Evaluation of crude oil heat exchanger network fouling behavior under aging conditions for scheduled cleaning

dc.contributor.authorDiaby, A.
dc.contributor.authorMiklavcic, S.
dc.contributor.authorBari, S.
dc.contributor.authorAddai-Mensah, J.
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractHeat exchanger network (HEN) fouling is an endemic operational challenge prevalent in many process industries. Its impact on both plant operating cost and productivity is significant and can be compounded by aging effects of the foulant. In this paper, we model and simulate the effect of aging on tube-side fouling and cleaning dynamics in a crude oil refinery preheat train (PHT) comprising a 14-unit HEN. A prescient, HEN modeling and dynamic simulation were performed wherein the transients of fouling and aging as well as the interactions between individual units were captured. To assess the temporal effects, different crude oil deposit (gel) aging scenarios (no aging vs. slow, medial, and fast aging) in the downstream units were considered for the PHTs’ overall heat recovery, cleaning options, and operability. The results show that the deleterious impact of fouling and concomitant aging, quantified in terms of thermal resistances, was significantly reduced by fast aging as opposed to medial, slow, or no aging of the gel deposit. Faster aging rate reflected improved heat recovery and a lesser demand for and lower cost of PHT cleaning. The concomitant higher growth of coke deposit due to aging, however, resulted in greater hydraulic resistance, which is inimical to operability.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityAbdullatif Lacina Diaby, Stanley Joseph Miklavcic, Saiful Bari and Jonas Addai-Mensah
dc.identifier.citationHeat Transfer Engineering, 2016; 37(15):1211-1230
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/01457632.2015.1119583
dc.identifier.issn0145-7632
dc.identifier.issn1521-0537
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/113686
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherTaylor & Francis
dc.rightsCopyright © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/01457632.2015.1119583
dc.titleEvaluation of crude oil heat exchanger network fouling behavior under aging conditions for scheduled cleaning
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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