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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Heat exchangers are important, and used frequently in the process, heat and power, air-
conditioning and refrigeration, heat recovery, transportation and manufacturing industries. Such
equipment is also used in electronics cooling and for environmental issues like thermal pollution,
waste disposal and sustainable development. Various types of heat exchangers exist. The study
concerns plate heat exchangers (PHEs), which are one of the most common types in practice.
Plate heat exchangers are widely used in dairy, pharmaceutical and paper/pulp industry as well
as in HVAC applications. Flow of the substances to be heated and cooled takes place between
alternating metal sheets allowing heat transfer between the fluids. Gaskets are placed between
the plates to avoid mixing of the fluids. In the majority of the industrial applications, the plate
heat exchanger is the design of choice because of its many advantages. Among these are:

• Superior thermal performance; plate heat exchangers have heat transfer coefficients as
high as three to four times that of tubular types because of smaller hydraulic diameter.
The turbulent conditions are achieved at much lower Reynolds number hence higher heat
transfer coefficients.

• Compact design; the superior thermal performance of the plate heat exchanger and the
space efficient design of the plate arrangement results in a very compact piece of
equipment. Space requirements for the plate heat exchanger generally run 10% to 50%
that of a shell and tube unit for the same amount of heat transfer. In addition, tube
cleaning and replacing clearances are eliminated.

• Expandability and multiplex capability; the nature of the plate heat exchanger
construction permits expansion of the unit should heat transfer requirements increase
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after installation. In addition, two or more heat exchangers can be housed in a single
frame, thus reducing space requirements and capital costs.

• Ease of maintenance; the construction of the heat exchanger is such that, upon
disassembly, all heat transfer areas are available for inspection and cleaning. Disassembly
consists only of loosening a small number of tie bolts.

• Availability of a wide variety of corrosion resistant alloys; since the heat transfer area is
constructed of thin plates, stainless steel or other high alloy construction is significantly
less costly than for a shell and tube exchanger of similar material.

1.1 Need Statement


A number of analytical and experimental studies have been conducted to study the heat transfer
and fluid flow characteristics of tubular heat exchangers. However a very limited work is found
in open literature regarding the heat transfer through plate heat exchangers. Computerized design
software has been developed by the manufacturers of plate heat exchangers but not a lot of data
are available for research purposes about the design of these heat exchangers. Therefore, there is
an urgent need for comprehensive and systematic research in this field.

1.2 Project Scope


In this project, to investigate the heat transfer characteristics and thermal performance of plate
heat exchangers, a series of experimentation were performed. The test rig was used to conduct
single phase experiments in order to develop Nusselt number correlation for the plate heat
exchanger with a mixed plate configuration. The operating range of flow rates and fluid
temperatures correspond to a maximum Reynolds number (Re) of 4500 and Prandtl number (Pr)
in the range of 5.6 to 8. The project was divided into five different phases:

1. Literature review of Nusselt number correlations


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2. Writing the code for Modified Wilson Plot

3. Setting up the apparatus

4. Experimentation

5. Analysis of the result and conclusion

1.3 Some Important Definitions


1.3.1 Nusselt Number
Nusselt number is equal to the dimensionless temperature gradient at the surface, and it
essentially provides a measure of convective heat transfer.

(1)

The Nusselt number is to the thermal boundary layer what the friction coefficient is to velocity
boundary layer. Equation (1) implies that for a given geometry, the Nusselt number must be
some universal function of x*, Reynolds number and Prandtl number.

(2)

where:

= characteristic length (m)

= thermal conductivity of the fluid (W/m.K)

= convective heat transfer coefficient (W/m2.K)

Selection of the characteristic length should be in the direction of growth (or thickness) of the
boundary layer. Some examples of characteristic length are: the outer diameter of a cylinder in
(external) cross flow (perpendicular to the cylinder axis), the length of a vertical plate
undergoing natural convection, or the diameter of a sphere. For complex shapes, the length may
be defined as the volume of the fluid body divided by the surface area. The thermal conductivity
of the fluid is typically (but not always) evaluated at the film temperature, which for engineering
purposes may be calculated as the mean-average of the bulk fluid temperature and wall surface
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temperature. For relations defined as a local Nusselt number, one should take the characteristic
length to be the distance from the surface boundary to the local point of interest. However, to
obtain an average Nusselt number, one must integrate said relation over the entire characteristic
length.

