Batch Heat Transfer

[11604]

I have a rectangular rail car that has a batch of vessels inside with fluid. Outside of the rail car is insulated with 1/2 pipe coil on each side(not on ends or top). Water or steam will be pumped through the coils to heat the fluid in the vessels. The fluid is not agitated and it will remain stationary on the car during heating. How can I determine the appropriate heat transfer coefficient for this and determine how long it will take to heat this up reasonably?

 

[Montemayor]

In what heat transfer class or text book did this homework problem originate?

 

[11604]

This is not a homework problem, I am actually trying to do this in my job and have looked at many textbooks to try to find answers but am having a hard time.

 

[StoneCold]

I agree with Montemayor that this Idea is bad enough to have come from a text book. The obvious answer is that the stationary liquid side is the controlling element in the heat transfer equation. So you need an equation for convective heat transfer from the rail car wall to the bulk liquid. The heating rate will be slow. Just a guess would be 10 to 15 BTU/hr*ft2*F.


Regards
StoneCold

 

[abeltio]

try batch processes in the following book:
Process Heat Transfer by Donald Q. Kern


saludos.
a.

 

[dcasto]

There are a lot of these type railcars out there. As a sanity check, it took about 4 hours to heat the rai cars from 70 F to 130 F with steam to get the wax crude to flow out the cars.