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A 10-m- long counter current-flow heat exchanger is being used to heat a liquid

ID: 1532616 • Letter: A

Question

A 10-m- long counter current-flow heat exchanger is being used to heat a liquid food from 20 to 80 degree C. The heating medium is oil, which enters the heat exchanger at 150 degree C and exits at 60 degree C. The specific heat of the liquid food is 3.9 kJ/(kg K) The overall heat transfer coefficient based on the inside area is 1000 W/(m^2 K). The inner diameter of the inside pipe is 7 cm. Estimate the flow rate of the liquid food Determine the flow rate of the liquid food if the heat exchanger is operated in a concurrent-flow mode for the same conditions of temperatures at the inlet and exit from the heat exchanger.

Explanation / Answer


(a) Flow rate in countercurrent

Calculate Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD)

LMTD = (delta T1 - delta T2) / ln(delta T1/delta T2)

delta T1 = T Hot in - T Cold out

= 150.00 - 80.00

= 70.00

delta T2 = T Hot out - T Cold in

= 60.00 - 20.00

= 40.00

LMDT = 70 - 40/ In(70/40)

= 53.608 degree C

Calculate the heat transfer

Q = U*Ar*LMDT

= 1000*(pi*d*L)*53.608

= 1000*(pi*0.07*10)*53.608

= 117890.14 W = 1.178*10^5 W

Mass flow rate of the liquid food

Q = m*Cp*dT

= m*Cp*(Tco - Tci)

1.178*10^5 = m*3.9*1000*(80-20)

m = 0.5038 kg/s


(b) Flow rate in concurrent

Calculate Log Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD)

LMTD = (delta T1 - delta T2) / ln(delta T1/delta T2)

delta T1 = T Hot in - T Cold in

= 150.00 - 20.00

= 130.00

delta T2 = T Hot out - T Cold in

= 80.00 - 60.00

= 20.00

LMDT = 130 - 20/ In(130/20)

= 58.767 degree C

Calculate the heat transfer

Q = U*Ar*LMDT

= 1000*(pi*d*L)*58.767

= 1000*(pi*0.07*10)*58.767

= 129235.38 W = 1.292*10^5 W

Mass flow rate of the liquid food

Q = m*Cp*dT

= m*Cp*(Tco - Tci)

1.292*10^5 = m*3.9*1000*(80-20)

m = 0.5522 kg/s