Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U) Calculator

Inspectable records

Ledger state

The current ledger marks this instrument verified with errata that must be applied at binding time.

Area

Thermodynamics, Fluids & Aero

Tranche

tranche-4

Evidence ID

t4-192

Ledger rows

1

No ledger note is attached.

Review findings

The written resistance equation has the correct convection and cylindrical-wall terms, but the fouling term and U area basis are insufficiently defined. The honest label should state whether fouling inputs are total K/W or area-specific m²·K/W, identify inside versus outside fouling surfaces, expose whether the result is Ui or Uo, and disclose the required positivity and unit constraints. The TEMA fouling table also requires a defined source, applicability range, and temperature/fluid assumptions.

Formula and scope findings

• The formula is valid only when Rfouling is a total thermal resistance in K/W. Standard fouling factors are area-specific in m²·K/W and must appear as Rf,i/Ai and/or Rf,o/Ao; the specification does not define which surface or area basis applies.
• The specification says fouling factors (plural), but the formula provides only one undefined Rfouling term.
• The formula computes UA first, so the implementation must explicitly calculate Ui=(UA)/Ai and/or Uo=(UA)/Ao. The output statement does not specify the default area basis.

Unit assumptions

• hi and ho are in W/(m²·K).
• k is in W/(m·K), ri and ro are in m, and L is in m; all geometric quantities must use a consistent length unit before calculation.
• Ai=2πriL and Ao=2πroL for a cylindrical tube.
• The test vectors interpret Rfouling as a total resistance in K/W solely to evaluate the written formula. Conventional area-specific fouling factors would require division by the applicable area.
• UA is in W/K; Ui and Uo are in W/(m²·K).
• A valid tube requires ro>ri>0 and L>0.

Boundary hardening

BREAK_CLAIMED · SELF_FLAGGED

The calculator should reject k=0 because the wall-resistance term divides by zero. The convention probe also exposes a substantial unit and radius-versus-diameter interpretation hazard if geometry metadata are not enforced.

Errata and corrections

Tranche errata

Inspectable example

4 review vectors are recorded. One source-bound sample is shown below.

{
  "inputs": {
    "hi": 1000,
    "ho": 50,
    "k": 16,
    "ri": 0.01,
    "ro": 0.012,
    "L": 1,
    "Rfouling": 0,
    "units": "hi,ho W/(m²·K); k W/(m·K); dimensions m; Rfouling K/W"
  },
  "expected_outputs": {
    "UA_W_per_K": 3.534,
    "Ui_W_per_m2K": 56.241,
    "Uo_W_per_m2K": 46.868
  },
  "working": "Ai=2π(0.01)(1)=0.0628319 m²; Ao=2π(0.012)(1)=0.0753982 m². Ri=1/(1000×0.0628319)=0.0159155 K/W. Rwall=ln(0.012/0.01)/(2π×16×1)=ln(1.2)/100.531=0.0018136 K/W. Ro=1/(50×0.0753982)=0.2652582 K/W. Rtotal=0.0159155+0+0.0018136+0.2652582=0.2829873 K/W. UA=1/0.2829873=3.5337 W/K. Ui=3.5337/0.0628319=56.241 W/(m²·K). Uo=3.5337/0.0753982=46.868 W/(m²·K)."
}

Related workflows

Sources and evidence

These pointers bind the page to evidence. They do not grant authority or collapse verification into deployment.

• VERIFIED_LEDGER.json · VERIFIED_WITH_ERRATA
• evidence-tranche4/tranche4-results.json
• BOUNDARY_HAZARD_CATALOG.json