This document analyzes the performance of a shell and tube heat exchanger with co-current and countercurrent flow configurations. The study found that the countercurrent configuration had a higher efficiency of 78% compared to 42% for the co-current configuration. The highest efficiencies were obtained at an optimized hot fluid inlet temperature of 43.5°C and optimized flow rates.

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Comparison between flow configurations of Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
Ammarah Hasan, Amna Iqbal*, Asma Zaidy, Sidra Hafeez
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering, Semester – VI (Session – 2008)
Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, UET (KSK-Campus), Lahore - Pakistan
INTRODUCTION
METHODS AND MATERIALS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
RESULTS
REFERENCES
ABSTRACT
*CORRESPONDENT AUTHOR
Email:amnaiqbal46@yahoo.com
The objective of this study is to determine
the effectiveness of the flow
configurations. The study was done on 1-
1 shell and tube heat exchanger at
optimized temperature i.e. 43.5 oC.
Highest efficiency for co-current
configuration was obtained at 43.5o C with
inlet cold fluid flow rate i.e.1.21 kg/min
and hot fluid flow rate i.e. 2.5 kg/min. For
countercurrent configurations, highest
efficiency was obtained at 43.5 oC with
inlet hot fluid flow rate i.e. 2.25 kg/min and
cold fluid flow rate i.e. 1.49 kg/min.
Results obtained from experiment proved
that shell and tube heat exchanger
provides more efficiency in counter
current configuration.
Keywords: Optimized, Configuration,
Shell and Tube ,Co-current, Counter
Current, Efficiency.
In this study, the performance evaluation of shell and tube
heat exchanger for co-current and countercurrent
configurations are carried out on 1-1 shell and tube heat
exchanger of 20,000 mm2 area, having seven fixed
stainless steel tubes (do = 6.35 mm), polymeric material
(acrylic) shell and two transverse segmental baffles with
25% cut (Armfield, 2004).
Methodology to evaluate the performance of shell and tube
heat exchanger in co-current and countercurrent
configurations is developed as:
Connected the water supply in counter current
configuration. Allocated the cold fluid 1l/min to shell side
and hot fluid 2 l/min to tube side. By keeping these flow
rates constant, optimized hot fluid inlet temperature was
calculated. At this optimum temperature by keeping the flow
rates constant highest efficiency for countercurrent was
calculated. Repeated the same procedure for co-current
configuration (Armfield,2004).
In case of counter current, Efficiency is calculated as:
Co-current, Efficiency is calculated as:
The research work would not be possible without the
encouragement of Prof. Dr. Zafar Noon and Mr. Izzat Iqbal
Cheema. Ikram-ul-Haq and Nadeem Akhtar helped us by
providing related data in lab work.
Finally, we also thank our parents for providing us
every type of support and encouragement.
Heat exchangers are ubiquitous to energy conversion and
utilization. They involve heat exchange between two fluids
separated by a solid and encompass a wide range of flow
configurations.
Shell and tube heat exchanger provides large ratio of heat
transfer area to volume and weight (John,2004). Basic
nomenclature and classification scheme for shell and tube
heat exchanger provided by Tubular Exchanger
Manufacturers Association(TEMA). According to TEMA
standard nomenclature, first latter describe the head type at
the front end‟A’: the second letter, the shell type‟E’: and the
third letter, the head type at the rear end‟L’ of the exchanger
(Peters et al., 2003).This is widely used for liquid/liquid heat
transfer accounting for at least 60 percent of all heat
exchangers used in process industry and 95 percent in
petroleum industries (Peters et al., 2003).
The tubes are the basic component of shell and tube heat
exchanger, providing the heat transfer surface between one
fluid flowing inside and the other fluid flowing outside of the
tubes(John, 2004).Fluid is allocated on the basis of
corrosion, operating pressure, fouling, fluid temperature,
pressure drop, viscosity and stream flow
rates(Sinnott,2003).The operating ranges for shell and tube
heat exchanger are up to 30 Mpa and -200 to 600 oC
(Peters et al.,2003).Common applications includes:
space heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, natural gas
processing, power plants, petroleum refineries, chemical
plants(Shankar 2007).
