Experimental determination of the heat transfer coefficient in shell-and-tube condensers using the Wilson plot method

This article deals with the experimental determination of heat transfer coefficients. The calculation of heat transfer coefficients constitutes a crucial issue in design and sizing of heat exchangers. The Wilson plot method and its modifications based on measured experimental data utilization provide an appropriate tool for the analysis of convection heat transfer processes and the determination of convection coefficients in complex cases. A modification of the Wilson plot method for shell-and-tube condensers is proposed. The original Wilson plot method considers a constant value of thermal resistance on the condensation side. The heat transfer coefficient on the cooling side is determined based on the change in thermal resistance for different conditions (fluid velocity and temperature). The modification is based on the validation of the Nusselt theory for calculating the heat transfer coefficient on the condensation side. A change of thermal resistance on the condensation side is expected and the value is part of the calculation. It is possible to improve the determination accuracy of the criterion equation for calculation of the heat transfer coefficient using the proposed modification. The criterion equation proposed by this modification for the tested shell-and-tube condenser achieves good agreement with the experimental results and also with commonly used theoretical methods.