1.3.2 Nusselt Number Correlation


Generally, for single phase heat transfer, Nu is represented by an empirical expression of the
form:

(3)
where C, m, and n are independent of the nature of fluid used. The last term in the expression
accounts for the variable viscosity effect.

1.3.3 Prandtl Number


The Prandtl number Pr is a dimensionless number approximating the ratio of momentum
diffusivity (kinematic viscosity) and thermal diffusivity.

(4)

where:

: dynamic viscosity, (Pa s)

: thermal conductivity of the fluid, (W/m.K)

: specific heat, (J/kg.K)

Note that whereas the Reynolds number is subscripted with a length scale variable, Prandtl
number contains no such length scale in its definition and is dependent only on the fluid and the
fluid state. As such, Prandtl number is often found in property tables alongside other properties
such as viscosity and thermal conductivity. This number essentially delineates a ratio which is
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the thickness of the momentum boundary layer to the thermal boundary layer. When Pr is small,
it means that the heat diffuses very quickly compared to the velocity (momentum). This means
that for liquid metals the thickness of the thermal boundary layer is much bigger than the
velocity boundary layer.

1.3.3 Reynolds Number


Reynolds number (Re) is a dimensionless number that gives a measure of the ratio of inertial
forces to viscous forces and consequently quantifies the relative importance of these two types of
forces for given flow conditions.

(5)

where:

is the mean fluid velocity, (m/s)

is a characteristic linear dimension, (m)

is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid, (Pa·s or N·s/m² or kg/m·s)

is the density of the fluid, (kg/m³)

Reynolds number can be defined for a number of different situations where a fluid is in relative
motion to a surface (the definition of the Reynolds number is not to be confused with the
Reynolds Equation or lubrication equation). These definitions generally include the fluid
properties of density and viscosity, plus a velocity and a characteristic length or characteristic
dimension. For flow in a pipe or a sphere moving in a fluid the internal diameter is generally
used today. Other shapes (such as rectangular pipes or non-spherical objects) have an equivalent
diameter defined.
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CHAPTER 2

MODIFIED WILSON PLOT

Modified Wilson Plot Technique is used to determine the value of multiplier and exponent of Reynolds
Number in the Nusselt Number Correlation.

The heat transfer coefficients for the cold and hot sides of plate heat exchanger are obtained by the
following equations respectively

(1)

(2)

The following basic relation (3) is algebraically manipulated in two different ways to obtain two
equations, which are subsequently used for obtaining the Modified Wilson Plot:

(3)

2.1 Linear Modification


Substituting equation (1) and (2) into the basic relation (3):
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(4)

The above equation (4) is a linear modification of the basic relation and it is of the form:

Where,

Slope:

Intercept:

An initial guess ‘p’ is used to obtain a plot between X1 and Y1 .This plot yields Cc and Ch

2.2 Logarithmic Modification


Given below is the logarithmic modification of (3):
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(5)

Eq. (5) is also of linear form

Slope:

Intercept:

A plot between X2 and Y2 provides the iterated value of p and Cc

2.3 Iterative Procedure


Steps for the iterative procedure are as follows:
• The value of Ch obtained from the linear plot (X1, Y1) coupled with the initial guess value of ‘p’ is
used to obtain a logarithmic plot (X2, Y2) as delineated by the logarithmically modified version
(5)

• The gradient of the logarithmic equation is the new value of ‘p’

• Reinsert ‘p’ obtained from the second plot (X2, Y2) into (4) to acquire yet another value of ‘p’ in
the second plot. The new value approaches closer and closer to the root (i.e. converges)

• Repeat this procedure until the difference between consecutive values of “p” tends to a value
smaller than the prescribed error
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CHAPTER 3

EXPERIMENTAL PARAMETERS AND APPARATUS

The literature review has established that the general form of the Nusselt number correlation for
plate type heat exchangers is in the form of power law and given by:

Where, C and m are constants which were evaluated by experimentation. The purpose of the
experimental setup is to provide a means to control certain dimensionless parameters which are
explained below.

