ABSTRACT
This chapter presents numerical solutions of various heat transfer problems by using MATLAB®. Problems on heat transfer through one-dimensional and multilayer slabs as well as multilayer cylinders are solved using MATLAB built-in functions. Heat transfer often occurs in combination with other separation operations such as drying, distillation, and evaporation. Process heat exchange is one of the key operations in the chemical engineering industry. With the rapid rise in the cost of energy, there has been an increasing emphasis in recent years on conservation and efficiency. In order to improve both process and energy efficiency in an operating plant, it is essential to monitor the performance of heat exchange equipment regularly. However, such efforts may result in tedious and repetitive calculations that cannot be abstracted due to the wide-ranging diversity in the kinds of heat transfer equipment currently being employed in the industry. For this reason, a number of modular MATLAB programs have been developed here for heat exchangers. Additional topics covered in this chapter include heat tracing in pipelines and air coolers.
