Complicated calculations are required in heat
exchanger design and application. Some of them involve elaborate
theoretical work, some entail multitudes of separate computations.
Most of the thermal and mechanical calculations are
beyond the scope of this site.
However, a few of the basic formulas and
mathematical concepts are quite useful, They provide a good working
grasp of the heat exchanger application problem. Also, their
understanding has proved most helpful to people whose specialties lie
in other fields, but who have occasions to participate in the
selection and procurement of heat exchanger equipment.
For those
reasons, the fundamental mathematical expressions are outlined here.
Terms are defined in an informal
way, and their significance is discussed briefly.
If your work requires a more
complete discussion of this topic, we recommend
that you refer to textbooks on heat
transfer - or contact CMS directly.