Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Selection of Heat Exchanger Types
Selection of Heat Exchanger Types
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
0 INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE 3
1 SCOPE 3
2 FIELD OF APPLICATION 3
3 DEFINITIONS 3
4 BACKGROUND 4
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
TABLE
FIGURES
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
This Guide is one of a series on heat transfer produced for GBH Enterprises.
Although the majority of heat exchangers used on chemical plant are shell and
tube units, there are many other types available. The engineer may have little
knowledge of the attributes of these other types so is not able to make a
reasonable selection. This Guide aims to assist in this task.
1 SCOPE
This Guide describes the factors which influence the choice of heat exchanger
and introduces the various types, giving their advantages and disadvantages.
It does not give hard and fast rules which will automatically lead to the selection
of the 'best' exchanger for a given duty; often there is no one correct solution.
Rather it seeks to give the engineer the information on which a rational decision
can be made.
2 FIELD OF APPLICATION
3 DEFINITIONS
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
With the exception of terms used as proper nouns or titles, those terms with initial
capital letters which appear in this document and are not defined above are
defined in the Glossary of Engineering Terms.
4 BACKGROUND
Increased profits are more likely to come through the development of new
products or processes than from the selection of better heat exchangers.
Because of this, the order of emphasis in selection is:
Attempts have been made in the past to develop selection methods for heat
exchangers, either in the form of flowcharts or scoring techniques. These
approaches often implicitly assume that there is a single 'correct' solution for
each problem. This is rarely the case. An initial screening can be done to reject
designs which are unsuitable for reasons of materials, operating conditions or
safety, for example, but the engineer will often be left with a range of designs to
consider. The final decision will be based on engineering judgment.
Probably 90% or more of heat exchangers in the industry are of the shell and
tube type. Although not necessarily the best design, shell and tube exchangers
can give satisfactory performance on most duties and their design, operation and
maintenance are well understood. As a result they are likely to be the standard
against which any alternative will be judged. Some of the hurdles which have to
be overcome before a different type of exchanger is installed are given in
Ref. [1].
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Certain types of equipment are less suitable than others for some of these duties.
For example plate and frame exchangers are not particularly suitable for handling
gases.
Often an exchanger is required to perform more than one of these duties for the
hot or cold fluid, or both. An example is the production of superheated vapor from
subcooled liquid. Sometimes it may be possible to do this in one exchanger. At
other times separate exchangers may be required for each stage; different types
of exchanger may be appropriate for the differing duties.
Mechanical and materials constraints may limit the operating pressures and
temperatures that can be handled by the equipment.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
5.4 Fouling
Many fluids handled on chemical plants have a tendency to foul the heat transfer
surfaces. Fouling is more likely in some types of exchanger than others. For
instance, particulate fouling tends to occur in zones where the velocity is low,
such as round the baffles in shell and tube exchangers.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Well established and proven methods exist for the thermal and mechanical
design of shell and tube exchangers. This is not so for many of the other types,
particularly those which can be classified as 'proprietary' designs. These often
use correlations for the thermal design which have not been published, and for
some types the mechanical design does not conform to any recognized code.
When purchasing such units, the engineer has to rely to some extent on the
manufacturer. It is true that manufacturers will generally offer a thermal and
mechanical guarantee, but their liabilities only cover replacing the unit if it fails to
perform. The consequential loss to a company may far outweigh the value of the
item. Where the mechanical design does not conform to an established code, the
GBH Enterprises mechanical engineer may insist on the unit or parts of a
prototype being pressure tested to a much higher pressure than would be normal
for an established design.
The installed cost of an item is significantly greater than the item cost, typically by
a factor of about 3. This covers the need to provide pipework, instruments,
foundations, lagging etc. Many of these are related to either the dimensions or
the weight of the item, or both. Considerable savings can often be made in the
total cost of an exchanger by the use of a compact design, even if the item cost
exceeds that of a more conventional exchanger. An extreme case of this is
equipment to be used offshore; the cost of providing 1 m2 of platform space was
quoted in 2009 at about $180,000 !
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(c) Plate heat exchangers with stainless steel, titanium or Hastelloy plates.
(e) Cylindrical 'polyblock' graphite exchangers with phenolic resin and PTFE
impregnation.
