Designing heat exchanger using EDTR method and python as a computational tool
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Mitansh Waghmare
,
Amit Kumar Thakur
,
George D. Verros
und
Raj Kumar Arya
Abstract
This research paper delves into designing heat exchangers using a user-friendly and robust GUI-based program developed using Python as a computational tool. In addition, various design methods such as LMTD and EDTR have been used, including the Kern and Bell-Delaware methods. The results showed that the EDTR method is a promising alternative design tool compared to traditional ones. This comparative analysis highlights the accuracy, efficiency, and potential advantages of the EDTR method in contrast to the LMTD approach. Complex, iterative, and time-intensive manual calculation challenges were mitigated using Python programming. This computational approach significantly streamlined the calculation process and reduced the required time and effort, ensuring precise and reliable results. The study demonstrated the potential of the EDTR method as an efficient and accurate alternative to the traditional LMTD approach.
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: Not applicable.
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Conflict of interest: Not applicable.
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Research funding: Not applicable.
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Data availability: May be provided upon request. However, all are presented in graphical way and tables.
Nomenclature
- a, a1, a2, a3, a4
-
Constants used in calculation of j H (No Unit)
- f a
-
Friction factor in annulus side fluid (No Unit)
- a a
-
Flow area of annulus side fluid (m2)
- f p
-
Friction factor in pipe side fluid (No Unit)
- a p
-
Flow area of pipe side fluid (m2)
- f t
-
Friction factor in tube side fluid (No Unit)
- a s
-
Flow area of shell side fluid (m2)
- f s
-
Friction factor in shell side fluid (No Unit)
- a t
-
Flow area of tube side fluid (m2)
- F
-
Correction Factor used in ΔTLM (No Unit)
- A i
-
area of inside of Tube/Shell (m2)
- F M,2M
-
Correction Factor used in ΔTLM in M shell pass and 2 M tube passes (No Unit)
- A o
-
Area of outside of Tube/Shell (m2)
- F bp
-
fraction of cross-flow area available for bypass flow (No Unit)
- A
-
Heat Transfer Surface Area (m2)
- F tc
-
fraction of total tubes in one cross-flow (No Unit)
- A LM
-
Logarithmic Mean of Surface area (m2)
- G a
-
Mass velocity of Annulus fluid (kg/m2s)
- b,b1,b2,b3,b4
-
Constants used in calculation of fs (No Unit)
- G p
-
Mass velocity of Pipe fluid (kg/m2s)
- B
-
Constant used in calculation of Thx and Tcx (N/K)
- Gs
-
Mass velocity of Shell fluid (kg/m2s)
- B ’
-
Constant used in calculation of Thx and Tcx (N/K)
- G t
-
Mass velocity of Tube fluid (kg/m2s)
- CL
-
Tube clearance (m)
- g
-
Acceleration due to gravity (m2/s)
- C
-
Constant used in calculation of FN,2N (No Unit)
- h i
-
Inside Heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)
- C ph
-
Specific Heat Capacity of hot fluid at average temperature (J/kg K)
- h o
-
Outside Heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)
- C pc
-
Specific Heat Capacity of cold fluid at average temperature (J/kg K)
- h id
-
Heat transfer coefficient for an ideal tube bank (W/m2K)
- C pa
-
Specific Heat Capacity of annulus side fluid at average temperature (J/kg K)
- j H
-
Colburn j factor (No Unit)
- C pp
-
Specific Heat Capacity of pipe side fluid at average temperature (J/kg K)
- J c
-
Correction factor for baffle configuration effects (No Unit)
- C ps
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Specific Heat Capacity of shell side fluid at average temperature (J/kg K)
- J l
-
Correction factor for tube to hole leakage area (No Unit)
- C pt
-
Specific Heat Capacity of tube side fluid at average temperature (J/kg K)
- J b
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Correction factor for bundle bypass effects (No Unit)
- C p
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Specific Heat Capacity (J/kg K)
- J r
-
Correction factor for adverse temperature gradient build up at low Reynolds Number (No Unit)
- C bh
-
Constant used in calculation of J b (No Unit)
- J rr
-
Constant used in calculation of J r (No Unit)
- C bp
-
