TFLVB Laminar/Viscous Flow Heat Transfer Unit

The Laminar/Viscous Flow Heat Transfer Unit, "TFLVB", is a laboratory scale unit designed to study heat transfer between hot oil flowing inlaminar flow through an internal tube and cold water that flows through the annulus (ring-shaped area).

Oil circuit (hot fluid):

• The hot oil flows along a closed circuit through the internal tube of the exchanger. An electric heating element, placed in the heatingtank, heats the oil up to a specific temperature. The oil goes out of the tank impelled by a pump. A flow meter measures the oil flow.The oil cools down along the exchanger and then returns to the heating tank, starting a new cycle. There is a regulation valve at theinlet of the heating tank to determine the flow rate of hot oil in the circuit.
• The flow of oil can also be controlled by changing the speed of the pump through the potentiometer (in the electronic console) and withthe regulation valve located in the bypass.There is a purge valve in the circuit to drain and clean the circuit and the heating tank.

Water circuit (cold fluid):

• The cold water comes from of the tap and flows through the annulus formed between the internal and external tube of the exchanger.
• The cold water flow is controlled by a regulation valve and is measured by a flow meter. Water enters the exchanger and its temperaturerises. Afterwards, water goes out of the system.
• The cold water can enter the exchanger by both ends (co-current or counter-current flow), depending of the position of the valves.