ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Thermal Unit Operation

Lecture One

By: Uga Waktole

 Unit operations
What is unit operation??
• A unit operation is any part of potentially multiple-step process
which can be considered to have a single function.
• It can involve a physical change or chemical transformation.

• Each of these equipment are a unit operation.

Unit operations basically classified in different groups.
Those are:
 Fluid flow process (Momentum-transfer operations) (includes:-)
 Pump
 Compressor
 Filtration
 Heat transfer operations (includes:-)
 Heat exchanger:
 Evaporator:
 Condenser
 Mass-transfer operations (includes)
 Distillation
 Extraction
 Adsorption Ammonia + Air Water

 Absorption
Mechanical unit operation includes: NH3 + Water

 Solids transportation: different types of conveyors

 Crushing
 Sieving: separation of different particles based on their size
 • Heat Exchangers: heat exchangers are devices in which heat is
transferred between two fluids at different temperatures without any
mixing of the fluids
Types of Heat Exchangers
• Direct transfer type
• Storage type and
• Direct contact type
1) Direct Transfer Type HX: is the one in which the cold and hot
fluids flow simultaneously through the device and heat is transferred
through a wall separating the fluids.
Cold Fluid Out

Hot Fluid In Hot Fluid Out

Cold Fluid in
2) Storage Type HX: is the one in which the heat transfer from the hot
fluid to the cold fluid occurs through a coupling medium in the form
of a porous solid matrix. The hot and cold fluids flow alternatively
through the matrix, the hot fluid storing heat in it and the cold fluid
extracting heat from it.
3) Direct contact type: is the one in which the two fluids are not
separated. If heat is to be transferred between a gas and liquid, the
gas is either bubbled through the liquid or the liquid is sprayed in the
form of droplets into the gas.
 Direct Transfer Type Heat Exchanger
• Tubular • Plate • Extended surface
 Tubular Heat Exchanger
 Concentric tube or double – pipe heat exchangers
 Shell – and – tube heat exchangers
• Concentric tube or double pipe heat exchangers
Cold Fluid Out

ot Fluid In Hot Fluid Out

Cold Fluid in

 It consists of one pipe placed concentrically inside another of larger diameter

with appropriate fittings to direct the flow from one section to the next.
 It can be arranged series and parallel arrangements to meet pressure drop &
mean temp. d/ce requirements.
• Shell – and – Tube Heat Exchangers

• Major components of shell-and-tube HE

• Tube bundles • Shell
• Front-end and rear-end header • Nozzles
• Tubes header sheet • Baffles
 Heat transfer area available per unit volume 100 to 500 /
Cont…
• Plate Heat Exchangers: A Series of large rectangular thin metal
plates which are clamped together to form narrow parallel-plate
channel.
 Heat transfer area available per unit volume 100 to 200 /
• Extended surface heat exchangers: fins attached primary on heat
transfer surface with the object of increasing the heat transfer area.
Provides much more heat transfer area per unit volume than a tubular
or a plate heat exchanger.
• Heat transfer area greater than 700 /
 Classification by Flow Arrangement
• There are three basic flow arrangements
 Parallel flow
 Counter flow and
 Cross flow
 Parallel flow arrangement Cross flow Arrangement

 Counter flow Arrangement

 Over all Heat Transfer Coefficient and Fouling Factor
Across a plane wall
1 1 b 1
  
U h1 k h2
Across a tubular surface
1 1 ri  ro  ri 1
  ln   
U ri hi k  ri  ro ho
• These equations are valid for clean surfaces.
 Mean Temperature Difference
The total heat transfer rate
q = -( - ) hot stream
q = ( - ) cold stream

• If the fluids are not undergoing a phase change and constant

specific heats are assumed, these expressions reduce to

q = -( - )
q=(-)
- • Where is an appropriate mean
q = UA temperature difference.
 Mean Temperature Difference for Parallel flow Arrangement
• The form of Tm may be determined by applying an energy balance to
differential elements in the hot and cold fluids. Each element is of
length dx and heat transfer surface area dA, as shown in Figure. The
energy balances and the subsequent analysis are subject to the
following assumptions.
1. The HX is insulated from its
surrounding in which case the
only heat exchange is between
the hot and cold fluids.
2. Axial conduction along the
tubes is negligible.
3. Potential and kinetic energy
changes are negligible.
4. The fluid specific heats are
constant.
5. The overall heat transfer
coefficient is constant.
 Cont…
Applying an energy balance to each of the differential elements
dq = U
dq = -d = -d
dq = = d
• Where T = - is the local temperature difference between the hot and
cold fluids.
T) = -
T) = -dq( + )

• Substituting for dq and integrating across the heat exchanger

= -U
ln() = -UA( + )
 Substituting for Ch and Cc
ln() = -UA( + )

ln() = - (-) –( -)
• Recognizing that, for the parallel-flow heat exchanger ( -) and ( -)
we then obtain

UA

q = UA
• Where, =
 Mean Temperature Difference for Counter flow Arrangement
• Applying an energy balance to each of the
differential elements dq = U
dq = d = -d
dq = = -d

• Where T = - is the local

temperature difference between the
hot and cold fluids.
• Make the same assumptions

T) = dTh – dTc
=- +

T) = -UΔTBdx( - )

= - ( - ) UBdx
Integrating and get the mean temperature as follows Δ
= - ( - ) UB

