Concept of irreversibility in heat exchanger design: Counterflow heat exchangers for gas-to-gas applications

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 UTC 1977 · J. Heat Transfer; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3450705· OSTI ID:7298588

Bejan, A

The thermal design of counterflow heat exchangers for gas-to-gas applications is based on the thermodynamic irreversibility rate or useful power no longer available as a result of heat exchanger frictional pressure drops and stream-to-stream temperature differences. The irreversibility (entropy production) concept establishes a direct relationship between the heat exchanger design parameters and the useful power wasted due to heat exchanger nonideality. The paper presents a heat exchanger design method for fixed or for minimum irreversibility (number of entropy generation units N/sub s/). In contrast with traditional design procedures, the amount of heat transferred between streams and the pumping power for each side become outputs of the N/sub s/ design approach. To illustrate the use of this method, the paper develops the design of regenerative heat exchangers with minimum heat transfer surface and with fixed irreversibility N/sub s/.

• Research Organization: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
• OSTI ID: 7298588
• Journal Information: J. Heat Transfer; (United States), Journal Name: J. Heat Transfer; (United States) Vol. 99:3; ISSN JHTRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
420400 -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
COUNTERFLOW SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENTROPY
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
IRREVERSIBLE PROCESSES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES