Heat Exchanger (G)
Heat exchanger for systems with gas and controlled flows
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Heat Exchangers
Description
The Heat Exchanger (G) block models heat exchange between a gas, which flows between ports A1 and B1, and an external, controlled fluid via a physical signal. The physical signal ports C2 and HC2 are exposed when heat exchange is calculated according to the E-NTU model. The physical signal ports CP2 and M2 are exposed when heat exchange is calculated according to the Simple model.
You can set the E-NTU or Simple block variant by using the Modeling option parameter to set your preferred heat exchange model.
The E-NTU Model
The default variant. Its heat transfer model derives from the Effectiveness-NTU method. Heat transfer in the steady state then proceeds at a fraction of the ideal rate which the flows, if kept each at its inlet temperature, and if cleared of every thermal resistance in between, could in theory support:
where QAct the actual heat transfer rate, QMax is the ideal heat transfer rate, and ε is the fraction of the ideal rate actually observed in a real heat exchanger encumbered with losses. The fraction is the heat exchanger effectiveness, and it is a function of the number of transfer units, or NTU, a measure of the ease with which heat moves between flows, relative to the ease with which the flows absorb that heat:
where the fraction is the overall thermal conductance between the flows and CMin is the smallest of the heat capacity rates from among the flows—that belonging to the flow least capable of absorbing heat. The heat capacity rate of a flow depends on the specific heat of the fluid (cp) and on its mass flow rate through the exchanger ():
The effectiveness depends also on the relative disposition of the flows, the number of passes between them, and the mixing condition for each. This dependence reflects in the effectiveness expression used, with different flow arrangements corresponding to different expressions. For a list of the effectiveness expressions, see the E-NTU Heat Transfer block.
Use the Flow arrangement block parameter to set how the flows meet in the heat exchanger. The flows can run parallel to each other, counter to each other, or across each other. They can also run in a pressurized shell, one through tubes enclosed in the shell, the other around those same tubes. The figure shows an example. The tube flow can make one pass through the shell flow (shown right) or, for greater exchanger effectiveness, multiple passes (left).
Other flow arrangements are possible through a generic parameterization based on tabulated effectiveness data and requiring little detail about the heat exchanger. Flow arrangement, mixing condition, and number of shell or tube passes, if relevant to the heat exchanger, are assumed to manifest in the tabulated data.
Use the Cross flow type parameter to mix each of the flows, one of the flows, or none of the flows. Mixing in this context is the lateral movement of fluid in channels that have no internal barriers, normally guides, baffles, fins, or walls. Such movement serves to even out temperature variations in the transverse plane. Mixed flows have variable temperature in the longitudinal plane alone. Unmixed flows have variable temperature in both the transverse and longitudinal planes. The figure shows a mixed flow (i) and an unmixed flow (ii).
The distinction between mixed and unmixed flows is considered only in cross flow arrangements. There, longitudinal temperature variation in one fluid produces transverse temperature variation in the second fluid that mixing can even out. In counter and parallel flow arrangements, longitudinal temperature variation in one fluid produces longitudinal temperature variation in the second fluid and mixing, as it is of little effect here, is ignored.
Shell-and-tube exchangers with multiple passes (iv.b-e in the figure for 2, 3, and 4 passes) are most effective. Of exchangers with a single pass, those with counter flows (ii are most effective and those with parallel flows (i) are least.
Cross-flow exchangers are intermediate in effectiveness, with mixing condition playing a factor. They are most effective when both flows are unmixed (iii.a) and least effective when both flows are mixed (iii.b). Mixing just the flow with the smallest heat capacity rate (iii.c) lowers the effectiveness more than mixing just the flow with the largest heat capacity rate (iii.d).
The overall thermal resistance, R, is the sum of the local resistances lining the heat transfer path. The local resistances arise from convection at the surfaces of the wall, conduction through the wall, and, if the wall sides are fouled, conduction through the layers of fouling. Expressed in order from the gas side (subscript 1) to the controlled fluid side (subscript 2):
where U is the convective heat transfer coefficient, F is the fouling factor, and ATh is the heat transfer surface area, each for the flow indicated in the subscript. RW is the thermal resistance of the wall.
The wall thermal resistance and fouling factors are simple constants obtained
from block parameters. The heat transfer coefficients are elaborate functions of
fluid properties, flow geometry, and wall friction, and derive from standard
empirical correlations between Reynolds, Nusselt, and Prandtl numbers. The
correlations depend on flow arrangement and mixing condition, and are detailed
for each in the E-NTU Heat Transfer block on which the E-NTU
Model
variant is based.
The E-NTU Model
variant is a composite component
built from simpler blocks. A Heat Exchanger
Interface (G) block models the gas flow. Physical signals
for the heat capacity rate and heat transfer coefficient, along with a thermal
port for temperature, capture the controlled flow. An E-NTU Heat Transfer block
models the heat exchanged across the wall between the flows. The figure shows
the block connections for the E-NTU Model
block
variant.
The Simple Model
The alternative variant. Its heat transfer model depends on the concept of specific dissipation, a measure of the heat transfer rate observed when gas and controlled fluid inlet temperatures differ by one degree. Its product with the inlet temperature difference gives the expected heat transfer rate:
where ξ is specific dissipation and
TIn is inlet temperature for gas
(subscript 1
) or controlled fluid (subscript
2
). The specific dissipation is a tabulated function of the mass
flow rates into the exchanger through the gas and controlled fluid inlets:
To accommodate reverse flows, the tabulated data can extend over positive and negative flow rates, in which case the inlets can also be thought of as outlets. The data normally derives from measurement of heat transfer rate against temperature in a real prototype:
The heat transfer model, as it relies almost entirely on tabulated data, and as that data normally derives from experiment, requires little detail about the exchanger. Flow arrangement, mixing condition, and number of shell or tube passes, if relevant to the heat exchanger modeled, are assumed to manifest entirely in the tabulated data.
The Simple Model
variant is a composite component.
A Simple Heat
Exchanger Interface (G) block models the gas flow. Physical
signals for the heat transfer coefficient and mass flow rate, along with a
thermal port for temperature, capture the controlled flow. A Specific
Dissipation Heat Transfer block models the heat exchanged
across the wall between the flows.
Ports
Conserving
Input
Parameters
Extended Capabilities
Version History
Introduced in R2017b