The Science Behind Heat Exchangers

Heat exchangers are equipment designed for transferring heat through varying temperatures between two or more than two fluids — i.e., liquids, vapors, or gases. On the basis of the type of heat exchanger used, the heat transfer process can be gas-to-gas, liquid-to-gas, or liquid-to-liquid, and may occur via a solid separator that inhibits mixing or direct interaction in-between the mediums. Other design features, including building parts and materials, heat transfer modalities, and flow arrangements, also help to categorize and characterize the types of heat exchangers in Deutsch.

Heat Exchanger Thermodynamics

The layout of a heat exchanger is a thermodynamic activity— a science that plays around heat energy distribution, temperatures, and associations between different energy types. A good starting point for understanding heat exchanger thermodynamics is understanding the three ways in which heat can be carried, which are: 

• Conduction 
• Convection 
• Radiation.

Conduction

Conduction is the transfer of heat energy between fluids that come in contact with each other. Temperature is a measure of the average molecular kinetic energy in a substance— warmer objects (which are at a relatively high temp) show more molecular motion. If a warmer object comes into contact with a colder object, there is a transition of thermal energy between the two objects, where the colder object gets more invigorated, and the warmer object ends-up being less energized. This cycle must remain in progression until an equilibrium temperature is achieved.

Convention 

Convection is a process of transferring thermal energy from a surface by the passage of hot fluid, such as air or water. Once hot, most fluids can expand and hence become less dense and began to rise in comparison to cooler parts of the other fluid.

Radiation

Thermal radiation is another heat energy transfer mechanism used by heat exchangers in Deutsch, which entails the discharge of electromagnetic waves from a heated surface or material. Thermal radiation does not need an indirect medium to bear the wave energy, as opposed to convection and conduction. Considering a wide spectral range, all objects whose temperature is above absolute zero (-273.15oC) emit thermal radiation.

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