Counter Flow Heat Exchanger Graph

The efficiency of a counter flow heat exchanger is due to the fact that the average t difference in temperature between the two fluids over the length of the heat exchanger is maximized as shown in figure 4 counter flow.

Counter flow heat exchanger graph.

For example in a distillation column the vapors. The number of transfer units ntu method is used to calculate the rate of heat transfer in heat exchangers especially counter current exchangers when there is insufficient information to calculate the log mean temperature difference lmtd. In heat exchanger analysis if the fluid inlet and outlet temperatures are specified or can be determined by simple energy balance the lmtd method can. Parallel and counter flow designs heat exchangers although ordinary heat exchangers may be extremely different in design and construction and may be of the single or two phase type their modes of operation and effectiveness are largely determined by the direction of the fluid flow within the exchanger.

Therefore the log mean temperature for a counter flow heat exchanger is larger than the log mean temperature for a similar. A heat exchanger can have several different flow patterns. Crossflow parallel flow and counterflow heat exchanger configurations are three examples. Energy balance of the hexagonal heat exchanger.

A counterflow heat exchanger will require less heat exchange surface area than a parallel flow heat exchanger for the same heat transfer rate and the same inlet and outlet temperatures for the fluids.