However, the Nelson Index data has to be used with care, as the cost information
is not always up to date; occasionally some serious discrepancies can occur.
More reliable information, including data on types of exchanger not covered by
Nelson Index, can be obtained by consulting manufacturers.( Ultimately, the only
totally reliable data for main plant item costs are manufacturers' quotations.)
The estimation of installed cost can be even more difficult, especially if the object
is to get a reasonable estimate of the difference in total cost between two
different types of exchanger for the same duty.
Figure 1 shows some data for main plant item costs obtained from NELSON
Index and are for illustrative purposes only. Figure 2 shows the estimated
installed costs for the same data.
Estimates of cost are frequently given on the basis of exchanger area. This can
be misleading when comparing different types unless the different heat transfer
coefficients of different designs are taken into account. What really matters is the
cost for the required duty. Some so-called 'Compact' exchangers often score by
giving higher heat transfer coefficients than the equivalent shell and tube units for
the same pressure drop, rather than by packing more surface into a given
volume.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
For additional information on shell and tube exchangers and their applications,
see GBHE-PEG-HEA-507, GBHE-PEG-HEA-508, GBHE-PEG-HEA-515,
GBHE-PEG-HEA-516 and Ref. [2].
Suitable for all types of duty; single phase gas and liquid, boiling,
condensation. Slurries should not be handled on the shell side because of
the risk of deposit build-up in the dead zones. Materials which become
viscous on cooling, if cooled on the shell side, may give problems with
severe bypassing.
Can be fabricated in most materials. The tubes are generally metallic, but
specialist manufacturers offer units with tubes of graphite, plastic or silicon
carbide.
(d) Fouling
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
With a removable bundle, all parts can be inspected visually. With a fixed
tubesheet design, only the tube side can be inspected visually, but
techniques such as ultrasonic thickness measurements can be useful to
give a measure of the condition of the tubes. Except for U-tube designs,
replacement of individual tubes is possible.
Shell and tube exchangers have a low surface/volume ratio. The basic
surface/volume ratio of the bundle is typically 50 to 120 m2/m3; the overall
figure is reduced further by the volume of the headers, allowance for the
flanges etc., and also, if a removable bundle is used, by the space
required for bundle removal. They are thus relatively large and heavy.
Units have been fabricated with over 5000 m2 of heat transfer surface,
with diameters of over 4 m and lengths of over 20 m.
(j) Cost
Shell and tubes exchangers are widely recommended for most client
plants, and if properly designed and operated give years of trouble free
performance.
Shell and tube exchangers are usually classified with reference to the
TEMA designations, with a three letter code describing front end head
type, shell type and rear end head type. See Ref. [2] for more information.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Note:
Type P is sometimes referred to as “Outside packed stuffing box”, type S
as “Split ring floating head” and type W as “Outside packed lantern ring”.
The simplest form of shell and tube exchanger is the single pass fixed
tubesheet design, or TEMA type -EL, -EM or -EN.
The tube to tubesheet joints on a shell and tube exchanger are subject to
forces due to differential expansion between the shell and tubes. If these
forces would be too high for a simple fixed tubesheet design, some
provision has to be made to reduce them. This is done either by providing
a bellows in the shell or using one of the other rear end head types shown
in Figure 3.
The use of bellows should be avoided where possible. Not only are
bellows expensive, sometimes adding significantly to the cost of the
exchanger, but they represent a weak point in the shell. They are sensitive
to corrosion, overload (including an excessive number of cycles) and poor
welding. They provide a stagnant region where, because solids can settle
out or conditions become modified for other reasons, corrosion is more
likely. Repair is often impossible and replacement can require major
dismantling of the exchanger.
If bellows are specified for an exchanger which is lagged and out of doors,
there is a possibility of rainwater corrosion unless steps are taken to
prevent water from getting below the lagging.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
The U-tube exchanger obviously has to have more than a single pass on
the tube side. Multiple pass exchangers are also used with the other types
of rear end head for one of two reasons:
(b) Where the tube side flow rate is much less than the shell side. The
use of multiple passes allows the designer to achieve a reasonable
tube side velocity and hence heat transfer coefficient without an
excessive shell side pressure drop.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
The use of multiple tube passes other than two pass U-tubes for tube side
condensation or boiling can present design problems because of phase
separation in the headers. This results in different flowrates and
compositions in different tubes of the same pass, which cannot be allowed
for with the design programs used. Condensers can be designed in which
the condensate is removed at the end of each pass (inter-pass luting).
