Two Dimensional Temperature Distributions in Plate Heat Exchangers: An Analytical Approach

Abstract

Analytical solutions are developed to work out the two-dimensional (2D) temperature changes of flow in the passages of a plate heat exchanger in parallel flow and counter flow arrangements. Two different flow regimes, namely, the plug flow and the turbulent flow are considered. The mathematical formulation of problems coupled at boundary conditions are presented, the solution procedure is then obtained as a special case of the two region Sturm-Liouville problem. The results obtained for two different flow regimes are then compared with experimental results and with each other. The agreement between the analytical and experimental results is an indication of the accuracy of solution method.

Keywords

• plate heat exchanger
• temperature distribution
• analytical approach
• Sturm-Liouville problem