A general method for the analysis of compact multifluid heat exchangers.

An analytical method of treating the complex heat-transfer processes involved in compact multifluid heat exchangers is described. The method is based on representing the heat transfer by means of the analogy between heat-transfer paths and electrical circuits. For plate-fin configurations, it includes the effects of heat exchange among nonadjacent fluids due to conduction through the fins of intervening passages. The application of the developed solution procedures to the design and analysis of multifluid heat exchangers is also discussed. Results obtained in using the electrical-analog method to examine the effects of conduction on performance are presented graphically in parametric form for a number of three-fluid plate-fin configurations. The discussion of the data presented includes a comparison with results given by alternative analytical procedures which neglect direct transfer between nonadjacent fluids.