Steady and unsteady state thermal behaviour of triple concentric-tube heat exchanger

This paper presents a numerical analysis by using the finite difference method to describe the steady and unsteady state thermal behavior of triple concentric-tube heat exchanger with parallel flow and counter flow arrangements. One gives the temperature variations of the three fluids and three walls with time along the triple concentric-tube heat exchanger. The fluids have a time lag and the response of triple concentric-tube heat exchanger in parallel flow configuration is faster than those of a counterflow arrangement, its performances are always lower than those of a counterflow triple concentric-tube heat exchanger. The heat transfer coefficients by convection of the three fluids vary with time in addition to the temperature and the heat exchanger performances are lower in unsteady state than the steady state case.