GATE AG 2013 • Q31 NAT • 1 Mark

Section 7: Dairy and Food Engineering

Heat and Mass Transfer

Subtopic: Steady state heat transfer in conduction, convection and radiation

Question Statement:

The overall heat transfer coefficient based on the outside surface area of a tubular heat exchanger decreased due to fouling during operation from 1000 W m⁻²K⁻¹ to 800 W m⁻²K⁻¹. The fouling film coefficient of the heat exchanger in W m⁻²K⁻¹ is _______________

Official Answer Key:

4000

Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation

Fouling adds an extra thermal resistance in series: 1/U_dirty = 1/U_clean + 1/h_fouling. 1/h_fouling = 1/800 − 1/1000 = 0.00125 − 0.00100 = 0.00025 (m²K/W). h_fouling = 1/0.00025 = 4000 W/m²K.

Practice This in Real CBT Exam Interface

Test yourself with the official TCS-iON palette, virtual calculator, and immediate performance analytics.

Launch CBT Mock Test