3.1 Experimental Parameters


3.1.1 Reynolds Number:
In the case of the plate heat exchangers, the hydraulic diameter is very small, of the order of mm,
so the turbulent conditions are achieved quite early i.e., at a very low value of Reynolds number.
Simpson reported that the turbulent condition can be achieved at Reynolds numbers as low as
150 [8]. Reynolds number is a function of fluid flow rate. In the experimental setup, the
Reynolds number is varied by changing the fluid flow rate. Variable frequency drive (VFD)
along with bypass loops and valves were used to vary the flow rate of water. Fluid flow through
the heat exchanger was varied by the mutual adjustment of these valves and the settings on the
VFD, allowing the desired amount of fluid to flow through the heat exchanger.

3.1.2 Prandtl number


Prandtl number is defined as the ratio of the momentum boundary layer to the thermal boundary
layer in heat transfer problems. Mathematically, it is important to note that the Prandtl number is
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only a function of fluid properties. These fluid properties depend upon the nature of fluid and the
fluid temperature. In our experimental setup, the Prandtl number was varied by changing the
fluid temperature.

3.2 Experimental Apparatus

Fig.3.1: Photograph of the Experimental Setup

Fig. 3.2: Schematic of the Apparatus [1]


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A schematic of the experimental apparatus is shown in Fig.3.2. The central piece of equipment is
the plate heat exchanger. The setup consists of a hot fluid loop and a cold fluid loop. The hot
fluid loop consists of a hot fluid tank and a pump that is pumping hot fluid from the tank to the
heat exchanger. The hot fluid tank has the capacity of 150 US gallons and is equipped with 8
electric immersion heaters. One of the heaters is attached to a temperature controller and
magnetic contactor. When the desired temperature is reached in the hot fluid tank, the controller
sends a signal to the magnetic contactor which acts as a relay and disconnects the supply from
the heater. The cold fluid loop consists of a cold fluid tank and a pump that is pumping cold fluid
from the cold fluid tank to the heat exchanger. The cold fluid tank has the capacity of 35 US
gallons. Temperatures are measured at the inlet and exit of the plate heat exchangers for both the
hot and cold streams. Temperatures are measured at various locations using the Resistance
Temperature Device (RTDs). The fluid is cooled by a 2 TR Packaged Air Cooled Water Chiller.
R22 is used as the refrigerant for chilling the fluid in the chiller.

The desired temperatures of the cold and hot fluids were achieved and the fluids of both the
loops were pumped into the Plate heat exchanger where they exchanged heat. The hot fluid
flowed from top to bottom within a channel of the plate heat exchanger while the cold fluid
flowed from bottom to the top of the channel achieving counter-flow. Flow rate measurements
were taken by the conventional bucket and stop watch method. Reynolds number was varied by
changing the fluid flow rate through variable frequency drives and bypass valves. Prandtl
number was varied by changing the temperature of the fluid using chiller, heaters and
temperature controllers. Experiments were conducted at various temperatures and flow rates of
hot and cold fluids using plates of a fixed chevron angle, β = 45o. Such plate configuration was
achieved using a combination of 30o and 60o plates. The system was allowed to reach the steady
state before any reading was made.
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3.2.1 Equipment Details


The following table lists the equipment used in our experiment and their specifications:

Table 3.1: Details of the Equipment [7]


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3.3 Plate Heat Exchanger


In order to completely understand the plate heat exchanger, it is very important to understand the
plate geometry. Discussions of various parameters that define the plate geometry are provided
below.

Fig 3.3: Plate Geometry [4]


Different geometric parameters of plate heat exchangers are defined below

Chevron Angle
Usually termed β and varies between 22◦–65◦. This angle also defines the thermal hydraulic
softness (low thermal efficiency and pressure drop) and hardness (high thermal efficiency and
pressure drop).

Enlargement Factor
This factor φ is the ratio of the developed length to the protracted length.
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Mean Flow Channel Gap


This is defined as the actual gap available for the flow.
b=p–t

Channel Flow Area


This is the actual flow area defined as:
Ax = b*w

Channel Equivalent Diameter


Defined as:

Dh = 4Ax/P

where P = 2(b + φw) = 2φw.

