FORCED CONVECTION HEAT TRANSFER IN A DOUBLE PIPE HEAT EXCHANGER

Dr. J . Michael Doster

Department of Nuclear Engineering
Box 7909
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7909


Introduction

The convective heat transfer coefficient h
c
is defined according to Newton's Law of Cooling as

q h A T T
c s w
=

( )

where q is the surface heat transfer rate, T
w
the wall temperature, A
s
the surface area and T

the bulk fluid

temperature. The value of h
c
is governed by operating parameters (geometrical shape of the channel, mass flux,
pressure, etc.) as well as physical properties of the fluid (density, specific heat, viscosity, and thermal conductivity).
The complex nature of the conservation equations governing heat transfer and fluid flow make analytic solutions
possible in only very limited cases of little or no practical interest. This forces us to rely heavily on empirical
correlation's based upon experimental data. Utilizing experimental data effectively however, presents its own
special problems in terms of what variables to examine and how to meaningfully correlate the data. To alleviate
many of these problems, experimental data is often correlated in terms of dimensionless groups, the number and
nature of which are determined by dimensional analysis. In most reactor work, the flow is forced and turbulent.
Under these conditions, the convective heat transfer coefficient is usually formulated in terms of three
dimensionless groups as
Nu= C
n
Re Pr
. 08


where the dimensionless groups are defined as
Nu =Nusselt Number =
h D
k
c e

Re =Reynolds Number =

vD GD
e e
=
Pr =Prandtl Number =
C
k
p

and the constants C and n are in general functions of the flow conditions and geometry. A classic correlation for
convective heat transfer in conduit and annuli is the Dittus-Boelter correlation for which C =.023 and n =0.4 or 0.3
depending on whether the surface is being heated or cooled, respectively. This experiment will utilize the Hilton
Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger to investigate the influence of velocity (Reynolds Number) on the convective heat
transfer coefficient.

Theory

A double-pipe heat exchanger operating in con-current flow is illustrated below.


Position
Difference
Local Temperature
T
T
T
Temperature
5
Metal
3
1
T
1
T
5
T
3
T
T
2
6
T
4
T
6
T
4
T
2


It can be shown, that the heat transfer in this device can be described by the relationship

&
Q UA T
m
=

where U is the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient and for the double-pipe arrangement is given by

( ) UA
h A kL
R R
h A
i i
o i
o o
= + +

1 1
2
1
1

ln /

where the subscripts i and o refer to the inner and outer tube wall surfaces respectively. The temperature difference
T
m
in the total heat transfer rate is called the Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) and represents the
appropriate average temperature difference between the hot and cold fluids over the length of the heat exchanger.
For the double-pipe arrangement, the LMTD is given by

T
T T T T
T T
T T
m
=

( ) ( )
ln
1 5 2 6
1 5
2 6
.

This expression for the LMTD is valid for both con-current and counter-current flow. As the metal wall offers very
little resistance to heat transfer in this device, we can approximate the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient in terms of
just the convective heat transfer coefficients as

UA
h A h A
i i o o
+

1 1
1


and the wall temperature as essentially a constant radially as indicated in the above figure. We may then rewrite the
LMTD in terms of the inner and outer surface heat transfer coefficients as

& &
Q
h A
Q
h A
i
i i
i
o o
+

=
( ) ( )
ln
T T T T
T T
T T
1 5 2 6
1 5
2 6

=
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
ln
T T T T T T T T
T T
T T
1 3 3 5 2 4 4 6
1 5
2 6
+

or recognizing that
T T
T T
T T
T T
T T
T T
1 5
2 6
3 5
4 6
1 3
2 4

we can rewrite the LMTD in terms of those variables associated with the inner wall and outer wall heat transfer
rates as
& &
Q
h A
Q
h A
i
i i
i
o o
+

=
( ) ( )
ln
T T T T
T T
T T
1 3 2 4
1 3
2 4

+
( ) ( )
ln
T T T T
T T
T T
3 5 4 6
3 5
4 6

.