This gets round the design problem, in that each tube of a given pass will
have the same composition. However, the flowrate through each pass will
be different, so the normal programs cannot be used directly; each pass
will require to be designed in isolation and the results merged together.
Moreover, there may be problems with flashing in the pipework where the
condensate streams from the various passes are mixed.
The split flow arrangements of types G and H are usually only found in
horizontal thermosyphon reboilers. Here, some leakage around the
longitudinal baffle will have only a minor effect on the performance.
The type J shell, with one shell side inlet and two outlets, is used for cases
where there is a low allowable pressure drop, since half the flow is flowing
through half the length of the shell. It is effectively two E shells back-to-
back.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
The kettle type K is a special case of the shell and tube exchanger with an
oversized shell to allow for vapor disengagement when used as a boiler.
The bundle can be a fixed tubesheet design, in which case the shell will
taper at both ends rather than just the one as shown in Figure 3. More
usually, the bundle will be a type U or T (see 6.1.1.2). See GBHE-PEG-
HEA-507 for more information on reboilers.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Types C and N are used to reduce the number of main flanges on the
exchanger, particularly when handling hazardous materials and/or subject
to severe mechanical duties (e.g. high temperature cyclic duties). They
have the disadvantage that it is difficult to access the tubesheet face for
repairs, particularly for replacement of the outer tubes; it may be
necessary to specify a larger than normal bundle-to-shell clearance for
this purpose, which may lead to excessive bundle bypassing. As the
clearance is only required on the tube side, this can be avoided by using a
larger diameter for the header than the main shell, as shown in Figure 5
(c).
.
6.1.2 Fluid Allocation
The choice as to which fluid to put on the shell side and which on the tube
side is influenced by several factors. Often these are in conflict, with some
factors suggesting the hot fluid on the shell side and some on the tube
side. In this case some compromise is required and it may be necessary
to perform designs for both alternatives, and select the cheaper.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
If one of the fluids requires the use of a corrosion resistant, and hence
probably expensive, material of construction, whereas the other can be
contained in a cheaper material, it is usually cheaper to put the corrosive
fluid on the tube side. This will require the tubes and headers to be made
of the corrosion resistant material, whereas the shell and baffles can be in
the cheaper material. The tubesheet will either be made of the expensive
material in solid form or from cheaper material such as carbon steel clad
with the more expensive material on the header side, whichever is
cheaper.
If the corrosive material is placed on the shell side, only the headers can
be made of the cheaper material. Cladding the shell side of the tubesheet
is not usually a practical proposition. It may be economic to consider lining
the shell with a corrosion resistant material.
6.1.2.2 Fouling
Fouling is generally less of a problem on the tube side, and cleaning of the
tube side is easier than the shell side. If it is required to clean the shell
side mechanically, it will probably be necessary to use a square tube
pitch, which implies a larger shell for the same surface area.
6.1.2.3 Pressures
It is usually preferable to put the fluid which requires the higher design
pressure on the tube side as the required shell thickness is then less. This
becomes more important at higher pressures.
6.1.2.4 Flowrates
For a given flowrate and film coefficient, the pressure drop of the shell side
fluid is generally less than the tube side.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
When the shell side heat transfer coefficient is controlling, the effective
coefficient can sometimes be enhanced by the use of low fin tubing with
relatively small pressure drop penalty. Tube side enhancement devices,
such as twisted tapes or looped wire inserts, usually impose a larger
penalty on pressure drop, but can be very useful when dealing with high
viscosity fluids or laminar flow applications.
These units are sometimes known as 'polyblock' exchangers. See Figure 6. For
general information on graphite heat exchangers.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Suitable for all types of duty; single phase gas and liquid, boiling,
condensation.
(d) Fouling
(f) Repairs
The units can be dismantled for inspection. If the graphite is damaged, the
damaged blocks have to be replaced, but undamaged ones can be
reused.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(j) Cost
Contact Us.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(f) Repairs
(j) Cost
Contact us.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
A typical air cooled process heat exchanger is shown in Figure 8. For more
detailed information on air cooled heat exchangers and a discussion on the
relative merits of air and water cooling see GBHE-PEG-HEA-513.
