The Performance Prediction of Multistream Plate-Fin Heat Exchangers Based on Stacking Pattern
- 1 January 1991
- journal article
- editorial material
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Heat Transfer Engineering
- Vol. 12 (4), 58-70
- https://doi.org/10.1080/01457639108939764
Abstract
A rigorous method that takes into consideration stacking pattern is developed and presented for the thermal performance prediction of multistream plate-fin heat exchangers. The method also accounts for transverse conduction of heat through fins. Some published sizing and rating methods dealing with stacking patterns are reviewed. It is shown that rating methods based on a constant surface temperature give optimistic predictions. Transverse heat conduction was found beneficial to the performance of the exchanger. It was found that, in general, patterns that reduced variation of surface temperature through the depth of the stack improved performance. Application of the proposed method is discussed with examples. A procedure for the process design of multistream plate-fin heat exchangers is outlined.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Differential method for sizing multistream plate fin heat exchangersCryogenics, 1987
- Effects of Maldistribution on the Performance of Multistream, Multipassage Heat ExchangersPublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,1973
- Analyses of parallel flow, multi-stream heat exchangersInternational Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 1971