Last Rev.

: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

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Grading Sheet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MIME 3470Thermal Science Laboratory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laboratory 14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Students Names / Section

POINTS

APPEARANCE, ORGANIZATION, ENGLISH/GRAMMAR

ORDERED DATA, CALCULATIONS & RESULTS
ORDERED DATA
CALCULATE HOT & COLD AVERAGED MEAN TEMPS, Tm
INTERPOLATED PHYSICAL DATA AT APPROPRIATE TEMPS
CALCULATE HOT AND COLD FLOW RATES, Cmax, Cmin, and Cr
CALCULATE TUBE-SIDE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT
CALCULATE AVERAGE FLOW AREA ON SHELL SIDE
CALCULATE SHELL-SIDE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT
INTERPOLATE C1 & m BOTH VERTICALLY & HORIZONTALLY
CALCULATE OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT
CALCULATE NTU
CALCULATE EFFECTIVENESS
CALCULATE OUTLET HOT WATER TEMPERATURE
CALCULATE OUTLET COLD WATER TEMPERATURE
CALCULATE PERCENTS ERROR
SUMMARY TABLE OF RESULTS

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

5
5
5
5

HOW GOOD IS THE NTU METHOD?

EXPLAIN SOURCES OF ERROR
CONCLUSIONS
ORIGINAL DATASHEET
TOTAL
COMMENTS

GRADER

100

SCORE

TOTAL

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

MIME 3470Thermal Science Laboratory

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Laboratory . 14

SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LAB PARTNERS: NAME

NAME
NAME
SECTION

EXPERIMENT TIME/DATE:

NAME
NAME
NAME
TIME, DATE

IMPORTANTWhen using the Heat Exchanger Performance

Test Bench, there are some important items to remember
for your safety and the safety of others.

they make many passes. This experiment employs a shell-and-tube

heat exchanger consisting of two tube passes and one shell pass.
THEORY: HEAT EXCHANGER ANALYSIS
Thermodynamics and the First Law dictate the overall energy
transfer in a heat exchanger. There are two widely used methods
of heat exchanger analysis, the NTU-Effectiveness method and the
Log-Mean-Temperature-Difference (LMTD) method. These are
briefly discussed below.
Log-Mean-Temperature-Difference (LMTD) Method
For a heat exchanger between two fluids with given inlet and outlet
temperatures, there are three equations for the rate of heat transfer, Q,
Q = Rate of heat transfer, W
c T1,i T1,o
= m
1 p

1.

Make sure the proper inlet and outlet valves are

open before the heat exchanger is operated. Failure to do
this will pressurize the system and rupture the heat
exchanger seams. As a rule of thumb, do not close any of
the outlet ball valves more than half way. In particular,
make sure the outlet valves that allow the water to go to
the drain are open prior to turning on water.
2.
For meaningful data, bleed taps will need to
be opened and closed to allow air to escape while the
experiment is going on. Outlet valves may be closed
SLIGHTLY to help keep the heat exchanger full.

OBJECTIVE of this experiment is to measure the two inlet temperatures and the mass flows through the shell and tubes, in order to predict
the two outlet temperatures using the NTU method and compare these
predicted values with actual measured outlet temperatures.
INTRODUCTIONMany engineering applications involve a
process of heat exchange between two fluids. Heat exchangers are
devices used to promote the heat transferred between two fluids; e.g.,
a car radiator and the condenser units on air conditioning systems.
Space heating, air conditioning, power production, and chemical
processing are typical areas of application.
There are many heat exchanger designs. The laboratory setup for
this experiment contains three heat exchanger types: a shell-and-tube
exchanger, a concentric tube exchanger, and a tube bank exchanger
in cross flow. This particular experiment employs the shell-and-tube
type heat exchanger (see Figure 1). A shell-and-tube heat exchanger
is constructed of tubes that are attached on each end by a plate, called
the tube sheet, through which the tubes pass. One fluid streams into
the inlet of the heat exchanger, flows through the tubes, and exits
through the tube sheet at the opposite end of the heat exchanger.

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c T2,i T2,o
m
2 p2
1

UA

T1,i T2,o T1,o T2,i

T1,i T2,o

ln

T1,o T2,i

Tlm

where, m
j = mass flow rate of fluid j, kg/s

cp

= specific heat of fluid j, J/(kgK)

T = temperature, C
i inlet
o outlet
U = overall heat transfer coefficient, W/(m2K)
A = area of surface across heat transfer occurs, m2
For known specific heats, U, A, and entering temperatures, the
three equations above can be solved for three unknownsT1,o, T2,o,
and Q by successive substitution of one of the equations for Q onto
another. It is a simple matter to use the log-mean-temperaturedifference method of heat exchanger analysis when the fluid inlet
temperatures are known and the outlet temperatures are specified or
readily determined from the energy balance expressions. The value
of Tlm for the exchanger may then be determined. However, if only
the inlet temperatures are known, use of the LMTD method requires
an iterative procedure. In such cases, it is preferable to use an
alternative approach, termed the NTU-Effectiveness method.
NTU-EFFECTIVENESS METHODOften, when working with a given
heat exchanger one must predict the outlet temperatures given the
inlet temperatures. As the dimensions of the exchanger are known, the
NTU-effectiveness method is a popular way to perform this task. This
is an easy method to calculate the overall heat transfer rate, Q. The
number of (heat) transfer units, NTU, is a dimensionless parameter
which precipitates form the heat exchanger analysis and is defined as:

Figure 1Schematic of shell-and-tube exchanger

A shell encloses the internal volume where the tubes are housed.
Another, fluid flows through the shell and heat is exchanged between
the tube-side fluid and the shell-side fluid. In a power plant, most heat
exchangers are of the shell-and-tube design. The number of passes
commonly presents a further description of a shell-and-tube heat
exchanger. A single pass means the fluid flows straight through the
entire heat exchanger without changing direction and so, in this
design, the fluid moves past the length of the heat exchanger only a
single time. In a two-pass heat exchanger the fluid in the tubes goes in
one end, flows to the other end, reverses direction then flows back to
the same end that the fluid entered through a second set of tubes.
Thus, the fluid travels the full length of the heat exchanger twice.
Similarly, multiple pass heat exchangers are so named because

NTU
where

UA
,
C min

U Overall heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)

A Area of heat transfer (m2)
C cp
CC = m

(1)

(2a)

Cold fluid heat capacity rate

H cp
CH = m
H
Hot fluid heat capacity rate
Cmin = min(CC, CH)
Smaller of the two heat capacity rates (W/K)

(2b)

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

Cmax = max(CC, CH)

Larger of the two heat capacity rates (W/K)
Note that NTU is a function of geometric and material properties,
and the mass flow rates. It does not include any fluid temperatures.
Using the calculated NTU, the effectiveness of the heat exchanger, ,
can be calculated from tables where the effectiveness formulae for
different heat exchanger arrangements can be found. In such tables,
another dimensionless term that precipitates from the analyses
appears. This is the heat capacity rate ratio, Cr = Cmin/Cmax. For a
shell-and-tube exchanger with one shell pass and some multiple of
two tube passes, the effectiveness is

1/ 2 1 e

2 1 C r 1 C r2

1 e NTU 1 C

NTU 1 C r2

1/ 2

2 1/ 2
r

Page 3

ture are noted. This is the steady-state conditionuse only the

associated flow rates and temperatures for calculations.
DETAILED COMPUTATIONAL PROCEDURE
The NTU method will be described using just one tube; but that
single tube could represent an entire tube bundle. The NTU method
calculation procedure for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger follows:
H and m
C (from
1. a. Determine cold and hot water flow rates, m
rotameter readings), and their specific heats, c p H and c p C
(look up values based on the average of the inlet and outlet
, are kg/s and those
tempe-ratures). The units of mass flow, m
of specific heat, cp, are J/(kgK). [NOTE: Some tables list
specific heat as kJ/(kgK)so always check units!!]
Hot water inlet thermometer

Qactual

Actual rate of heat transfer

Qmax Maximum possible rate of heat transfer that an

exchanger of infinite heat transfer area

would have if it had the same inlet temps, flow

rates, & specific heats as actual case

Cold water
inlet
thermometer

Cold water
outlet
thermometer

Heat Exchanger Effectivenessis defined as

Distance between Tube Sheets, 16-1/8

(inside face to inside face)
5 Baffles, 1.2 thick. Equally spaced to form 6
chamber. 23 tube penetrations per baffle.
30 Tubes, each 0.25 diameter
neglect wall thickness
Hot water
outlet
thermometer

Shell: 5 OD
4.5 ID

The maximum heat transfer occurs in the fluid with the least
capacity to absorb or give off heat. This is the fluid with the

The width of the

flow course
varies & thus
the average
velocity

C p = Cmin. If this fluid is the cold fluid,

minimum value of m
its temperature cannot rise above the hot-side, inlet temperature.
Alternately, if the fluid is the hot fluid, it cannot be cooled below
the cold-side, inlet temperature. Thus,

Q
actual
Qmax
m c p

Qactual
Thot ,in Tcold ,in

min

S = 0.475

As the actual heat transfer is the same for both fluidsone

gaining thermal energy and the other loosing an equal amount
the actual heat transfer rate is defined by both
cp
Qactual m
TC ,o TC ,i
and

c p TH ,i TH ,o .
Qactual m
H

These last two relations yield the outlet temperatures desired.