Since b << w,

Therefore; Dh = 2b/φ

The plate specifications for the present study are shown below in Table 3.2:

Width w 185mm
Vertical distance b/w ports Lp 565 mm
Channel spacing b 2.2 mm
Effective Area A 0.095 m2
Surface enlargement factor φ 1.117
Chevron angle β 45o (π/4 radian)

Table 3.2: Plate specifications for experimentation


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CHAPTER 4

EXPERIMENTATION

4.1 Calibration of RTDs


Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs), are temperature sensors that exploit the predictable
change in electrical resistance of some materials with changing temperature. Our experimentation
required temperatures ranging from 12oC to 32oC. The RTDs used were PT100 A Class RTDs with
outer diameter of 6 mm. These RTDs provide stable output for long period of time with high
accuracy and are easy to recalibrate. A total of nine RTDs were calibrated relative to a reference
RTD. The selected reference was a brand new, factory calibrated RTD.
Plots for calibration of the RTDs with respect to the reference are shown below in Fig 4.1 and 4.2.

Fig 4.1: Calibration of RTDs


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Fig 4.2: Calibration of RTDs

Those RTDs which showed an error of ±0.2oC were selected and installed in the experimental setup.

4.2 Experimental Procedure


The variable speed water pump was switched on, in order to start hot water circulation. The cold
water circulation was then started by switching on the cold water pump. A chiller was used to
maintain the desired cold water temperature. The heating of hot water side was initiated by switching
on the desired number of submerged water heaters in the hot water tank. The tank was provided with
eight submerged heating elements; six of them were of 3 kW capacities each while two of them were
rated at 2 kW each. The number of heaters used was dependent on the heat flux required for a
specific experiment. One of the 2 kW heaters was connected to the hot water inlet RTD through an
on/off switch and a digital thermostat which was capable of controlling the temperature within
±0.1oC. The hot water inlet temperature, set using a thermostat, was pre-selected based on the desired
value of Prandtl number. The hot water flow rate was adjusted by varying the speed of the pump
through the power inverter. The cold water flow rate was adjusted to desired settings by the flow
control valve. The experiments were conducted in a matrix of varying Reynolds number at a fixed
Prandtl number. Five different Reynolds numbers were used for our Prandtl number setting.
Sufficient time was given to the system to achieve steady state condition. The flow rates,
temperatures at all inlets and exits of the plate heat exchanger and energy balance were monitored.
The goal of this experimentation was to determine the convection heat transfer coefficient.
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4.3 Range of Experimentation and Data


Experimentation for a range of Reynolds number from 500 to 4500 were carried out while
maintaining a constant Prandtl number of 7.5 ± 5% on the cold side.

For a fixed Reynolds number, five data points were recorded by varying the heat flux on the hot
side of the heat exchanger. Five such experiments were carried out for Reynolds number in the
given range. Heat flux was varied by controlling the hot inlet temperature (Th,i) from 20oC to
32oC.

Table 4.1 shows the experimental data:

Table 4.1: Experimental Data

T h,i T h,o T c,i T c,o mh mc


0 0 0 0
C C C C kg/s kg/s
31.73 25.20 12.04 21.10 0.086 0.059
31.00 25.90 12.30 21.40 0.105 0.060
27.50 23.59 12.56 19.99 0.100 0.056
23.84 21.09 12.53 17.78 0.106 0.059
20.99 18.90 13.50 16.79 0.092 0.060
30.42 23.31 15.19 19.06 0.091 0.164
25.28 20.63 14.82 17.86 0.100 0.156
22.55 20.05 16.60 18.20 0.100 0.156
20.85 19.15 16.64 17.76 0.100 0.156
29.33 23.15 17.02 19.39 0.104 0.266
27.81 22.17 16.39 18.65 0.104 0.266
25.14 20.10 14.92 16.92 0.104 0.266
24.07 19.53 14.76 16.55 0.104 0.266
22.33 18.39 14.10 15.69 0.104 0.266
29.75 22.58 16.37 18.34 0.100 0.370
26.66 20.84 15.70 17.30 0.104 0.370
25.10 19.85 15.13 16.63 0.104 0.370
23.30 19.26 15.64 16.77 0.104 0.370
21.44 18.79 16.41 17.16 0.104 0.370
28.24 21.92 16.91 18.21 0.104 0.485
26.32 20.43 15.67 16.97 0.104 0.485
24.89 19.74 15.54 16.65 0.104 0.485
23.01 19.74 16.96 17.66 0.104 0.485
22.05 19.34 17.02 17.62 0.104 0.485
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CHAPTER 5

ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

5.1 Analysis Technique


An analysis was performed for the given data using EXCEL and MATLAB code. Property tables
for water were incorporated into our MATLAB program for the ease of interpolation and
calculation of the fluid properties. The values of the measured flow rates and temperatures were
input to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the program, which provided the fluid properties.
Properties of the fluid on either side were evaluated at their respective mean fluid temperatures.

The program code was based on the Modified Wilson Plot Technique. Given the initial guess
value and experimental data, the program automatically performs iterations and generates plots
that can be used to find the value of ‘C’ and ‘m’ in the Nusselt number correlation.

Below is the screenshot of the MATLAB graphical user interface:

Fig 5.1: MATLAB GUI


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5.2 Results
The initial guess value ‘p’ and fluid properties are used to generate a plot between X1 and Y1.
The slope and intercept of the linear plot along with the guess value and fluid properties generate
the logarithmic plot. The slope of the logarithmic plot gives the value of ‘p’ to be used for the
next iteration. This procedure is repeated until the slope of the logarithmic plot converges.
The following table and figures show the results of our analysis:

Table 5.1: Experimental Data and Analysis

T h,i T h,o T c,i T c,o mh mc U


0 0 0 0
C C C C kg/s kg/s Re h Re c Pr h Pr c W/m2.K Nu h Nu c
31.73 25.20 12.04 21.10 0.086 0.059 1005 529 5.62 7.62 2082 44 29
31.00 25.90 12.30 21.40 0.105 0.060 1229 541 5.62 7.56 2053 52 29
27.50 23.59 12.56 19.99 0.100 0.056 1099 493 6.03 7.69 1881 49 27
23.84 21.09 12.53 17.78 0.106 0.059 1081 506 6.52 7.95 1768 49 28
20.99 18.90 13.50 16.79 0.092 0.060 882 516 6.97 7.95 1765 42 28
30.42 23.31 15.19 19.06 0.091 0.164 1030 1482 5.83 7.50 2948 45 70
25.28 20.63 14.82 17.86 0.100 0.156 1032 1379 6.44 7.67 3102 47 66
22.55 20.05 16.60 18.20 0.100 0.156 994 1416 6.72 7.45 2829 47 67
20.85 19.15 16.64 17.76 0.100 0.156 963 1410 6.96 7.49 2678 46 66
29.33 23.15 17.02 19.39 0.104 0.266 1159 2455 5.92 7.30 3583 51 108
27.81 22.17 16.39 18.65 0.104 0.266 1125 2417 6.12 7.43 3512 50 107
25.14 20.10 14.92 16.92 0.104 0.266 1067 2321 6.49 7.77 3502 49 105
24.07 19.53 14.76 16.55 0.104 0.266 1048 2305 6.63 7.83 3438 48 105
22.33 18.39 14.10 15.69 0.104 0.266 1011 2259 6.89 8.01 3353 48 103
29.75 22.58 16.37 18.34 0.100 0.370 1110 3353 5.94 7.46 3679 49 144
26.66 20.84 15.70 17.30 0.104 0.370 1094 3284 6.31 7.64 3780 49 142
25.10 19.85 15.13 16.63 0.104 0.370 1069 3229 6.52 7.78 3763 49 140
23.30 19.26 15.64 16.77 0.104 0.370 1034 3258 6.72 7.71 3748 48 141
21.44 18.79 16.41 17.16 0.104 0.370 1006 3310 6.94 7.57 3747 48 141
28.24 21.92 16.91 18.21 0.104 0.485 1127 4416 6.11 7.42 3995 50 182
26.32 20.43 15.67 16.97 0.104 0.485 1085 4283 6.37 7.68 3962 49 179
24.89 19.74 15.54 16.65 0.104 0.485 1060 4257 6.54 7.73 3930 49 179
23.01 19.74 16.96 17.66 0.104 0.485 1037 4391 6.70 7.47 3812 48 181
22.05 19.34 17.02 17.62 0.104 0.485 1020 4392 6.83 7.47 3802 48 181
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Fig 5.2: Linear Plot