Tubes and headers can be fabricated in most materials. Fins are usually
aluminium, although galvanized steel is sometimes used in corrosive
environments, but with a considerable loss in fin efficiency.
(d) Fouling
With the correct choice of header box design, easy access to the tube side
for mechanical cleaning is possible. See GBHE-PEG-HEA-513 for more
information on fouling and cleaning of the air side.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Notes:
(1) The supports for the fan and motor have been omitted for clarity.
(2) One fan and plenum have been omitted to show the tubing.
Serious corrosion of aluminium fins has occurred in the past on sites with
a polluted atmosphere, but current hygiene standards have largely
eliminated this problem. The major problems are around air side cleaning
and fan drives. Noise emitted from the fans and drives can be a problem.
(f) Repairs
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Typical air cooled heat exchangers using 1" tubes on a 2 to 2.5" pitch
have a low process (inside) surface/volume ratio of about 30 to 35 m2/m3.
Moreover, as the thickness of the bundle is usually low, the plot area
requirements are large. Large units are built up from individual bundles
with multiple fans. There is thus no limit to the ultimate size of an
installation. However, there may be distribution problems with the manifold
of large installations. See GBHE-PEG-HEA-513 for more details.
(j) Cost
The capital cost of air cooled heat exchangers is high, principally because
of the high installation costs. In addition, there is a continued running cost
for the fans. However, this has to be compared with the capital and
operating cost of cooling tower installations. An optimization of capital
against running cost should be performed at the design stage. See
Appendix A of PEG.HEA.203 for a preliminary costing method for air
cooled heat exchangers.
Contact us.
Where suitable, the plate and frame exchanger is likely to be the most
economic choice. Very good for liquids. Their use for condensing and
boiling duties is low at present, but the manufacturers are moving into
these applications. Not well suited for gases. Not very suitable for liquids
where the flowrates of the two streams differ widely. For an economic
design, a reasonable allowable pressure drop (say > 0.25 bar) is generally
desirable, but they should not be ruled out for lower pressure drop cases.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Plates can be made from any material which can be pressed, but are not
available in carbon steel. Alfa-Laval and Vicarb also offer plates in
graphite. Gaskets are normally elastomeric, with Viton as the most
resistant readily available. Selection of a suitable gasket material is often
more of a problem than plate material. Some applications using CAF
(compressed asbestos fibre) gaskets are known, but these frequently
pose problems with achieving and maintaining a seal.
(d) Fouling
Intrinsically less prone to many types of fouling than are shell and tube
units. Typical design fouling resistances should be ½ to ¼ of those for
shell and tube units. There are no dead spaces where deposits may
accumulate. However, fibrous solids tend to collect at the contact points
between successive plates, and build up rapidly. Either the tube side
of a shell and tube unit or a spiral plate exchanger is better for fibrous
materials. Can be easily disassembled for cleaning if required.
The plates are very thin, typically under 1 mm, so no significant corrosion
can be tolerated. The weak points are usually the gaskets, although with
proper assembly these should give no problems within their design limit.
Note:
The gasket design prevents cross contamination of the fluids even if the gasket
should leak; all leaks are to atmosphere. Cross contamination can only occur
from corrosion failure of the plates.
It is recommended practice to surround the plate stack with a thin carbon steel
shroud, open at the base, to deflect any leaks to ground and avoid spraying
personnel. Not recommended for toxic or flammable liquefied gases.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Manufacturers have their own thermal design methods, which are specific
to the detailed dimensions of their plate designs. Computer programs are
commercially available to do preliminary estimations (see GBHE-PEG-
HEA-513 05), but should not be relied on for final design. Because of the
ease with which the size of a plate and frame exchanger can be modified,
by the addition or subtraction of plates, reliance on manufacturers
presents no major problem. Mechanical design is proprietary.
(j) Cost
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Can be used for any type of duty; condensing, boiling or single phase,
including slurries.
(d) Fouling
The smooth flow path with absence of dead zones makes the spiral
exchanger particularly suited to handling slurries, including fibrous
materials. Other forms of fouling, such as scaling, may be expected to be
comparable with the tube side of shell and tube exchangers, although the
manufacturers claim that the curved flowpath produces a scrubbing action
that keeps the surfaces clean, enabling lower fouling resistances to be
used.