LABORATORY PROCEDURE
1. Verify the dimensions and features of Figure 2.
2. Generally, small flow rates will generate better results but may
take longer to reach steady state. Also, do not let the air that comes
out of entrainment accumulate in shell. Use bleed taps as needed.
3. For a hot water flow of about 15% of the maximum rotameter
reading and a cold water flow of about 30%, take inlet and outlet
temperatures of both flows until no further changes in tempera-

S = 0.548
T

S = 0.548
D

Figure 2 Experimental apparatus with dimensional data

b. Calculate a temperature specific energy flow known as the

heat capacity rate, C, for both the cold and hot flows

Ccold m cold c pcold The larger of these is Cmax

Chot m hot c phot and the smaller Cmin

c. Calculate the heat capacity rate ratio, Cr = Cmin/Cmax.

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

2. Calculate the heat transfer coefficients at the inside and outside

surfaces of the tubes, hinside and houtside. These are used to compute
the overall heat transfer coefficient, U. (See Figure 3)
houtside
hinside

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ST/D

1.25
SL/D
0.600
0.900
1.000
1.125
1.250
1.500
2.000
3.000

C1

0.518
0.451
0.404
0.310

1.5

0.556
0.568
0.572
0.592

C1

0.497

0.505
0.460
0.416
0.356

2.0
m

0.558

0.554
0.562
0.568
0.580

C1

0.446

0.478
0.519
0.452
0.482
0.440

3.0
m

0.571

0.565
0.556
0.568
0.556
0.562

C1
0.213
0.401

0.518
0.522
0.488
0.449
0.428

m
0.636
0.518

0.560
0.562
0.568
0.570
0.574

Table 1Constants of for airflow over a staggered tube bank

Figure 3Heat transfer coefficients at inside and outside tube surfaces

a. Flow Inside Tubes: Even though there are many tubes in the
bundle and there are parallel and counter flows in this two-pass
exchanger, the calculation may be performed by considering the
flow in just one of the tubes WITH THE CAVEAT THAT one must
account for the direction of the flow. That is, half of the tubes are
associated with parallel flow and half the tubes are associated
with counterflow. Thus, the mass flow in the equivalent tubes is

total tube - side

m

flow

ST

Vavg, T
A2
A1

N 2

inside 1 tube
m

where, N = total number of tubes.

From simple flow relations, it is known that the velocity
inside a single tube is

Vinside

inside
m
A

Nu D 3.66
where fluid properties are based on the mean (or bulk)
temperature across a cross section, Tm.
If the flow is fully developed, turbulent (Re 10,000),

n 0.4, Ts Tm
n 0.3, Ts Tm

Figure 4Staggered tube arrangement

Re D ,max Vmax D / is defined for the maximum

where, A = cross sectional area of one tube.

Given
this
velocity,
a
Reynolds
number
(
Re Vinside D ) can be computed to indicate whether
the inside flow is laminar or turbulent. This will most likely
be fully-developed, laminar flow. For such with constant
surface temperature, Ts, and Pr ~
0.6 :

NuD 0.023Re4D/ 5 Pr n

SD

SL

Tube-side fluid properties should be evaluated at the

average of the mean temperatures, Tm

Tm,i Tm,o
2

velocity occurring within the tube bank, Vmax, which occurs

at one of two locationseither in way of A1 or A2 (see
Figure 4). The maximum velocity will occur at A2 if

2 S D D S T D . The factor of 2 results from the

bifurcation experienced by the fluid moving form the A1 to

the
A2
planes.
In
this
case,

Vmax S T 2 S D D Vavg , otherwise it occurs at

ST

A1 and Vmax S T

Note: The average velocity of flow over the tube is not

constant as the shell is not wall-sided but circular. Thus,
one needs to use some average value of area. To use the
relations for staggered tube arrangements, a free-stream, shellside, fluid velocity must be determined. As the sides of the shell
are circular, this free-stream velocity varies. Thus, an average
free-stream velocity must be determined based on an average
width of the shell, wavg. This can be obtained from simple
integration as
r

r 1

r2 x2 2 dx

wavg

b. Shell Flow Outside of Tubes: For the staggered tube

arrangement of the experiment shown in Figure 4, use the
following expression for the average Nusselt number
1/ 3
Nu D 1.13C1 Re m
.
D ,max Pr

(3)

Use Table 1 to determine m and C1. Note in the report which

values of m and C1 were used. This relation applies when there
are more than 10 tubes in a bundle (NL 10), 2000 < ReD,max <
40,000 where ReD,max is defined below, and Pr 0.7. average
mean temperature of the fluid, Tm , as defined above.

