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.

The flowing bodies can be liquids gases or even solid powders or any combination of those. Countercurrent exchange is a mechanism occurring in nature and mimicked in industry and engineering in which there is a crossover of some property usually heat or some chemical between two flowing bodies flowing in opposite directions to each other. Crossflow parallel flow and counterflow heat exchanger configurations are three examples. 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.

For example in a distillation column the vapors. 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. Energy balance of the hexagonal heat exchanger. 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.

A heat exchanger can have several different flow patterns.