Constant used in calculation of R b (No Unit)
- J s
-
Correction factor for unequal baffle spacing at inlet and outlet (No Unit)
- C*
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Smaller to larger heat capacity rate for the two fluid streams (No Unit)
- k a
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Thermal conductivity of Annulus side fluid at average temperature (W/mK)
- D
-
Inside diameter of tube/pipe (m)
- k p
-
Thermal conductivity of pipe side fluid at average temperature (W/mK)
- D1
-
Outside diameter of Pippipe)
- k s
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Thermal conductivity of shell side fluid at average temperature (W/mK)
- D o
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Outside diameter of tube (m)
- k t
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Thermal conductivity of tube side fluid at average temperature (W/mK)
- D 2
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Inside diameter of annulus (m)
- k w
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Thermal conductivity of Tube wall (W/mK)
- D s
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Inside diameter of Shell (m)
- k 1
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Constant used in calculation of dotl (No Unit)
- D e ’
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Equivalent Diameter used in Pressure Drop Calculations (m)
- L
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Length of one hairpin/Length of shell and tube heat exchanger (m)
- d otl
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Bundle Diameter/Outer Tube Limit (m)
- l b
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Baffle spacing (m)
- d w
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Equivalent hydraulic diameter of a segmental baffle window (m)
- l bin
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baffle spacing at inlet (m)
- D e
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Equivalent Diameter used in Heat Transfer Calculations (m)
- l bout
-
Baffle spacing at outlet (m)
- ΔF p
-
Pressure drop head in Pippipe) lc = baffle cut in metres (m)
- ΔF i
-
Pressure drop head due to entrance loss (m)
- l * in
-
Constant used in calculation of J s (No Unit)
- l * out
-
Constant used in calculation of J s (No Unit)
- ΔF a
-
Pressure drop head in annulus (m)
- L bb
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Shell diameter to bundle bypass clearance (m)
- m h
-
Mass flow rate of hot fluid (kg/s)
- L tb
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Tube outside diameter to baffle hole clearance (m)
- m c
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Mass flow rate of cold fluid (kg/s)
- L sb
-
Shell to Baffle clearance (m)
- m a
-
Mass flow rate of annulus side fluid (kg/s)
- ΔP a
-
Annulus side pressure drop (Pa)
- m p
-
Mass flow rate of pipe side fluid (kg/s)
- ΔP p
-
Pipe side pressure drop (Pa)
- m s
-
Mass flow rate of shell side fluid (kg/s)
- ΔP s
-
Shell side pressure drop (Pa)
- m t
-
Mass flow rate of tube side fluid (kg/s)
- ΔP t
-
tube side pressure drop (Pa)
- m
-
Mass flow rate (kg/s)
- ΔP T
-
Total tube side pressure drop (Pa)
- M
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number of shell passes (No Unit)
- ΔP r
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Pressure drop due to change in direction/Return Loss (Pa)
- N c
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number of effective tube rows in cross flow between baffle tips (No Unit)
- ΔP id
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Ideal tube bank pressure drop for one cross-flow path (Pa)
- N cw
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Number of effective cross-flow rows in each window (No Unit)
- ΔP w
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Pressure drop for an ideal window section (Pa)
- N t
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Total number of tubes used (No Unit)
- P M,2M
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Constant used in calculation of ΔTLM in M shell pass and 2 M tube passes (No Unit)
- N ss
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Number of Sealing strips used (No Unit)
- P T
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Tube Pitch (m)
- N p
-
number of pass divider lanes (No Unit)