D Vavg .

1dx

At this point, wavg is determined and an answer could be listed aswavg 1.571
Allternately, the expression above could be selected and then
choose SY MBOLICS: EVALUATE : SYMBOLICALLY
from the menu to yield

wavg
r
2

Multiplying this with the distance between baffles gives an

average cross-sectional area, Aavg, for the flow and the
average velocity, Vavg, can be determined from V =
AavgVavg.
3. a. Calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient, U

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

1
hinner

k tubes

houter

0
Assume tubes
are thin - walled
& very conductive
where, t = the tubing thickness
Then NTU is

This value
UAtube surface
NTU
should be
Cmin
dimensionless
Now, the heat exchanger effectiveness, , can be determined.
For one shell pass and two tube passes the effectiveness is

2 1 C r

1/ 2
1 C r2

1 e NTU 1 C

2 1/ 2

1 e NTU 1 C r

2 1/ 2
r

PHYSICAL PROPERTIESAs the liquid (water) is moving, it

must be under a slight pressure. This experiment is interested in the
properties of liquid water density and specific heat which are both
functions of temperature and pressure. However, at low pressures,
one may assume that density and internal energy are approximately
equal to their saturated liquid values at the same temperature; i.e.,
(T, p) f(T) and u(T, p) uf(T). Thus, density can be defined.
Enthalpy is, h(T, p) hf(T) + [p psat(T)]/f(T). At a room temperature
of, say, 70F (~21C), psat = 0.02487bar. Compared to atmospheric
pressure of 1.01325bar, this is small and negligible. Thus,
h(T, p) hf(T) + p/f(T). At the temperature assumed, the density of
water is 998kg/m3. At small pressures, say 2atm = 2.02bar,
p/f(T) = 0.202 kJ/kg while hf(T) = 88.14 kJ/kg. Thus, a fair approximation of enthalpy is h(T, p) hf(T). Finally, the definition of specific
heat is h = c(T) T; thus, C (T, p) C f(T).

Page 5

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

FOR THE REPORT

1. Be sure to clearly state/show the calculations along with any
assumptions made on the Mathcad worksheet in the order
appearing on the grading sheet. Of course, you may have other
intermediate calculations.

Page 6

2. Indicate sources of error in equations as they apply to the shelland-tube heat exchanger in the lab, as well as sources of error in
the measurements.
3. Discuss how good is the NTU method.

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

Page 7

ORDERED DATA, CALCULATIONS, and RESULTS The object below is reduced to 70% of full size.
MAT HCAD OBJECT--DOUBLE CLICK TO OPEN
DATA

Look Up (& Interpolate) Physical Properties For The 2 Mean Temperatures C alculated At The Right

1a. Determine Flow Rates Of Hot And Cold Fluids

1b. C alculate Heat Capacity Rates, The MAX & MIN Heat Capacity Rates,
& The Heat Capacity Rate Ratio

2a. Calculate Heat Transfer Coefficient For Tube Side

2b. C alculate Heat Transfer Coefficient For Shell Side

3a. Calculate Heat Exchanger Effectiveness

3b. C alculate Outlet Temperatures

The Measured Outlet Temperatures Were

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Discuss how good is the NTU method.
Indicate sources of error in equations as they apply to the shelland-tube heat exchanger in the lab, as well as sources of error in
the measurements

CONCLUSIONS

Page 8

Last Rev.: 11 JUN 08

SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER : MIME 3470

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APPENDICES
APPENDIX ADATA SHEET FOR SHELL-AND-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER LAB
Time/Date:

___________________________

Lab Partners:

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

Verify supplied dimensions given in Figure 2. Is anything else needed?

Is the hot flow on the tube side or shell side? ______________
Rotameter max flow rate: ________________

Run

Cold
Volumetric
Flow Rate,
V

Hot
Volumetric
Flow Rate,
V

Hot Outlet
Temperature,
T H ,o

Hot Inlet
Temperature,
T H ,i

Cold Outlet
Temperature,
TC ,o

Cold Inlet
Temperature,
TC ,i

( % of max

( % of max

(C)

(C)

(C)

(C)

rotameter rating)

rotameter rating)

1
2
3
4
5
APPENDIX BPHYSICAL PROPERTIES TABLE