• Where ΔTi = Thi – Tce and ΔTe = The –Tci

ln( )
ΔTe
ΔTi
=− (
1
−
1
ṁ h c 𝑝, h m˙ 𝑐 c 𝑝, 𝑐
)U𝐴

ln ( )
ΔTe
ΔTi
=−
1
q
[ ( 𝑇 h , 𝑖 −𝑇 h ,𝑒 ) − ( 𝑇 𝑐 , 𝑒 − 𝑇 𝑐 , 𝑖 ) ] U 𝐴

q = UA
 Special case of counter flow
• If = 𝑚
˙ 𝑐 𝑐 𝑝, 𝑐 then - = -
• Or - = -
=
• Substituting into the expression for ΔTm , we get an indeterminate
quantity. Define = p
=
• Then
• Applying L’ hopital’s
= =

• Therefore,
= =
 Mean Temperature Difference in Cross Flow Arrangements
• Case (1): both fluids unmixed Hot fluid
𝑇 h ,𝑖
𝑇 𝑐 ,𝑖 𝑇 𝑐 ,𝑒
Cold fluid A = BL B

𝑇 h ,𝑒
L
• Both Th and Tc are function of x and y
• Consider an elementary area of dA = (dx.dy)
• Therefore, dxdy
• Integrating overall length of the heat exchanger
U
• Comparing with the basic equation q = UAΔ
 Cont…
• Case (2): One fluid mixed, the other unmixed.
let us assume that cold side is mixed and hot side is unmixed
Hot fluid
𝑇 h ,𝑖
𝑇 𝑐 ,𝑖 𝑇 𝑐 ,𝑒
Cold fluid A = BL B

𝑇 h ,𝑒
L mixed
• Case (3): both fluid • The integrations for the three
Hot fluid cases of cross flow have be
𝑇 h ,𝑖 done numerically. The results
𝑇 𝑐 ,𝑖 are presented in the form of
𝑇 𝑐 ,𝑒 correction factor F.
Cold fluid A = BL B
( Δ 𝑇 𝑚 )𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤
𝐹=
𝑇 h ,𝑒 ( Δ 𝑇 𝑚 )𝑖𝑓 𝑡h𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤
 Cont…
• For any given values of , , and ( ( Δ T )𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 )
is the highest against all flow arrangements.
• So that, 0
• Therefore, the heat transfer rate for cross flow arrangement is given as:
UA
UAF
• F is determined by plotting it on graph as a function of two
parameters, R𝑅=and S𝑇 −𝑇
( 1𝑖 1𝑒 ) (
/ 𝑇 −𝑇 2𝑒 2𝑖 )
S
• Subscripts 1 and 2 corresponds to two fluids, for case I and III it is
immaterial which subscript corresponds to the hot side and which to
the cold side.
• However for case II, care must be taken to see that the mixed fluid has
subscript 1 and unmixed fluid has subscript 2.
 Cont…
• Parameter R is the ratio of the change of temperatures of the two
fluids
• Parameter S is the ratio of change in temperature of one of the fluids
to the difference of inlet temperatures of the two fluids

One fluid unmixed

Both fluid unmixed
 Two Special Cases
a) = 0
b) = 0
• Mean temperature difference is the same whether the flow is parallel
flow, counter flow or cross flow
• Case (a) and (b) also correspond to change of phase situations.
• Case (a) saturated vapor condenses
• Case (b) saturated liquid evaporates
• Example:
1. A parallel flow heat exchanger is to be designed to cool 5 kg/s of air
from 500 ⁰C to 350 ⁰C by an equal flow rate of air entering at 90c. =
60 w/.K, = 30 w/.K. calculate the area A of heat exchanger. Take of
air on both side to be 1020 J/kg . K. and also calculate the area if the
flow arrangement is counter flow.
2. 1000 kg/hrs of water at 50 ⁰C enters a single pass cross flow heat
exchanger and leaves at 40⁰ C. the heat is transferred to cooling
water entering at 35 ⁰C and leaving at 40 C. calculate the are of heat
exchangers if the fluids on both side are unmixed. Take U = 1000
w/.K with fouling included and on both side to be 4174 J/kg.K.
 Effectiveness -NTU method
• Generally we encounters two types of problems.
• Type 1 problem
Given: T, , , , and
Required:
• Type 2 problem
Given: T, , A, and
Required: and ?
 For type one
 For the second type of problem

 We need a trial and error approach to solve this type problem. The
trial and error can be avoided if we adopt the alternative method
called the Effective – NTU method.
 Effectiveness -NTU method
of HX =
=
=
• Hence if, then =

• If , then =

• Note: the two definitions are equivalent when

• By definition
 Effectiveness – Parallel Flow
• Assume= then

= =
• Substituting
=
• If we had assumed initially = then
=

• We combine the two expression for

• Define two new parameters

 Capacity rate ratio, C
 Number of transfer units NTU

=
Note: both are dimensionless

= NTU
 Effectiveness – Parallel Flow (cont…)
• Thus for parallel flow

Effectiveness – Counter Flow

• Proceeding along the same lines
as for parallel flow, we get
 Special cases
• Capacity rate is infinite either on hot side or the cold side
=0
For this situation, we obtain the relation
for all flow arrangements.
Examples:
1. In a gas turbine power plant, heat is transferred in a plate fin heat
exchanger from the hot gas leaving the turbine to the air leaving the
compressor. The air flow rate is 5000kg/hrs and the flow rate of hot
gases is 5075 kg/hr. given: = 450 C, = 170 C, U = 52 w/.K , A = 50
and on both side is 1050 J/kg.K. flow arrangement is the single pass
cross flow, both fluids unmixed. Find and q.
Thank You!