Advanced Software

Product Information Note

UniSim® Heat Exchangers

Software for thermal design and simulation of heat exchangers

UniSim Heat Exchangers is a set of modeling programs that can be used on their own,
or integrated with process simulator software such as Honeywell’s UniSim Design.

A Solution to Heat Exchanger Design Challenges
The heat exchanger is one of the most critical aspects of plant
design because it affects so much of the overall operation, and is
typically one of the most expensive pieces of equipment to
maintain. If a heat exchanger fails or is improperly designed, the
process cannot run appropriately, which can lead to a range of
• The software is easy to use, with a comprehensive
graphical user interface.
• The modelers can readily exchange information with
Honeywell’s UniSim Design process simulator and other
third-party or in-house software to provide an integrated
design office solution.

issues including lost production and even safety concerns.

To meet these challenges, Honeywell offers a set of programs—

collectively called UniSim Heat Exchangers--that enable thermal
specialists to design, check, simulate and rate heat exchange
equipment rigorously:

• UniSim Shell-Tube Exchanger Modeler (STE)

• UniSim Cross-Flow Exchanger Modeler (CFE)
• UniSim Plate-Fin Exchanger Modeler (PFE)
• UniSim Fired Process Heater Modeler (FPH)
• UniSim Plate Heat Exchanger Modeler (PHE)
• UniSim Feedwater Heater Modeler (FWH) The UniSim Heat Exchanger programs can be integrated with
Honeywell’s UniSim Design process simulator software.
• UniSim Process Pipeline Modeler (PPL)
The modelers can be integrated into Honeywell’s UniSim Design
The main UniSim Heat Exchanger programs offer some or all of
software for steady-state and dynamic process simulation.
the following basic modeling functionality:

• DESIGN - to cost or optimize the thermal desing for the

Main Features and Functionality
The UniSim Heat Exchangers are validated programs designed
for use by the process design community for the thermal design
and simulation of heat exchange equipment.
• They offer a high level of confidence in predicting heat
transfer and fluid flow characteristics in single- and two-
phase flow, including considerations such as flow
stability and maldistribution, and provide comprehensive
fluid property predictions to support these.
specified process conditions and geometrical
constraints
• CHECKING (RATING) - to check whether a given
exchanger will achieve the required duty for the
specified inlet and outlet conditions, giving the ratio of
the actual to required surface area
• SIMULATION - to calculate the outlet conditions and
performance of a given exchanger from the specified
inlet conditions
UniSim Heat Exchangers 2

• THERMOSYPHON - to calculate the performance of a

vertical or horizontal thermosyphon reboiler, the
circulation rate, and the pipe work pressure drops.
Other features of the UniSim Heat Exchanger programs include:

• Comprehensive Physical Properties. Physical

property data can be imported from process simulators,
such as UniSim Design, or generated from the UniSim
Thermo package, which contains data for over 1000
compounds and a range of methods for determining
vapor-liquid equilibrium and mixture properties. It is
comprehensive and flexible to use. Users also have the
option of importing physical properties and process data
from their own physical property software with
preconfigured interface.
• Easy-to-Follow Input Views. Users are guided through
the data input process which is displayed through a
hierarchy tree and very easy to follow. Some of the data
is already provided by default and indicated on the input
view, but in other cases--depending on the context and
other input values—other data may be set up when the Easy-to-follow input views with graphical capabilities and a hierarchy tree.
user runs the calculation.
• Flexible and User-Friendly Output Functionality. The
The UniSim Heat Exchanger programs are based on decades of
calculation results are presented in both text (tabular)
and graphical formats. Users can choose to view industrial-driven research work. They enable users to:
specific information of their interest, or the full results • Identify the most appropriate exchangers for their
output which provides comprehensive information on process needs
the exchanger geometry, the process conditions, the
physical properties, and other parameters determined • Design new heat exchangers
during the calculation. The built-in graphical capabilities • Check whether an existing exchanger will satisfy the
make it easy for users to visually interpret the output required process conditions;
information. • Examine how an existing exchanger fits into a given
process

The UniSim Heat Exchanger Modelers

The following sections provide an overview of the individual
UniSim Modeler programs for heat exchangers.

Shell-Tube Exchanger Modeler (UniSim STE)

Output functionality using text and graphics
• Word Specification Sheet. Allows users to edit and
save their design/simulation results into Word format.
• Setting Plan. A scale drawing of the exchanger, with
some basic dimensions showing overall exchanger size,
and other features (for example, location of the nozzle
and shell support, scaled drawing of tube layout, etc).
Shell and tube heat exchangers are widely employed in the
chemical and petrochemical industries. Applications include
condensers, condensers with the superheating and cooling,
multicomponent partial condensers, kettle reboilers,
thermosyphon reboilers, falling film evaporators and multishell,
multiphase feed-effluent trains. The UniSim STE program
provides detailed thermal design, checking or simulation of shell
and tube heat exchangers. It supports a variety of geometries
and can perform heat transfer and pressure drop calculations on
single or two-phase streams-- involving any combination of
heating, cooling, boiling or condensation--for single-component
or multi-component systems.
UniSim Heat Exchangers 3

Plate-Fin Exchanger Modeler (UniSim PFE)

Plate-fin heat exchangers are widely used in high performance
applications--such as cryogenics, natural gas processing,
liquefied natural gas and petrochemical production--because they
offer excellent thermal transfer capacity combined with small size
and weight. Sophisticated modeling technologies are needed to
accurately represent the performance and behavior of these
components in a plant operation.