Since the first terms on the left and right hand side of the equations contain only variables associated with the heat
transfer rate to the inner wall surface and the second terms on the left and right hand sides contain only terms
associated with the heat transfer rate from the outer wall surface, we can equate these components to give

&
( ) ( )
ln
Q
h A
T T T T
T T
T T
i
i i
=

1 3 2 4
1 3
2 4


and
&
( ) ( )
ln
Q
h A
T T T T
T T
T T
o
o o
=

3 5 4 6
3 5
4 6


such that we may obtain the heat transfer coefficients directly from the measured temperatures and heat transfer
rates by
h
Q
A
T T T T
T T
T T
i
i
i
=

&
( ) ( )
ln
1 3 2 4
1 3
2 4

h
Q
A
T T T T
T T
T T
o
i
o
=

&
( ) ( )
ln
3 5 4 6
3 5
4 6
INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REYNOLDS NUMBER AND NUSSELT NUMBER
(Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient)

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

We wish to examine the relationship

Nu= C
a b
Re Pr

as a function of Reynolds number. Since the Prandtl Number is a function of temperature, it is necessary to obtain a
set of measurements from tests in which the mean hot water temperature

T
T T
=
+
1 2
2

is constant.

1) Connect the heat exchanger unit H950 for counter-current flow.

2) Fully open the "high flow" water control valve, switch on the main power switch, set the heater input to
maximum and raise the hot water temperature to about 70 C.

3) Adjust the cold water flow rate to bring the mean hot water temperature to about 70 C.

4) Allow the system to reach steady-state and record inner and outer tube temperatures and flow rates.

5) Reduce the hot water flow rate to about 90% of maximum and without changing the cold water flow rate use the
heater control to bring the mean hot water temperature back to its original value.

6) Allow conditions to stabilize and repeat the measurements.

7) Repeat this procedure for hot water flow rates of approximately 10 % increments of the initial value.

DATA ANALYSIS

The heat transfer rate from the hot side to the cold side of the heat exchanger is given by

&
& ( ) Q m C T T
i i p
=
1 2


and

&
& ( ) Q m C T T
o o p
=
5 6
.

Note,
&
Q
i
and
&
Q
o
should be equal except for heat losses from the system, measurement error, and failure of the
system to reach steady-state. In the remaining analysis,
&
Q
i
is preferred as it is independent of heat losses to the
environment. Given
T
T T T T
T T
T T
i
=

( ) ( )
ln
1 3 2 4
1 3
2 4


the convective heat transfer coefficient on the inner wall surface is given by
h
Q
A T
i
i
i i
=
&

The Nusselt Number and Reynolds Number may then be calculated directly as

Nu
h d
k
i i
i
=

Re=
Gd
i
i

For constant Prandtl Number, plot Nusselt Number versus Reynolds Number on a Log-Log scale. Perform a least
squares fit to the data to find the coefficient a in the expression

Nu= C
a b
Re Pr

and compare your results to those in the literature.

HEAT EXCHANGER DATA

Inner Tube Material Copper
External Diameter (d
o
) 9.5 mm
Internal Diameter (d
i
) 7.9 mm
Length 870 mm

Outer Tube Material Copper
External Diameter 12.7 mm
Internal Diameter 11.1 mm

COMPARISON OF CON-CURRENT AND COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW IN A HEAT EXCHANGER


EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1) Connect the heat exchanger unit H951 for counter-current flow.

2) Fully open the "high flow" water control valve, switch on the main power switch, set the heater input to
maximum and raise the hot water inlet temperature to about 90 C.

3) Adjust the cold water flow rate to bring the system to steady state. If the cold water supply is insufficient to
bring the system to steady state, then the heater input can be reduced.

4) Allow the system to reach steady-state and record hot and cold water inlet temperatures, outlet temperatures and
flow rates.

5) Without changing the system settings, switch the heat exchanger from counter flow to parallel flow. Adjust the
heater output to achieve the same hot water inlet temperature as in the counter-flow case. When the system has
reached steady state, record the temperatures and flows.

6) Repeat the experiment at hot water flow rates of 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% of maximum holding the hot water
inlet temperature constant.

7) Repeat the experiments by reducing hot water inlet temperatures in increments of 10 C.

DATA ANALYSIS

1) Calculate the heat transfer rates to and from the hot and cold fluids, and compare to those when operating in
parallel versus counter flow at the same inlet temperatures and flow rates.

2) Compute and compare the LMTD's for the two operating modes.