The feasibility of reducing the cost of solar water heating systems by using polymer heat exchangers is illustrated by comparing thermal performance and cost of heat exchangers made of nylon, cross linked polyethylene (PEX), or copper. Both tube-in-shell heat exchangers and immersed tube banks are considered. For the thermal analysis, the tube geometry and the arrangement of tubes are fixed and the heat transfer surface areas required to provide 3000 and 6000 W are determined. Thermal performance is estimated using published heat transfer correlations. The nylon heat exchanger outperforms the PEX design, primarily because nylon is a stronger material. Consequently, the ratio of diameter to wall thickness required to withstand the operating pressure is greater and the conduction resistance across the polymer wall is less. The cost of nonoptimized nylon heat exchangers is about 80 percent of the cost of heat exchangers made of copper. Significant additional work is required to optimize the tube arrangement and geometry and to validate our initial estimates of thermal and economic performance. [S0199-6231(00)00802-9]
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Thermal Analysis of Polymer Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating: A Case Study
Wei Liu,
Wei Liu
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St., S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Jane Davidson,
Jane Davidson
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St., S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Susan Mantell
Susan Mantell
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St., S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455
Search for other works by this author on:
Wei Liu
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St., S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455
Jane Davidson
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St., S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455
Susan Mantell
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St., S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the ASME Solar Energy Division, Dec. 1999; final revision, May 2000. Associate Technical Editor: V. Mei.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. May 2000, 122(2): 84-91 (8 pages)
Published Online: May 1, 2000
Article history
Received:
December 1, 1999
Revised:
May 1, 2000
Citation
Liu , W., Davidson, J., and Mantell, S. (May 1, 2000). "Thermal Analysis of Polymer Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating: A Case Study ." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. May 2000; 122(2): 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1288027
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