Fig 5.3: Logarithmic Plot

After successive iterations, the gradient and intercept of the logarithmic plot give:

m = 0.881

Cc = Ch = 0.0566

Hence the Nusselt number correlation is found to be:

The abovementioned empirical correlation is valid for following range of experimentation:


500 < Re < 4500
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5.6 < Pr < 8.0


Chevron angle (β) = 45o, achieved using mixed plate configuration of 30o /60o

5.3 Comparison with Existing Literature

Fig 5.4: Nu Vs. Re, a comparison

We compared our correlation with those of other researchers which were applicable to our range
of experimentation. The results are comparable to those of Khan [1], Thonon [9], and Cooper
[10].
5.4 Investigating the effects of varying ‘n’
The following table demonstrates the effect of changing the exponent ‘n’ of the Prandtl number
on the multiplier ‘C’ and exponent ‘m’ in the Nusselt number correlation.
n C m
0.30 0.060 0.882
0.33 0.057 0.881
0.35 0.055 0.881
0.40 0.049 0.883

Table 5.2: Effect of ‘n’ on ‘C’ and ‘m’


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Fig 5.5: ‘C’ vs. ‘n’ plot

Fig 5.6: ‘m’ vs. ‘n’ plot

Changing the value of exponent ‘n’ has negligible effect on the Nusselt number correlation. The
correlation is a strong function of Reynolds number and a weak function of Prandtl number.
Hence, n = 1/3 is a reasonable choice.
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CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK

Experiments were performed to investigate the thermal performance of a commercial plate heat
exchanger by developing an empirical single phase heat transfer correlation. After
experimentation, it was found that the Nusselt number correlations for hot and cold side are the
same because the multipliers in the correlation (i.e. CC and CH) were equal. Although
experimentation was performed with a fixed cold side Prandtl number, the above result means
that our correlation is valid for an extended range of Prandtl numbers. The presented correlation
is valid for 500 < Re < 4500 and 5.6 < Pr < 8.0 and β=45o.

The Nusselt number correlation obtained was comparable to the correlations in existing literature
Khan [1], Thonon [9], Cooper [10].

Nusselt number was found to be a strong function of Reynolds number. In contrast, changing the
value of the Prandtl exponent ‘n’ in the correlation has negligible effect on the Nusselt number.
Hence, a value of 1/3 is used in accordance with earlier research.

Following are suggestions for further work in this area:

- Extending the range of Reynolds number to investigate any changes in the correlation
- Broadening the range of heat flux over which the experiments are performed
- Using a viscous working fluid like ethylene glycol, thereby extending the range of
Prandtl number
- Repeating the experiment to take into account the effects of varying plate configuration
and plate geometry
- Eliminating the unsteady effects of the chiller by using municipal water
- Developing pressure drop correlations
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BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] T.S. Khan, M.S. Khan, Ming-C. Chyu, Z.H. Ayub, Experimental investigation of single
phase convective heat transfer coefficient in a corrugated plate heat exchanger for multiple plate
configurations, Applied Thermal Engineering 30 (2010) 1058–1065.

[2] Jose Fernandez-Seara, Francisco J. Uhia, Jaime Sieres, Antonio Campo, A General Review
of the Wilson Plot Method and its Modifications to Determine Convection Coefficients in Heat
Exchange Devices, Applied Thermal Engineering 27 (2007) 2745–2757.

[3] Pettersen, J., Rieberer, R., Tollak, S., Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop for Flow of
Supercritical and Subcritical CO2 in Microchannel Tubes, February 2000.

[4] Ayub, Z.H., Plate Heat Exchanger Literature Survey and New Heat Transfer and Pressure
Drop Correlations for Refrigerant Evaporators, Heat Transfer Engineering, 24(5): pp. 3–16,
2003.

