ESTUDO DA ANÁLISE DE SENSIBILIDADE DE UM TROCADOR DE CALOR DE PLACAS: EFEITOS DA ESPESSURA DOS CANAIS E ÂNGULO DE CORRUGAÇÃO

Abstract

The heat exchange process between two fluids at different temperatures, separated by a solid barrier, is widely applied in various engineering fields. The equipment responsible for this function is called a heat exchanger, and it is utilized in sectors such as the food, chemical, and oil industries. There are several types of heat exchangers, classified based on different criteria, such as construction geometry. The main types include tubular, plate, and finned heat exchangers. To meet the increasing demands for more economical, compact, and efficient equipment, various designs have been developed, with plate heat exchangers (PHEs) standing out as a noteworthy alternative. In this context, this study aimed to analyze and design a PHE, focusing on sensitivity analysis involving geometric variables such as channel thickness (𝑏) and corrugation angle (𝛽). Based on a review of the scientific literature, a design method was proposed for a cooling process of ethanol under operational conditions, considering initial values of 𝑏 = 2.8 𝑚𝑚 and 𝛽 = 30°. The sensitivity analysis was conducted through simulations of different PHE configurations, varying the corrugation angle (𝛽 = 30°, 45°,50°,60°,𝑎𝑛𝑑 65°) and channel thickness (𝑏 = 1.0 𝑡𝑜 5.0 𝑚𝑚). Simulations were performed using Microsoft Excel and PyCharm (with the Python programming language), generating simple graphs and response surfaces. The results indicated that smaller channel thicknesses and corrugation angles increase the mass flow rate and fluid velocity within the channels, promoting more turbulent flow and enhancing the convective and overall heat transfer coefficients. This improved thermal efficiency reduces the required heat transfer area and the number of plates in the equipment. However, higher mass flow rates in the channels also result in increased total pressure drop. Thus, this study contributes to the understanding of the impacts of geometric variables on the thermal, hydraulic, and configurational performance of plate heat exchangers, providing insights for optimizing these devices in industrial applications.