A heat exchanger has been designed with heat transfer surface area of ‘A’ and overall heat transfer coefficient ‘U’, handling two different fluids of heat capacities $ C_{\text{min}} $ and $ C_{\text{max}} $. The parameter NTU used in the analysis of heat exchanger is specified as:
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When analyzing heat exchangers, use the relation \( \text{NTU} = \frac{A U}{C_{\text{min}}} \) for counterflow heat exchangers to estimate the number of transfer units.
Step 1: NTU Definition
The number of transfer units (NTU) in heat exchanger analysis is defined as:
\[
\text{NTU} = \frac{A U}{C_{\text{min}}}
\]
Where:
\( A \) is the heat transfer area,
\( U \) is the overall heat transfer coefficient,
\( C_{\text{min}} \) is the minimum heat capacity rate. Step 2: Conclusion
Thus, the correct expression for NTU is \( \boxed{\frac{A U}{C_{\text{min}}}} \).