- P P
-
Tube pitch parallel to flow (No Unit)
- n 1
-
number of tube passes (No Unit)
- P n
-
Tube pitch normal to flow (No Unit)
- n 2
-
Constant used in calculation of dotl (No Unit)
- Pr s
-
Shell side Prandtl Number (No Unit)
- n 3
-
Constant used in calculation of J s (No Unit)
- Re a
-
Annulus side Reynolds number (No Unit)
- n 4
-
Constant used in calculation of Rl (No Unit)
- Re p
-
Pipe side Reynolds number (No Unit)
- n 5
-
Constant used in calculation of Rs (No Unit)
- Res
-
Shell side Reynolds number (No Unit)
- N
-
Number of Baffles (No Unit)
- Re t
-
Tube side Reynolds number (No Unit)
- Q
-
Heat Duty (W)
- R
-
Constant used in calculation of ΔTLM (No Unit)
- S sb
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Shell to Baffle Leakage area for one baffle (m2)
- R l
-
Correction factor for effect of baffle leakages on pressure drop (No Unit)
- S tb
-
Tube to Baffle hole Leakage Area (m2)
- R s
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Correction factor for bundle bypassing effect on pressure drop (No Unit)
- S m
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Cross-flow area at or near centre line for one cross-flow section (m2)
- R b
-
Correction factor for unequal baffle spacing at inlet and outlet on pressure drop (No Unit)
- S w
-
Window cross-flow area (m2)
- R d
-
Dirt Factor (Km2/W)
- ΔT LM
-
Logarithmic mean Temperature Difference (K)
- R h
-
Entransy Dissipation-based Thermal Resistance (EDTR) (K/W)
- T c1
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Inlet temperature of cold fluid (K)
- Re’a
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annulus side Reynolds number based on De’ (No Unit)
- T c2
-
Outlet temperature of cold fluid (K)
- U c
-
Clean heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)
- T h1
-
Inlet temperature of hot fluid (K)
- U D
-
Dirty heat transfer coefficient (W/m2K)
- T c1
-
Inlet temperature of cold fluid (K)
- v
-
Velocity of Annulus side fluid (m/s)
- T c,avg
-
Average temperature of cold fluid (K)
- W
-
Constant used in calculation of FN,2N (No Unit)
- T h,avg
-
Average temperature of hot fluid (K)
- W p
-
width of pass divider lane (m)
- T s,avg
-
Average temperature of shell side fluid (K)
- x
-
Distance from the inlet position in metres (m)
- T a,avg
-
Average temperature of Annulus side fluid (K)
- Δx w
-
Wall thickness (m)
- T p,avg
-
Average temperature of pipe side fluid (K)
- α
-
Constant used in calculation of J l (No Unit)
- T t,avg
-
Average temperature of tube side fluid (K)
- µ t
-
Dynamic Viscosity of Tube side fluid at average temperature (kg/ms)
- T hx
-
temperature of hot fluid at length x metres (K)
- µ p
-
Dynamic Viscosity of Pipe side fluid at average temperature (kg/ms)
- T cx
-
temperature of cold fluid at length x metres (K)
- µ s
-
Dynamic Viscosity of shell side fluid at average temperature (kg/ms)
- T wall
-
Wall Temperature (K)
- µ a
-
Dynamic Viscosity of Annulus side fluid at average temperature (kg/ms)
- ΔT AM
-
Arithmetic mean Temperature Difference (K)
- µ tw
-
Dynamic Viscosity of tube side fluid at wall temperature (kg/ms)
- Ø s
-
Viscosity correction factor in shell side fluid (No Unit)
- µ sw
-
Dynamic Viscosity of shell side fluid at wall temperature (kg/ms)
- Ø a
-
Viscosity correction factor in annulus side fluid (No Unit)
- µ aw
-
Dynamic Viscosity of annulus side fluid at wall temperature (kg/ms)
- Ø p
-
Viscosity correction factor in pipe side fluid (No Unit)
- µ pw
-
Dynamic Viscosity of pipe side fluid at wall temperature (kg/ms)
- Ø t
-
Viscosity correction factor in tube side fluid (No Unit)
- ζ c
-
Flow Arrangement Factor for Counterflow heat exchangers (N/K)
- Ø h
-
Entransy dissipation rate (W·K)
- ζ s
-
Flow Arrangement Factor for TEMA E type shell and tube heat exchangers (N/K)
- ρ a
-
Density of annulus side fluid (Kg/m3)
- ζ p
-
Flow Arrangement Factor for Parallel heat exchangers (N/K)
- ρ p
-
density of pipe side fluid (Kg/m3)
- ε
-
Effectiveness factor (No Unit)
- ρ s
-
density of shell side fluid (Kg/m3)
- π
-
pi (No Unit)
- ρ t
-
density of tube side fluid (Kg/m3)
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Supplementary Material
This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/ijcre-2025-0013).
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