John R.T., “Wolverine Tube Heat Transfer Data Book”, 2004.
Peters M. S., Timmerhaus K. D., West R. E. “Plant Design
and Economics for Chemical Engineers” Ed.5, McGraw-
Hill Publishers Inc.
Perry R.H., Green D.W.,“Perry„s Chemical Engineer„s
Handbook“ 7th Ed.1997.
Shankar R. S.,“Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers“July
16,2007.
Sinnott R.K, “Chemical Engineering Design” , Vol. 6, Ed. 4,
Butterworth Heinemann Publishers Inc.
http://www.discoverarmfield.co.uk/data/ht30xc/ht3237.php,
April 15,2011.
Results obtained from study were used to compare
effectiveness of shell and tube heat exchanger for
countercurrent and co-current configuration.
Below graphs depict relation of exchanger effectiveness verses
various parameters (i.e. hot fluid flow rate, cold fluid flow rate
and inlet temperature of hot fluid). With aid of these graphs,
optimized temperature of hot fluid at inlet for both configurations
is calculated i.e. 43.5 oC for this particular exchanger (Figure 1).
Comparison of co-current and countercurrent configurations at
optimized temperature gives optimized hot fluid mass flow
rates i.e. 2.5 kg/min and 2.25 kg/min respectively (Figure 2). At
this optimized hot fluid flow rate, optimized cold fluid flow rate is
evaluated for co-current and counter current configurations as
1.21kg/min and 1.49kg/min respectively (Figure 3).
Figure 2.Hot Fluid Flow Rate (kg/min) vs Efficiency(%) at Optimum Temperature
Figure 3.Cold Fluid Flow Rate (kg/min) vs Efficiency (%) at Optimum Temperature
Figure 1.Temperature (oC) vs Efficiency(%) at constant flow rate
The effectiveness of shell and tube heat exchangers
generally is between 0.4 and 0.8 depending on the
configuration (Peters et al., 2003). Experimental results
reveal that the efficiency of countercurrent configuration
is more than the co-current due to more contact area
between two fluids (Sinnott,2003). As the flow rates are
increased, efficiency is increased (Figure 2,3). At the input
end, there is a large temperature difference and lots of
heat transfer; at the output end, small temperature
difference, and little heat transfer. It shows that efficiency is
maximum at the input and after reaching at optimum point,
it shows decreasing trend (Perry’s et al.,1997).
Another factor that accounts for increasing efficiency is the
corrugation of the tube bundles that effects the overall
performance of the heat exchanger. The tube bundles fold
or wrinkle will increase liquid flow, thereby facilitating heat
transfer, resulting in a more efficient and accurate
performance from the heat exchanger.
Maximum efficiencies at optimum conditions for co-current
and countercurrent configurations are calculated i.e. 42%
and 78% respectively.
Symbol Description Units
Th1 Hot fluid inlet temperature oC
Th2 Hot fluid outlet temperature oC
Tc1 Cold fluid inlet temperature oC
Tc2 Cold fluid outlet temperature oC
Ƞh Efficiency of hot fluid %
Ƞc Efficiency of cold fluid %
mc Cold fluid flow rate kg/min
mh Hot fluid flow rate kg/min
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1.5 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.3 2.5 2.7 2.9
Efficiency,ηh(%)
Hot Fluid Flow Rate ‘mc’(kg/min)
Counter Current Configuration Co-Current Configuration
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
35 40 45 50 55 60
Efficiency,η(%)
Temperature,Th1(oC)
Co-Current Configuration Counter Current Configuration
DISCUSSION
NOMENCLATURE
)2(
11
12
ch
cc
c
TT
TT
)3(
12
12
ch
hh
TT
TT
h )4(
12
12
ch
cc
c
TT
TT
)1(
12
12
ch
hh
TT
TT
h
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1.06 1.16 1.26 1.36 1.46 1.56 1.66
Efficiency,Ƞc(%)
Cold Fluid Flow Rate ‘mc’(kg/min)
Co-Current Configuration Counter Current Configuration