An investigation of the problem, of selecting heat-exchanger configurations for optimum performance was made. The fluid on one side of the exchanger was assumed to have negligible heat-transfer resistance, and the amount of heat exchanged per unit time and the mass flow and inlet state of each fluid were prescribed. Any one of the parameters, power expended, weight, volume, or frontal area, can be optimized with respect to any one of the three remaining parameters when the heat exchanger is arranged normal to the approaching primary fluid. Then the heat exchanger is inclined at an angle to the upstream direction, any one of the parameters, power, weight, or volume, can be optimized with respect to any one of the two remaining parameters. With this arrangement, the projected frontal area of the inclined heat exchanger will be equal to that of the heat exchanger requiring the minimum duct cross-sectional area when arranged normal to the primary fluid flow.
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