Example 4.

A tube and shell heat exchanger (two tube passes) is used to preheat clean
process water with wastewater discharge. Clean water flows at 17.5 GPM and is heated
from 70 F to 145 F; wastewater is cooled from 210 F to 154 F during the operation.
The total heat exchange area is 100 ft2.
a. Find the total heat transfer and the overall heat transfer coefficient.
b. When fouling occurs with a fouling coefficient 0.001, find the total heat
transfer and the outlet temperature of both streams.

Solution
Since all temperatures are
given, the LMTD method is
suggested. The given flow rate
for the cold water flow allows
calculation of the total heat
transfer. From that, the overall
heat transfer coefficient U will
be determined.

Hot In
THi = 210 F

Cold Out
TCo = 145 F
Cold In
TCi = 70 F

QC = m C p TC
m = V
Hot Out
THo = 154 F

For the cold water:

T =

TCi + TCo
2

70 + 145
2

= 112 F

From steam tables for saturated water at 112 F:

Cp
m C = V

61.9 lbm / ft3

0.99 Btu / lbm

lb
lb
ft
= 61.9 m 3 17.5 gal

= 144 m min
gal
min
7
.
5
ft

Solving for the total heat transfer Q for the cold water:
QC = m C p TC

= 144

lbm

(145 70 F ) = 10,700 Btu

0.99 Btu
min
lbm F
min

For the LMTD analysis

Q = U A F LMTD
or
Q
U=
A F LMTD
For a tube and shell heat exchanger with two tube passes with
R=

THi THo
TCo TCi

and

R=

210 154
145 70

= 0.75

P=

145 70
210 70

P=

TCo TCi
THi TCi

= 0.53

gives, for the tube and shell chart,

F = 0.87
By definition,
LMTD =

LMTD =

(T

H ,i

TC ,o ) (TH ,o TC ,i )

(T T )
ln H ,i C ,o
(TH ,o TC ,i )

(210 145) (154 70)

(210 145)
ln

(154 70 )

= 74.1 F

So
U=

(10,700 Btu min )(60 min hr )

(100 ft ) (0.87) (74.1 F )
2

= 99.6 Btu

hr ft 2 F

Part b. When fouling occurs with a fouling coefficient 0.001, find the total heat transfer
and the outlet temperature of both streams.
Fouling will reduce the value of U, which will decrease the total heat transfer. Hence, the
outlet temperatures of both streams will change, so only the inlet temperatures are
known. In that case, the - NTU method is suggested.

U fouled

=
+ R foul
U clean

=
+ 0.001
99.6

= 90.6 Btu

hr ft 2 F

The total heat transferred is predicted by the equation

Q = C min (THi TCi )

Cmin is the lesser of CC or CH. CC can be determined from the data in part a:
= 144

C C = m C p

lbm

= 143 Btu
0.99 Btu
min
lbm F
min F

CH must also be calculated. This can be done from the data in part a:
10,700 Btu
Q
min
CH =
=
(THi THo )
(210 154) F

= 191 Btu

min F

So Cmin is CC .
Next, the ratio CR is calculated:
CR =

C min
C max

143
= 0.75
191

By definition:

U A
NTU =
C min

2
90.6 Btu
100 ft
2
hr
ft
F

=
143 Btu

min
F

)
= 1.06

From the chart for one shell and two tube passes, the effectiveness can be read:
= 0.50

Now, the total heat transfer can be calculated:

(210 70 ) F
Q = C min (THi TCi ) = (0.5) 143 Btu
min F

= 10,000 Btu

min

So the fouling causes a drop in the total heat transfer from 10,700 to 10,000 Btu/min, or a
7 % drop in performance. The outlet temperature of each stream can now be calculated:

THo = THi

CH

TCo = TCi +

Q
CC

= 210 F

= 70 F +

10,000 Btu
191 Btu

= 158 F

min F

10,000 Btu
143 Btu

min

min

min F

= 140 F