[5] Hayes, N., Jokar, A., Study of Carbon Dioxide Condensation in Chevron Plate Exchangers,
pp. 46-52, ASHRAE 1394-RP, 2009.

[6] Frank P. Incropera, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass transfer, 5th edition, John Wiley & Sons,
2001.

[7] Riaz, K.U., Ali, M.H., Javed, S., Design and Fabrication of an Experimental Setup to Develop
Nusselt Number Correlation for Single Phase Flow through Plate Heat Exchanger, Senior Design
Project, GIK Institute (2010).

[8] R. Simpson, and S. Almonacid, Plate Heat Exchanger, Encyclopedia of agricultural food and
biological engineering, 14 August 2003
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[9] B. Thonon, Design method for plate evaporators and condensers, in: 1st International
Conference on Process Intensification for the Chemical Industry, BHR Group Conference Series
Publication 18, 1995, pp. 37–47.

[10] Cooper, A., Recover More Heat with Plate Heat Exchangers, The Chemical Engineer, no.
285, pp. 280–285, 1974.
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APPENDIX A

MATLAB CODE
Given below is the MATLAB code for the program. To save space, only part of the code has
been written. Nevertheless, the reader is strongly recommended to run the CD included with this
report to gain access to the executable code and it’s GUI.

temp=[273.15 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 373.15];
rho=[1.00E+03 1.00E+03 1.00E+03 1.00E+03 9.99E+02 9.98E+02 9.97E+02 9.95E+02 9.93E+02 9.91E+02 9.89E+02
9.87E+02 9.84E+02 9.82E+02 9.79E+02 9.77E+02 9.74E+02 9.71E+02 9.67E+02 9.63E+02 9.61E+02 9.58E+02];
cp=[4217 4211 4198 4189 4184 4181 4179 4178 4178 4179 4180 4182 4184 4186 4188 4191 4195 4199 4203 4209 4214 4217];
muo=[1.75E-03 1.65E-03 1.42E-03 1.23E-03 1.08E-03 9.59E-04 8.55E-04 7.69E-04 6.95E-04 6.31E-04 5.77E-04 5.28E-04
4.89E-04 4.53E-04 4.20E-04 3.89E-04 3.65E-04 3.43E-04 3.24E-04 3.06E-04 2.89E-04 2.79E-04];
k=[5.69E-01 5.74E-01 5.82E-01 5.90E-01 5.98E-01 6.06E-01 6.13E-01 6.20E-01 6.28E-01 6.34E-01 6.40E-01 6.45E-01 6.50E-
01 6.56E-01 6.60E-01 6.68E-01 6.68E-01 6.71E-01 6.74E-01 6.77E-01 6.79E-01 6.80E-01];
b=0.0029;
w=0.185;
phi=1.117;
d_hyd=(2*b)/phi;
A=b*w;
A_h=0.095;

x=1;
handles.t_ho = handles.t_ho +273.15;
handles.t_hi = handles.t_hi +273.15;
handles.t_co = handles.t_co +273.15;
handles.t_ci = handles.t_ci +273.15;

t_avgh=(handles.t_ho+handles.t_hi)/2;
t_avgc=(handles.t_co+handles.t_ci)/2;
t_avgw=(handles.t_ho+handles.t_hi+handles.t_co+handles.t_ci)/4;
d=length(temp);
t=t_avgh;
for i=1:1:d
a=temp(1,i);
if(a<=t)
x=i;
27

end
end
t1=temp(1,x);
t2=temp(1,x+1);
c1=cp(1,x);
c2=cp(1,x+1);
muo1=muo(1,x);
muo2=muo(1,x+1);
k1=k(1,x);
k2=k(1,x+1);
rho1=rho(1,x);
rho2=rho(1,x+1);

rho_h = (( rho2 -rho1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + rho1;


cp_h = (( c2 - c1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + c1;
muo_h = (( muo2 - muo1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + muo1;
k_h = (( k2 - k1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + k1;

pr_h=(muo_h*cp_h)/k_h;

d=length(temp);
t=t_avgc;
for i=1:1:d
a=temp(1,i);
if(a<=t)
x=i;
end
end

t1=temp(1,x);
t2=temp(1,x+1);
c1=cp(1,x);
c2=cp(1,x+1);
muo1=muo(1,x);
muo2=muo(1,x+1);
k1=k(1,x);
k2=k(1,x+1);
rho1=rho(1,x);
rho2=rho(1,x+1);

