International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology - IRJIET International Open Access, Monthly, Peer Reviewed, Reputed Journal ISSN (online): 2581-3048

Impact Factor (2025): 6.9

DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET

Effectiveness Measurement of a Cross-Flow Air Cooler Heat Exchanger in Steady State Condition

Abstract

Heat exchangers play a critical role in a wide range of industrial applications, including boilers, condensers, coolers, and cooling towers. This study focuses on evaluating the thermal performance, specifically the effectiveness and efficiency, of an air cooler heat exchanger operating under steady-state conditions with a constant hot water temperature. The aim is to examine how variations in water flow rate and fan air velocity influence the system’s heat transfer behavior. An experimental setup was implemented, where the heat exchanger was tested at three water flow rates (0 L/min, 2.5 L/min, and 5 L/min) and three air velocities (1.8 m/s, 2.7 m/s, and 3.6 m/s). The results show that the highest effectiveness recorded was 60.87%, while the maximum thermal efficiency reached 96%. These values were obtained when the system operated with a water flow rate of 5 L/min and an air velocity of 1.8 m/s. This operating condition is identified as optimal due to the increased cooling capacity from the higher water flow and the improved heat transfer resulting from extended contact time between the airflow and the heat exchanger surface at lower air velocities.

Country : Indonesia

1 Nazaruddin Sinaga2 Muhammad Tafarel Firjatullah3 Sri Nugroho

  1. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, Jl. Prof. H. Soedarto, SH, Tembalang-Semarang 50275, Indonesia
  2. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, Jl. Prof. H. Soedarto, SH, Tembalang-Semarang 50275, Indonesia
  3. Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Diponegoro University, Jl. Prof. H. Soedarto, SH, Tembalang-Semarang 50275, Indonesia

IRJIET, Volume 9, Issue 5, May 2025 pp. 188-192

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2025.905024

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