Heat Exchanger Design Program: UNILAB UNISUITE – from the Journal of the KSME 2020. 5., vol. 60, no. 5, by Young Won

Our exclusive distributor for South Korea, Young Won is a member and director of KSME, the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers. The Journal of the KSME collects the main articles and white papers of the members, and other articles of interest to the world of mechanical engineering.

In the previous article, which you can read here https://www.unilab.eu/articles/technical-articles/thermodynamic-engineering-articles/ksme-radiator-suite/ we had seen an overview of Radiator Suite,

In issue 60 of May 2020, Young published an overview of the UNISUITE software, entitled “Heat exchanger design program: UNILAB Unisuite “.

Here we provide a translation. You can find the original Korean text as usual in the gallery at the end of the article.

Last time, we introduced Unilab’s Radiator Suite program.

We have received a lot of emails and telephone requests to have more information about these heat exchanger design programs, especially about the general configuration and the use of the various modules.

I would like to have the opportunity to present in detail, in this issue, the UNISUITE program, suitable for a variety of heat exchangers, and developed by UNILAB.

The UNISUITE program is the ideal solution for the design and performance verification of industrial heat exchangers.

All UNISUITE software uses the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) REFPROP library. It includes the thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of over 300 liquids and gases, and 12 liquid mixtures, including the latest refrigerants such as R1234ze, R1234yf, R449A and many others.

Each software integrates correction factors, allowing the user to align the results with the experimental data.

UNILAB UNISUITE consists of four modules depending on the type of heat exchanger.

– UNISUITE SHELL

– UNISUITE PHE

– UNISUITE TUBE IN TUBE

– UNISUITE COAX

The UNISUITE SHELL module is a software for the design of shell and tube heat exchangers, as shown in Figure 1. SHELL is the only software in the world that allows the automated design of a new shell and tube heat exchanger from scratch without specifying any dimensional parameters!

With UNILAB UNISUITE SHELL, simply selecting the fluids, setting the working conditions, the required capacity, and the desired tube and clicking on the “Automatic” button, the program will generate in a few seconds one or more high efficiency heat exchangers to meet the required capacity.

Moreover, a 3D model in 1: 1 scale of the heat exchanger is created. Users can change the working conditions, & capacity and pressure drops can be calculated by modifying all geometric parameters and one or more input data (e.g. fluid flow rate, fluid type, plate type, tube type, fluid temperature, etc.).

Moreover, it is possible to design new heat exchangers from scratch, entering the working conditions without knowing the geometrical parameters, in order to design the most suitable heat exchanger for the required capacity. The user-friendly interface, with detailed printouts and logo management, unlike other software, allows the possibility to design a new exchanger by inserting only a few inputs. For example, if the customer has to design a new exchanger, it will be sufficient to select the “automatic” box and the software will generate a new exchanger compliant with TEMA standards. This is fast and allows you to design special exchangers to meet customer needs on time!

Users can enter new materials in the archive, and new exchangers can be saved in the database. In this Database, it is possible to save one or more series of heat exchangers, created or imported from previously saved Shell projects.

The new heat exchangers will be fully compatible with the TEMA standard. In addition, if the required power is very high, it is automatically divided into a limited number of heat exchangers.

SHELL allows you to select, rate or design exchangers in 8 different calculation typologies: fluid-fluid, evaporation inside tubes, condensing inside/outside tubes, flooded evaporators, Spray (falling film) evaporators, steam.

 […]

The UNISUITE PHE module is the most accurate software for the design and rating of plate heat exchangers. PHE calculates, sizes and selects from the classic plate heat exchangers with gasket (PHE) to the brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHE). UNILAB suggests the PHE software for the routine calculation of plate heat exchangers. PHE is a software with a user-friendly interface, complete with detailed printouts and logo management. All UNILAB software products have a wide thermophysical library, with the option to insert new fluids and mixtures. The fluid libraries now contain more than 140 refrigerants and 440 fluids, including pure liquids, pure gases, mixtures of liquids and gases. PHE is the right solution, because it allows the selection of the best brazed plate heat exchangers from the archive or, alternatively, the free calculation, suitable for the design of a completely new plate. The calculation is available in different modes: fluid – fluid, evaporation, condensation or steam. PHE can analyse herringbone angles of 30, 45 and 60°, and if you work with SI or Imperial system or if you want to customise your own units of measurement, PHE allows you to switch between them.

Finally, PHE gives you the ability to calibrate the software results with experimental data using different factors.

The UNISUITE TIT (TUBE IN TUBE) module is shown in Figure 7.

UNILAB TUBE IN TUBE is the most accurate software for design and verification of tube in tube heat exchangers. TUBE IN TUBE allows the calculation with any geometry and type of tubes (smooth, radial finned, grooved), and allows to design, sizing and selection on tube in tube heat exchangers of the following types: fluid-fluid, evaporation inside/outside tubes, condensation inside/outside tubes, steam inside/outside tubes. It is the only software that allows the complete sizing of a heat exchanger from scratch (free calculation), without having to specify any dimensional data!

It supports Wolverine and Wieland tubes.

The UNILAB COAX module is the most accurate software to design and dimension coaxial heat exchangers. It is also possible to select the exchangers created and inserted by the user in the archive! Like the TIT module above, it allows to design an exchanger from scratch, without any dimensional parameter. Simply set temperatures, flow rates, required capacity and pressure drops, and in a few seconds the software will automatically calculate the best combinations of outer diameter, tube length, etc.. UNISUITE COAX will also generate a 3D drawing of the heat exchanger, in 1:1 scale, in .STL e.STEP,

The software also exports drawings in standard 3D CAD format such as .DWG and .IGES.

As explained in the last issue, in addition to the design module of the finned pack heat exchanger COILS, RADIATOR SUITE and UNISUITE, Unilab has developed a 3D module that allows the circuitry and creation of metal sheets for production; mCOILS, which connects production and sales departments; TRANSCRITICAL GAS COOLER, which allows the transcritical calculation of finned pack heat exchangers with CO2; FANCOIL SELECTOR for fan coils; HYBRID for Unit Coolers, Air Coolers, Dry Coolers and Remote Condensers; COLD STORAGE to calculate the capacity of a cold room; UNILAB SHARK, the technical software developed by UNILAB for the design and simulation of air/water or water/water chillers, heat pumps, air conditioners, Close Control Units, multi-function units, condensing units, evaporating units, remote condensers and any special project that includes a cooling cycle, and other programs and modules, such as ROOFTOP, that perform the simulation of rooftop units for large buildings.

The software is mainly intended for use in the design, production and development of heat exchangers, but also for Universities and research institutes.

Delta Es CO Ltd (www.deltaes.co.kr) is official Unilab distributor in South Korea..

Young Won, CEO, Delta ES Co., Ltd.

원영수 : yswon824@naver.com, young@deltaes.co.kr

“Heat exchanger design program: UNILAB UNISUITE” – from the Journal of the KSME 2020. 5., vol. 60, no. 5, by Young Won

Here is the original Korean text