cp_c = (( c2 - c1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + c1;
muo_c = (( muo2 - muo1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + muo1;
28

k_c = (( k2 - k1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + k1;
rho_c = (( rho2 -rho1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + rho1;

pr_c=(muo_c*cp_c)/k_c;

t=t_avgw;
for i=1:1:d
a=temp(1,i);
if(a<=t)
x=i;
end
end

t1=temp(1,x);
t2=temp(1,x+1);
muo1=muo(1,x);
muo2=muo(1,x+1);
muo_w= (( muo2 - muo1 ) * ( t - t1 ) / ( t2 - t1 )) + muo1;

%%%%%%%%%%%%%
dlt1=handles.t_hi-handles.t_ho;
dlt2=handles.t_co-handles.t_ci;
w1=handles.t_hi-handles.t_co;
w2=handles.t_ho-handles.t_ci;
w3=log(w1/w2);
w4=w1-w2;
LMTD=w4/w3;

m_h=handles.v_h*rho_h;
m_c=handles.v_c*rho_c;

Re_h=(rho_h*handles.v_h*d_hyd)/(muo_h*A);
Re_c=(rho_c*handles.v_c*d_hyd)/(muo_c*A);

muo_rh=muo_h/muo_w;
muo_rc=muo_c/muo_w;

q=m_h*cp_h*(handles.t_hi-handles.t_ho);
U=q/(A_h*LMTD);

load cfd.mat
d=[s.hint];
29

n=max(d);
X1=zeros(1,n);
Y1=zeros(1,n);
p=handles.p;
h=1;

while(h>=.0000001)

for t=1:n;

b=0.0029;
w=0.185;
phi=1.117;
d_hyd=(2*b)/phi;
A=b*w;
r_wall=0.0005/15.6;

e1=((1/U)-(r_wall));
e2=k_c/d_hyd;
e3=((rho_c*v_c*d_hyd)/(A*muo_c))^p;
e4=((cp_c*muo_c)/k_c)^.33333;
e5=(muo_rc)^0.14;

Y1(1,t)=e1*e2*e3*e4*e5;

f1=k_h/d_hyd;
f2=((d_hyd*rho_h*v_h)/(A*muo_h))^p;
f3=((cp_h*muo_h)/k_h)^.33333;
f4=(muo_rh)^0.14;

X1(1,t)=(e2*e3*e4*e5)/(f1*f2*f3*f4);

end
w1=(polyfit(X1,Y1,1));
p1=w1(1,1);
c1=w1(1,2);

load cfd.mat
d=[s.hint];
n=max(d);
X2=zeros(1,n);
Y2=zeros(1,n);
30

for t=1:n
b=0.0029;
phi=1.117;
d_hyd=(2*b)/phi;
r_wall=0.0005/15.6;

c_h = 1/p1;
c_c = 1/c1;

e1=((1/U)-(r_wall));
f1=k_h/d_hyd;
f2=k_c/d_hyd;

h_h=c_h*((Re_h)^p)*((pr_h)^.333)*((muo_rh)^.14)*f1;
h_c=c_c*((Re_c)^p)*((pr_c)^.333)*((muo_rc)^.14)*f2;

Y2(1,t)=log((e1-(1/(h_h)))*((pr_c)^.333)*f2*((muo_rc)^.14));
X2(1,t)=log(Re_c);
end
w = polyfit(X2,Y2,1);
p1 = abs(w(1,1));
h = abs(p1-p);
p = p1;
end

l=min(X1):0.001:max(X1);
l1=w1(1,1);
l2=w1(1,2);
set(handles.edit14,'string',p);
axes(handles.axes1)
plot(l,l1*l+l2)
xlabel('X1');
ylabel('Y1');

w = polyfit(X2,Y2,1);
d= min(X2):0.001:max(X2);
d1=w(1,1);
d2=w(1,2);
axes(handles.axes2)
plot(d,d1*d+d2)
xlabel('X2');
31

ylabel('Y2');
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

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