Energy Analysis of a Counter-Flow Plate Heat Exchanger Working in Stationary Mode and Using Geothermal Energy for Drying

摘要

This paper presents an energy analysis of a counter-flow plate heat exchanger operating in stationary mode. The exchanger comprises a rectangular plate of which we vary the heat transfer surface (by fixing its width and varying its length) and analyze the evolution of some parameters as a function of this heat transfer surface. The parameters to be analyzed are the NTU (number of transfer units), the effectiveness, the temperatures of both primary and secondary fluids and the heat flux. The analysis carried out will help understand the behavior of the counter-flow plate heat exchanger operating in stationary mode. Then, the heat transfer surface of the exchanger is determined for the sizing of a counter-flow plate heat exchanger intended to produce hot air for drying. That plate heat exchanger uses water vapor heated by geothermal energy as a primary fluid and atmospheric air as a secondary fluid. The products to be dried are onions with a mass flow of water to be evacuated of 100 kg/h.