Normal designs, with spiral flow both sides, give access to both sides for
mechanical cleaning. The spiral flow/cross flow variant can only be
cleaned mechanically on the cross flow side.
Unlike the gasketed plate and frame exchanger, the spiral plate only has
two main gaskets. Moreover, these are arranged between conventional
flanges which can be bolted up to a high degree, and use conventional
gasket materials. The unit should thus be as reliable as a shell and tube
exchanger, and should be suitable for handling toxic or flammable
liquefied gases.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
If the heat transfer surface fails through local corrosion, unless this occurs
at the edge of the plates, it is almost impossible to repair the exchanger.
The main block of the exchanger will have to be replaced, although it may
be possible to reuse the cover plates.
Spiral exchangers are comparable in volume to shell and tube units with
the same surface. However, they are generally more squat in shape, and
require less space for servicing. The standard design, with spiral flow on
both sides, operates in pure counter-current flow, so will have a higher
effectiveness than a shell and tube unit with mixed flow. Their squat
shape and circular cross section makes them suitable for direct mounting
on distillation columns as condensers or reboilers. See GBHE-PEG-HEA-
516 for more information on the use of spiral exchangers as refluxing
condensers.
(j) Cost
The costs of spiral exchangers are generally between those of shell and
tube and gasketed plate types.
Contact us
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Ducts can be made from any suitable material; lining may be used
if the gas is corrosive. Tube material is governed by the nature of
the tube side fluid. Fins will normally be of aluminium for non-
corrosive duties up to medium temperatures, say gas temperatures
up to 150 to 200°C. At higher temperatures carbon steel fins are
often used, and for corrosive gases more exotic materials will be
necessary.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(d) Fouling
No information.
(f) Repairs
No data.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(j) Cost
No data.
Contact Us
6.8 Plate-fin
For general information on plate-fin exchangers see Refs. [6] and [7]. Figure 9
shows the constructional details of a typical plate-fin exchanger.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
The use of aluminium limits the upper temperature of such units to about
65 to 90°C. There is no lower temperature limit, units being used on liquid
helium production. Typical upper pressure limits are 70 bar.
(d) Fouling
Not suitable for fouling duties; mechanical cleaning is not possible, and
the small passages can readily become blocked.
No information.
(f) Repairs
No information.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(j) Cost
No information.
Contact Us
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
A typical plate for a PCHE, before bonding, is shown in Figure 10. Note the zig-
zag channels. The small channel size of a PCHE results in low Reynolds
numbers, producing laminar flow in some cases. In straight tubes, the growth of
the boundary layer results in a fall-off in heat transfer coefficient with distance,
although with the small channels typical of a PCHE the limiting coefficient may
still be quite high. By repeatedly tripping the flow, this effect of this fall-off is
minimized, giving a beneficial trade-off between pressure drop and coefficient.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(d) Fouling
Not suitable for most fouling duties, although the absence of dead spots
implies that if fouling can be surface shear controlled, a PCHE might still
be feasible. The units cannot be mechanically cleaned, and if passages
become blocked, the chances of chemical cleaning are remote. Work
within ICI suggests that particles of up to at least of the channel
dimensions will find their way through the exchanger, but in practice
filtration of the process stream to a much smaller size is recommended,
even if particulate fouling is not expected.
A large unit installed on the Nitric Acid Plant in Europe, suffered from
corrosion failure, which was originally ascribed to a minor fault in the
diffusion bonding process. The manufacturer's quality control procedures
have since been tightened. However, the replacement unit has since also
suffered a minor failure. After investigation, it has been concluded, that
this was due to incorrect estimation of the acid dew-point of the process
gases, leading to condensation in some passages. Stainless steel is an
inappropriate material of construction if condensation occurs. This failure
is not a valid reason to reject PCHEs for the right duties. Experience of the
use of PCHEs in the USA, particularly in the refrigeration industry, is
extensive, and shows the PCHE to be very reliable.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(f) Repairs
Leakage can only be dealt with by welding up the ends of passages. The
reliability of units after welding is still under debate.
The highly compact nature of the PCHE makes innovative space saving
designs more possible.
Note:
The approach area remains close to that of more conventional units; the
savings are all in the length of the exchanger.
