ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

ENERGY SAVINGS IN HEAT EXCHANGERS

Submitted by
Charukesh NRB - B110577CH
Chinta Manohar B110816CH
Manikrishna Chinta B110816CH

INTRODUCTION
Heat exchangers are devices used to transfer heat energy from one fluid to another. Typical
heat exchangers experienced by us in our daily lives include condensers and evaporators used
in air conditioning units and refrigerators. Boilers and condensers in thermal power plants are
examples of large industrial heat exchangers. There are heat exchangers in our automobiles in
the form of radiators and oil coolers. Heat exchangers are also abundant in chemical and
process industries. There is a wide variety of heat exchangers for diverse kinds of uses, hence
the construction also would differ widely. However, in spite of the variety, most heat
exchangers can be classified into some common types based on some fundamental design
concepts.
BASIC HEAT EXCHANGER FLOW ARRANGEMENTS
The basic flow arrangements are parallel and counter flow arrangements. In parallel flow
both the hot and cold streams enter the heat exchanger at the same end and travel to the
opposite end in parallel streams. Energy is transferred along the length from the hot to the
cold fluid so the outlet temperatures asymptotically approach each other. In a counter flow
arrangement, the two streams enter at opposite ends of the heat exchanger and flow in parallel
but opposite directions. Temperatures within the two streams tend to approach one another in
a nearly linearly fashion resulting in a much more uniform heating pattern. Parallel flow
results in rapid initial rates of heat exchange near the entrance, but heat transfer rates rapidly
decrease as the temperatures of the two streams approach one another. This leads to higher
exergy loss during heat exchange. Counter flow provides for relatively uniform temperature
differences and, consequently, lead toward relatively uniform heat rates throughout the length
of the unit.
LOG MEAN TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES
Heat flows between the hot and cold streams due to the temperature difference across the
tube acting as a driving force. The temperature difference will vary along the length of the
HX, and this must be taken into account in the analysis.

The effective temperature difference calculated from this equation is known as the log mean
temperature difference, frequently abbreviated as LMTD, based on the type of mathematical
average that it describes. Another interesting observation from the above Figure is that
counter flow is more appropriate for maximum energy recovery. Counter flow allows for a
greater degree of energy recovery.

APPLICATIONS FOR COUNTER AND PARALLEL FLOWS

Two advantages for counter flow are,
(a) larger effective LMTD
(b) greater potential energy recovery.
The advantage of the larger LMTD, as seen from the heat exchanger equation, is that a larger
LMTD permits a smaller heat exchanger area, Ao, for a given heat transfer, Q. This would
normally be expected to result in smaller, less expensive equipment for a given application.
Sometimes, however, parallel flows are desirable
(a) where the high initial heating rate may be used to advantage and
(b) where it is required the temperatures developed at the tube walls are moderate.
In heating very viscous fluids, parallel flow provides for rapid initial heating and consequent
decrease in fluid viscosity and reduction in pumping requirement. In applications where
moderation of tube wall temperatures is required, parallel flow results in cooler walls. This is
especially beneficial in cases where the tubes are sensitive to fouling effects which are
aggravated by high temperature.
HEAT EXCHANGER PERFORMANCE
The effectiveness of a heat exchanger installed in a process plant is governed by the
following four parameters:
1. The area available for heat transfer

2. The overall heat transfer coefficient

3. The difference in temperature between the hot and cold fluids.
4. Minimizing the pressure drop (pumping power).
Because plant engineers don't have much control over the area of an existing heat exchanger,
let's focus on the overall heat transfer coefficient and the temperature difference. In simplified
terms, heat exchanger effectiveness drops due to both fouling of the heat exchange surface
and falling approach temperature in the exchanger.
Exchanger fouling is the most common problem encountered that silently robs the efficiency
of a heat exchanger. Fouling not only reduces heat exchanger effectiveness but, in certain
cases, could lead to more valuable process streams being put into less valuable by-product
streams.
FOULING
Material deposits on the surfaces of the heat exchanger tubes may add more thermal
resistances to heat transfer. Such deposits, which are detrimental to the heat exchange
process, are known as fouling. Fouling can be caused by a variety of reasons and may
significantly affect heat exchanger performance. With the addition of fouling resistance, the
overall heat transfer coefficient, Uc, may be modified as
1/Ud =(1/Uc)+Rf
where Rf is the fouling resistance. Fouling can be caused by the following sources:
1) Scaling is the most common form of fouling and is associated with inverse solubility salts.
Examples of such salts are CaCO3, CaSO4, Ca3(PO4)2, CaSiO3, Ca(OH)2, Mg(OH)2,
MgSiO3, Na2SO4, LiSO4, and Li2CO3.
2) Corrosion fouling is caused by chemical reaction of some fluid constituents with the heat
exchanger tube material.
3) Chemical reaction fouling involves chemical reactions in the process stream which results
in deposition of material on the heat exchanger tubes. This commonly occurs in food
processing industries.
4) Freezing fouling is occurs when a portion of the hot stream is cooled to near the freezing
point for one of its components. This commonly occurs in refineries where paraffin
frequently solidifies from petroleum products at various stages in the refining process. ,
obstructing both flow and heat transfer.

5) Biological fouling is common where untreated water from natural resources such as rivers
and lakes is used as a coolant. Biological microorganisms such as algae or other microbes can
grow inside the heat exchanger and hinder heat transfer.
6) Particulate fouling results from the presence of microscale sized particles in solution.
When such particles accumulate on a heat exchanger surface they sometimes fuse and harden.
Like scale these deposits are difficult to remove.
The plant engineers must evaluate the frequency needed for exchanger tubes' cleaning to
maintain the fouling at low levels. Both on-line and off-line cleaning techniques are available
to minimize exchanger tube fouling.

