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NiCuZn · Black Owl — Engineering calculation sheet

Heat exchanger area (LMTD).

Estimate duty, log mean temperature difference, required area and cold-side flow for a heat exchanger with sensible heat transfer.

Hot side
kg/h
kJ/kg·K
°C
°C
Cold side
kJ/kg·K

4.18 for water.

°C
°C
Exchanger
W/m²·K

Order of magnitude: water–water 800–1500; organic solvents–water 250–750.

–

1 for true counter-current; often 0.8–0.95 for multipass shells.

Flow arrangement

Results

Required area31.4 m²
Duty244.4 kW
LMTD21.6 K
Terminal differences40 / 10 K
Cold stream flow21,053 kg/h

Preliminary estimate for early engineering. Check against your design basis, standards and vendor data.

Method

How it is calculated

Q = ṁ cp ΔT  ·  ΔTLM = (ΔT1 − ΔT2) / ln(ΔT1 / ΔT2)  ·  A = Q / (U ΔTLM F)

The duty comes from the hot stream; the cold stream flow is whatever absorbs that duty over its temperature rise. For counter-current flow the terminal differences are hot inlet minus cold outlet and hot outlet minus cold inlet; for co-current flow, inlet minus inlet and outlet minus outlet.

U carries the most uncertainty at this stage. For condensing or boiling duties, replace the sensible heat with the latent heat; this tool covers sensible heat transfer only.

Read: equipment sizing basics →All engineering tools →Size equipment from your own balance in Black Owl ↗

Calculated with the free engineering tools at nicuzn.com/tools. Preliminary estimate for early engineering; check against your design basis, applicable standards and vendor data before use.