. Adjust the cold water flow valve to 2 L/min.
17. Allow the temperatures to stabilize (monitor on the computer Results
screen), then click on “Sample Now”.
18. Adjust the cold water flow valve to 1 L/min.
19. Allow the temperatures to stabilize (monitor on the computer Results
screen), then click on “Sample Now”.
20. Adjust the hot water flow valve to 2 L/min.
21. Repeat steps 14 to 19.
22. Adjust the hot water flow valve to 1 L/min.
23. Repeat steps 14 to 19.
24. Turn off the hot water toggle switch.
25. Turn off the cooling water flow valve.
26. Turn the 3-way valve to the counter-flow orientation, change the radio
button to counter-flow.
27. Repeat steps 10 to 25.
28. Turn off hot water toggle switch, HT30X power, cooling water main
supply valve and heat exchanger water supply valves.
29. The results in the “Results table” can be saved to a floppy disk or emailed.
V. Analysis
1. Calculate the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U) using measured
values. Compare these to the U’s calculated using the empirical
equations.
2. Determine the NTU and ε for each flow orientation and flow rate
combination.
3. Plot the ε versus NTU for each flow orientation.
4. Compare the ε calculated from measured values to those calculated from
empirical equations.