Cross Flow Exchanger Modeler (UniSim CFE)

Energy recovery is one of the most important aspects of any
production facility today. Manufacturers must seek out the most
convenient and effective way to recover the excess energy
rejected from their production processes. This can be valuable
high-grade energy, but also lower-grade energy that often
requires large and costly exchangers. The cross-flow exchanger, UniSim PFE is for the detailed design and simulation of multi-
in which two fluid streams flow at right angles to each other, stream plate-fin heat exchangers made from brazed aluminum,
provides a relatively compact and cost-effective solution to this stainless steel or titanium. As a standalone program, UniSim PFE
problem. This design is also suitable for two-phase streams, in can be used for both ‘first pass’ calculations and detailed layer-
which the fluid condenses or boils/evaporates (changes phase) by-layer analysis to evaluate new uses, revamps, process
conditions and fouling cases. It can also perform full
UniSim CFE provides detailed thermal design, checking (rating)
thermosyphon modeling, where one or more exchanger streams
and simulation of air-cooled heat exchangers, as well as other
are subject to natural circulation, as well as cross flow streams.
cross-flow exchangers. It can be used to model a wide range of
When integrated with UniSim Design, this advanced program
equipment in which air or gas flows over tube bundles, including
enables engineers to rigorously model processes that use multi-
heat recovery tube banks, economizers, air-conditioning units,
stream plate-fin heat exchangers, such as LNG, ethylene, or air
wet air dehumidification, refrigeration coils, intercoolers, process
separation
air-cooled heat exchangers, and the convection sections of fired
heaters for industrial applications.
UniSim Heat Exchangers
Fired Process Heater Modeler (UniSim FPH)
Fired heaters are often used as hot oil heaters, catalyst
regenerators, cracking furnaces, and reactor charge heaters, as
well as for primary distillation of crude oil, steam reformers, and
heat recovery duties. The UniSim FPH program is for the
simulation of oil and gas fired heaters of the type used in process
industry. It provides designers and operators an effective and
reliable means for modeling, design checking, thermal rating, and
troubleshooting the operation of fired process heaters.
Plate Heat Exchanger Modeler (UniSim PHE)
Plate heat exchangers are commonly used for transferring heat
between medium- and low-pressure fluids, which requires a large
surface area for heat transfer. They are used for general heating
and cooling duties, including vaporization and condensation. The
UniSim PHE program is a single solution for the design, checking
(rating) and performance simulation of plate heat exchangers,
including gasketed, frame, welded and brazed plate exchangers.
4
Feedwater Heater Modeler (UniSim FWH)
Preheating the water delivered to a steam-generating boiler is an
important process in a power plant operation. Raising the
temperature of the feedwater—using some source that would
otherwise be wasted (e.g. steam bled from the turbines)—
improves the thermodynamic efficiency of the cycle. It also
avoids the thermal strains that result from feeding cold water into
a boiler. A typical configuration is a shell-and-tube heat
exchanger with the feedwater flowing inside the tubes, and steam
condensing outside. UniSim FWH is a specialist program for
power plant feedwater heaters that makes allowance for the
particular shell-and-tube geometry used for de-superheating,
condensing, and sub-cooling the steam heat source.
Process Pipeline Modeler (UniSim PPM)
Pipe is the most commonly used unit operation in a processing
facility. It carries the flow of fluids and connects plant equipment
from one to another. Understanding fluid behavior and optimizing
pipeline design has a direct impact on the safety, efficiency, and
productivity of any industrial process.
The UniSim PPL program is for the simulation of unbranched
pipelines. Allowance is made for bends, fittings and changes of
section, single or two-phase flow, and single or multiple chokes.
The program relates the inlet pressure, outlet pressure and
flowrate in a pipeline. Given any two of these parameters it
calculates the third.
UniSim Heat Exchangers 5

UniSIM PPL enables users to identify pressure losses and mass

flow rates in un-branched pipeline systems, and optimize the
pipeline size for available pumping power/pressure drop. The
two-phase flow mapping offers engineers a means to quantify
flow pattern and local conditions throughout a process pipeline
taking account of overall configuration, and therefore verify the
stability of flows regardless of pipe system topography.

For More Information

Learn more about how Honeywell’s UniSim Heat
Exchanger programs can optimize your process
operation visit our website
www.honeywellprocess.com/software or contact
your Honeywell account manager.
Honeywell Process Solutions
Honeywell
1250 West Sam Houston Parkway South
Houston, TX 77042
Honeywell Control Systems Ltd, Honeywell
House Skimped Hill Lane Bracknell RG12 1EB
Shanghai City Centre, 100 Junyi Road
Shanghai, China 20051 PN-15-21-ENG
April 2015
www.honeywellprocess.com © 2015 Honeywell International Inc.