(j) Cost
Can be very competitive for the right duty. The units are particularly
suitable for high pressure duties. They are unlikely to be competitive for
duties for which a plate and frame exchanger is suitable.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Contact Us
(d) Fouling
Because they involve moving parts, glands, bearings etc., they can be
expected to require more maintenance than conventional exchangers.
(f) Repairs
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
The applications for which scraped surface units are appropriate are those
in which thermal performance is unlikely to be calculable by normal
methods. It is normal practice to base the design on trials conducted either
at the manufacturer's premises or on a pilot unit leased from a
manufacturer. The cost of conducting trials can vary greatly between
manufacturers.
(j) Cost
An expensive way to provide heat transfer surface, but may be the only
practical solution to some problems.
There are a variety of types of exchanger which come under the generic
heading of welded or brazed plate. They are all of a 'proprietary' nature.
If all gaskets are to be avoided, the complete plate stack can be brazed.
This gives an exchanger where the risks of leakage are minimized.
However, this is at the expense of the flexibility and ease of cleaning of
the conventional plate and frame unit.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
As the plate designs are basically the same as for the gasketed
units, the thermal methods for the above should apply. Mechanical
design is proprietary.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Can be used for all types of duty, but, like the plate and frame unit, may
not be suitable for gas-gas duties.
All wetted parts can be fabricated from stainless steel or higher alloys.
Vicarb have considerable experience in working with exotic materials,
including titanium, zirconium, tantalum and Hastelloy.
(d) Fouling
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
All welded joints should be accessible for inspection. The normal design
relies on conventional gaskets between the cover plates and the plate
stack. For ultrasecure duties, Vicarb can offer a modified design where the
cover linings are welded to the corners of the plate stack, to give an all-
welded construction, but in this case, the ability to perform mechanical
cleaning is sacrificed.
(f) Repairs
Vicarb claim these units give the smallest floor space requirements of any
exchanger, only 1 m2 being required for a 300 m2 unit, the largest they
make. The surface/volume ratio is typically 65 m2/m3.
(j) Cost
Not available
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
There are a variety of other proprietary designs of exchanger in which the basic
elements are plates with a range of different shapes pressed into them, joined by
edge welding.
Manufacturers include:
(a) Bavex
The design consists of plates welded together round the edge to form
essentially rectangular channels. Alternate channels have their opposite
sides spot welded together at intervals either by embossing the plates or
using studs. These channels are self resistant to pressures up to 40 bar.
The other channels, without the cross welding, may not take such high
pressures. The maximum operating temperature is quoted as 700°C.
(c) Packinox
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(a) The inner tube or tubes are hairpins, passing through two shells which are
themselves connected at the far end.
(b) Special flange systems enable the tube or bundle to be withdrawn from
the shells.
(c) The design is modular in concept; large exchangers can be built up from
standard units in a suitable series-parallel arrangement.
Figure 12 shows some of the features of the ‘Brown Fintube' multitube heat
exchanger.
Can be used for any duty, but the long flow length and pure counter-
current flow make the design particularly suited to duties with a large
temperature cross-over.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Standard units are available in carbon and stainless steels, nickel alloys
and aluminium. Units for specialized duties can be fabricated in other
materials.
(4) Fouling
In general good, but there is evidence on some units of the fins becoming
detached over a period of time.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(6) Repairs
The standard nominal length for the exchangers is 20 feet. Shorter units
can be provided, but as much of the cost is in the flange systems, are
likely to be less economic. Single tube units come with shell inside
diameters from 2 to 6" and tube diameters from 1 to 4.5". Multi-tube units
have shells up to 16" nominal diameter, and surface areas up to 175 m2
based on the use of ¾" tubes.
(9) Cost
Outwardly, these look similar to a shell and tube exchanger, with the tubes
replaced by heater elements.
These usually consist of a helical coil through which the fluid flows and
which is used as the secondary winding for a transformer. By connecting
the ends of the coil electrically, a short circuit is created resulting in a large
current flowing through the coil at low voltage, which heats the coil, and
hence the fluid, by resistance heating. More information on the use of
electric process heaters can be found in GBHE-PEG-HEA-509 and Ref.
[9].
