UNEX Heatexchanger Gmbh Heideweg 4- A-2443 Loretto

Lund University UNEX HOLDING S.A.

M.Sc. thesis work

Low cost simple test rig for water/water heat transfer

Background

We live in a world where the Heat transfer process and the heat transfer component become ever more important to save energy and environment on a crowded planet. Here the plate type heat exchanger in its different forms can play a very important role. Little has been publicly available on Plate Heat Exchangers (PHE), the knowledge has remained relatively proprietary by the comparatively few larger companies - who have had the resources internally to do the laboratory testing necessary to develop the theoretical models.

The shell-and-tube heat exchanger theory as well as its fabrication technology, however, is almost common knowledge, since a long time and several large organizations like HTRI, HTFS and universities have developed software and published most information needed.

UNEX Holding and some associated partners intend to change this and make information about PHE’s more readily available. An important part of this will be testing and performing tests and the procedures around this less expensive,

Unex has therefore started a cooperation with LTH, department of Energy Sciences lead by Prof B. Sunden to create a sample of a simple inexpensive test rig and conduct testing in this rig. It is also of interest to document how this rig is put together and make this publicly available to increase the amount of inexpensive testing generally available.

The principles of the test rig is based on a concept developed by Ake Narfgren and later adopted by SWEP for water/water test work. The full scale rig developed by Ake costs about SEK 50000 in direct investment and may give extremely good accuracy. The test rig intended to be created at LTH will be focused on flow rates and dimensions one tenth or less to save space and minimize total cost.

Unex is prepared to pay the direct costs for material necessary and offer a stipend of SEK of 10000 as an incentive for the work. Additional incentive might be offered depending on the quality of work done. Lund University UNEX HOLDING S.A.

Definition of the M.Sc. thesis work:

First Objective

Build and prove, that with very simple inexpensive means, one can create a very accurate test rig for liquid/liquid in turbulent flow (Water/Water). Document how this is done.

Conduct a series of tests to verify that the rig works in practice.

Calibrate, determine accuracy and set up standard test procedures.

Minimum cost, simplicity, very accurate.

Develop software to correlate measurements with standard turbulent flow characteristics.

Second Objective (If time allows)

How to simplify and reduce the test time. How can procedures be automated – same idea but expanded so minimum work is needed. More advanced data pick up, assembly etc.

Rig for simplified strip testing

The student ought to have interest in hands on practical approach.

Supervisors: Kaj Rissler, UNEX, Ingjald Andreasson and Bengt Sundén, LTH.