MULTIPASS FLOW ARRANGEMENTS

In order to increase the surface area for convection relative to the fluid volume, it is common
to design for multiple tubes within a single heat exchanger. With multiple tubes it is possible
to arrange to flow so that one region will be in parallel and another portion in counter flow.
The primary reason for using multi pass designs is to increase the average tube side fluid
velocity in a given arrangement. In a two pass arrangement the fluid flows through only half
the tubes and any one point, so that the Reynolds number is effectively doubled. Increasing
the Reynoldss number results in increased turbulence, increased Nusselt numbers and,
finally, in increased convection coefficients. Even though the parallel portion of the flow
results in a T, the increase in overall heat transfer coefficient willlower effective frequently
compensate so that the overall heat exchanger size will be smaller for a specific service. The
improvement achievable with multi pass heat exchangers is substantialy large. Accordingly,
it is a more accepted practice in modern industries compared to conventional true parallel or
counter flow designs.
PLATE AND FRAME HEAT EXCHANGER
The plate heat exchanger (PHE) is a specialized design well suited to transferring heat
between medium- and low-pressure fluids. Welded, semi-welded and brazed heat exchangers
are used for heat exchange between high-pressure fluids or where a more compact product is
required. In place of a pipe passing through a chamber, there are instead two alternating
chambers, usually thin in depth, separated at their largest surface by a corrugated metal plate.
The plates used in a plate and frame heat exchanger are obtained by one piece pressing of
metal plates. Stainless steel is a commonly used metal for the plates because of its ability to
withstand high temperatures, its strength, and its corrosion resistance. The plates are often
spaced by rubber sealing gaskets which are cemented into a section around the edge of the

plates. The plates are pressed to form troughs at right angles to the direction of flow of the
liquid which runs through the channels in the heat exchanger. These troughs are arranged so
that they interlink with the other plates which forms the channel with gaps of 1.31.5 mm
between the plates.
The plates produce an extremely large surface area, which allows for the fastest possible
transfer. Making each chamber thin ensures that the majority of the volume of the liquid
contacts the plate, again aiding exchange. The troughs also create and maintain a turbulent
flow in the liquid to maximize heat transfer in the exchanger. A high degree of turbulence can
be obtained at low flow rates and high heat transfer coefficient can then be achieved.

A plate heat exchanger consists of a series of thin, corrugated plates which are mentioned
above. These plates are gasketed, welded or brazed together depending on the application of
the heat exchanger. The plates are compressed together in a rigid frame to form an
arrangement of parallel flow channels with alternating hot and cold fluids.

As compared to shell and tube heat exchangers, the temperature approach in a plate heat
exchangers may be as low as 1 C whereas shell and tube heat exchangers require an
approach of 5 C or more. For the same amount of heat exchanged, the size of the plate heat
exchanger is smaller, because of the large heat transfer area afforded by the plates (the large
area through which heat can travel). Increase and reduction of the heat transfer area is simple
in a plate heat-exchanger, through the addition or removal of plates from the stack.

SPIRAL HEAT EXCHANGER

A spiral heat exchanger may refer to a helical (coiled) tube configuration, more generally, the
term refers to a pair of flat surfaces that are coiled to form the two channels in a counter-flow
arrangement. The main advantage of the SHE is its highly efficient use of space. A compact
SHE may be used to have a smaller footprint and thus lower all-around capital costs, or an
over-sized SHE may be used to have less pressure drop, less pumping energy, higher thermal
efficiency, and lower energy costs.
SHEs are often used in the heating of fluids that contain solids and thus tend to foul the inside
of the heat exchanger. The low pressure drop lets the SHE handle fouling more easily. The
SHE uses a self cleaning mechanism, whereby fouled surfaces cause a localized increase in
fluid velocity, thus increasing the drag (or fluid friction) on the fouled surface, thus helping to
dislodge the blockage and keep the heat exchanger clean. "The internal walls that make up
the heat transfer surface are often rather thick, which makes the SHE very robust, and able to
last a long time in demanding environments. They are also easily cleaned, opening out like
an oven where any buildup of foulant can be removed by pressure washing

MINIMIZING PRESSURE DROP

The pressure drop in a heat exchanger can be decreased by

1. Increasing baffle spacing

2. Decreasing number of passes and number of tubes
3. Using a square pitch instead of a triangular pitch
But all these will finally effect the heat transfer, and the heat transfer is decreased. So
optimum considerations of these factors should be taken into account.

CONCLUSION
So,to optimize heat exchanger efficiency,
1. Changing from series to parallel exchanger operation. Piping modifications may allow
switching heat exchangers from series to parallel operation. This might help lower pressure
drop without compromising much of the heat exchangers' effectiveness.
2. Checking and correcting exchanger tube velocities. Periodically assess the tube velocities
of water-cooled exchangers with heat- and mass-balance calculations and adjust the flow to
stay above a minimum of 3 ft/sec.
3. Increasing air flow to air-cooled exchangers. During summer months, boosting the fan
speed in an air-cooled exchanger could compensate for the increase in air temperature.
4. Adding more heat exchanger surface. Installing more plates in plate-type heat exchangers
and replacing an existing ordinary tube bundle with a high-flux one in shell-and-tube
exchangers may help in some cases.
5. Replacing shell-and-tube exchangers with plate heat exchangers. When the approach
temperature is low, consider switching out a shell-and-tube exchanger for a plate unit. As
compared to shell and tube heat exchangers, the temperature approach in a plate heat
exchangers may be as low as 1 C whereas shell and tube heat exchangers require an
approach of 5 C or more.