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Electric heaters can in principle be used for any heating duty. Their main
areas of application are high temperature duties, as alternatives to fired
heaters, heating in locations where other heating fluids are not readily
available, cryogenic duties, where there is a risk of freezing condensate,
and in areas where power is cheap. Units can be supplied for duties from
a few kilowatts up to 20 MW. The attraction at these small loads over a
fired heater is that they are more compact than a fired unit, require less
infrastructure (fuel supplies etc.) and less instrumentation. They are thus
cheaper at the small scale.
(4) Fouling
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
When used properly, electric heaters will last for many years without
problems. However, if the user attempts to operate an electric heater
using the same methods as used on conventional exchangers, the
equipment can well be damaged; maloperation can result not only in
burnout of the elements, but also failure of the shell due to radiation from
very hot elements, with consequent loss of containment.
Compared with a fired process heater, electric heaters are very compact.
General dimensions will be comparable with a shell and tube exchanger
operating with the same temperature difference. Significant space and
weight savings can be made because there is no service pipework.
(9) Cost
The economics of the use of an electric heater will depend very much on
the duty. Electricity would normally be considered an expensive form of
energy for process heating. However, the local thermal efficiency of an
electric heater is almost 100%; there are no stack losses such as occur
with a fired heater, for example. This can be particularly important for high
temperature applications.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
More information on fired process heaters can be found in Ref. [10. Fired
process heaters usually consist of a refractory lined firebox, either rectangular or
cylindrical, with one or more burners fired with either gas or liquid fuel. Tubes
containing the process fluids may be located in the radiant zone of the firebox
and also in banks in the exhaust ductwork where convection is the dominant heat
transfer mechanism. Several different process streams may be handled in the
same unit, although it is rare to have different fluids in the same firebox. In
addition, the thermal economy of the unit may be increased by the addition of a
waste heat boiler, which may include an economizer and/or superheater for
steam raising, and an air preheater. Units can operate in natural draft, but in
more recent units normally the air flow is assisted by fans, using either forced
draft, induced draft or balanced draft arrangements.
An arrangement with many of these features is shown in Figure 13.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
(d) Fouling
Fouling on the hot side of the exchanger depends on the fuel being used
for heating. Gas fired units generally have low levels of fouling, whereas
oil fired units are more prone to foul. Even greater levels of fouling can be
expected with solid fuel firing, but such units are not common for process
duties.
Tube side fouling will depend on the process duty. With the potential for
very high temperatures, cracking fouling and coking may occur. Moreover,
like electric heaters, the radiant tubes operate at essentially constant heat
flux. Internal fouling will lead to overheating of the tube metal, with
premature failure and loss of containment.
Because of the presence of both air and fuel in the combustion chamber,
there is always the possibility of the formation of explosive mixtures.
Considerable attention is paid to the design of safety features such as
flame failure devices to reduce the risks to an acceptable level. The
process materials in the tubes are often themselves flammable, and
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
Contact Us
.
(g) Dimensions and weight
(j) Cost
Varies widely, dependent on the duty of the fired heater (from small
standard heaters to customized crackers and steam reformers).
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
[3] HTFS Handbook sheet SM6 'LMTD correction factors for heat
exchangers.' July 1985.
[5] HTFS Handbook sheets AM1, AM3, AM5, AM7, SM3, SM4.
[8] Kays & London 'Compact Heat Exchangers'. McGraw Hill. 1984.
[10] HTFS Handbook sheet RE3. 'Fired process heaters.' D J Bate. 1985.
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries
BRITISH STANDARDS
AMERICAN STANDARDS
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code : Section VIII : Division I : Pressure
Vessels (referred to in 6.1).
Refinery Process Stream Purification Refinery Process Catalysts Troubleshooting Refinery Process Catalyst Start-Up / Shutdown
Activation Reduction In-situ Ex-situ Sulfiding Specializing in Refinery Process Catalyst Performance Evaluation Heat & Mass
Balance Analysis Catalyst Remaining Life Determination Catalyst Deactivation Assessment Catalyst Performance
Characterization Refining & Gas Processing & Petrochemical Industries Catalysts / Process Technology - Hydrogen Catalysts /
Process Technology – Ammonia Catalyst Process Technology - Methanol Catalysts / process Technology – Petrochemicals
Specializing in the Development & Commercialization of New Technology in the Refining & Petrochemical Industries