A concentric tube heat exchanger of length L = 1.75 m is used to thermally process a pharmaceutical product flowing at a mean velocity of umc = 0.1 m/s with an inlet temperature of Tc = 20°C. The inner tube of diameter D = 10 mm is thin-walled, and the exterior of the outer tube (D = 20 mm) is well insulated. Water flows in the annular region between the tubes at a mean velocity of um,h = 0.2 m/s with an inlet temperature of T.h = 60°C. Properties of the pharmaceutical product are v = 10^-10 m^2/s, k = 0.25 W/m-K, p = 1100 kg/m^3, and cp = 2460 J/kgK. Evaluate water properties at T = 50°C. Hint: Entry effects for the pharmaceutical flow inside the tube cannot be neglected. Use the Gnielinski correlation for turbulent flow of water in the annular region.
Determine the value of the overall heat transfer coefficient U in W/m^2.K. U = W/m^2.K
Determine the mean outlet temperature of the pharmaceutical product when the exchanger operates in the counterflow mode, (Tc,o)counter.
Determine the mean outlet temperature of the pharmaceutical product when the exchanger operates in the parallel-flow mode, in °C (Tc,o)parallel.
Physical Properties Mathematical Functions