Design, Construction, Operation, and Analysis of a Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Laboratory Plate Heat Exchanger Experiment

Andrew Maxson; Michelle Stasik

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: Labs and Demonstrations in Chemical Engineering Education
Page Count: 22
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--41617
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/41617
Download Count: 374

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Paper Authors

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Andrew Maxson The Ohio State University

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Andrew Maxson is an assistant professor of practice in chemical engineering at The Ohio State University where he teaches Chemical Engineering Unit Operations. He earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and his M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Ohio State. Having worked as a manufacturing process engineer for ten years, his focus is on optimizing the process of teaching, as well as hands-on, practical engineering concepts relevant to chemical engineers entering industry.

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Michelle Stasik The Ohio State University

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Abstract

Unit Operations Laboratory courses are a staple of chemical engineering programs worldwide. In these courses, undergraduate students operate and analyze the performance of equipment and instruments commonly used in chemical processing and other industries. Because heat transfer operations are ubiquitous in the chemical processing industry, heat exchanger experiments are often found in Unit Operations Laboratories. At The Ohio State University, a new pilot-scale Plate Heat Exchanger (PHX) experiment was designed and constructed in the Unit Operations Laboratory during the summer of 2021.

A particularly challenging aspect of developing new experimental apparatus for Unit Operations Laboratories is operating pilot-scale or commercial-scale equipment with laboratory-scale utilities and flows. While it is desirable for students to work with authentic industrial equipment, the operation of large-scale units may be unrealistic if the available utilities and flow rates are undersized. As shipped from the manufacturer, the heat exchanger used in the PHX experiment at Ohio State is drastically oversized relative to the available flows. In addition, the flow path in the PHX results in a mix of co-current and counter-current flows. For these reasons, the PHX was modified internally to reduce the effective surface area and maintain a consistent flow configuration without affecting the physical size or appearance of the heat exchanger.

The apparatus features co-current and counter-current flow configurations, two electromagnetic flow meters, four T-type thermocouples, a pressure relief valve, an expansion tank, and an automatic data acquisition system. Construction was completed at a total cost of approximately $3,900 for flow components, $900 for data acquisition, and $1,500 for support structure. This does not include the cost of flowmeters.

The system was operated throughout Autumn 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters, and no safety issues or operational problems were encountered. In testing, results agreed closely with those predicted from heat transfer theory. Typical heat transfer rates were 4–30 kW with overall heat transfer coefficients of approximately 1,800–5,700 W/(m2K). The number of transfer units ranged from 1.5–7, and the effectiveness ranged from 0.48-0.94. This paper describes the design, specification, testing, and performance of the PHX experiment, along with an analysis of data collected from the experiment. A comprehensive parts list and detailed construction drawings are also included, and other Unit Operations Labs are encouraged to "steal this experiment."

Citation
Format

Maxson, A., & Stasik, M. (2022, August), Design, Construction, Operation, and Analysis of a Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Laboratory Plate Heat Exchanger Experiment Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41617

TY - CPAPER
AB - Unit Operations Laboratory courses are a staple of chemical engineering programs worldwide. In these courses, undergraduate students operate and analyze the performance of equipment and instruments commonly used in chemical processing and other industries. Because heat transfer operations are ubiquitous in the chemical processing industry, heat exchanger experiments are often found in Unit Operations Laboratories. At The Ohio State University, a new pilot-scale Plate Heat Exchanger (PHX) experiment was designed and constructed in the Unit Operations Laboratory during the summer of 2021.

A particularly challenging aspect of developing new experimental apparatus for Unit Operations Laboratories is operating pilot-scale or commercial-scale equipment with laboratory-scale utilities and flows. While it is desirable for students to work with authentic industrial equipment, the operation of large-scale units may be unrealistic if the available utilities and flow rates are undersized. As shipped from the manufacturer, the heat exchanger used in the PHX experiment at Ohio State is drastically oversized relative to the available flows. In addition, the flow path in the PHX results in a mix of co-current and counter-current flows. For these reasons, the PHX was modified internally to reduce the effective surface area and maintain a consistent flow configuration without affecting the physical size or appearance of the heat exchanger.

The apparatus features co-current and counter-current flow configurations, two electromagnetic flow meters, four T-type thermocouples, a pressure relief valve, an expansion tank, and an automatic data acquisition system. Construction was completed at a total cost of approximately $3,900 for flow components, $900 for data acquisition, and $1,500 for support structure. This does not include the cost of flowmeters.

The system was operated throughout Autumn 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters, and no safety issues or operational problems were encountered. In testing, results agreed closely with those predicted from heat transfer theory. Typical heat transfer rates were 4–30 kW with overall heat transfer coefficients of approximately 1,800–5,700 W/(m2K). The number of transfer units ranged from 1.5–7, and the effectiveness ranged from 0.48-0.94. This paper describes the design, specification, testing, and performance of the PHX experiment, along with an analysis of data collected from the experiment. A comprehensive parts list and detailed construction drawings are also included, and other Unit Operations Labs are encouraged to "steal this experiment."
AU - Andrew Maxson
AU - Michelle Stasik
CY - Minneapolis, MN
DA - 2022/08/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Design, Construction, Operation, and Analysis of a Chemical Engineering Unit Operations Laboratory Plate Heat Exchanger Experiment
UR - https://peer.asee.org/41617
DO - 10.18260/1-2--41617
ER -