Interaction of Heat Transfer Enhancement and Fouling in Operating Heat Exchangers

Abstract

Interactions of heat transfer enhancement and fouling can occur due the change in nature of the surface, operating condition, or the fluid itself. Interactions arising relating to higher clean heat transfer coefficients, and higher wall shear stresses of the enhanced surfaces are discussed in this paper. On the lab-scale, enhancement was often achieved by static elements, such as wire wrapping on a heated rod in an annular flow. Lab-scale tests of necessity suffered from effects of relatively short duration of runs, and re-circulation of a batch of liquid with the danger of changing the fluid composition during experiment. Nevertheless, initial fouling rate results consistent with expected trends could be achieved for hydrocarbon fouling, and particulate fouling. There is a continued need to better represent and compare performance of plain and enhanced surfaces over prolonged operating periods in industrial heat exchangers, using commercial enhancement technologies. Example case studies are discussed which demand different methods of comparing performances. A daily averaged cost analysis is identified as a possible systematic approach on the evaluation of the economic benefit of the use of enhancement devices. This is illustrated for a case study example where tube insert is used as an enhancement option.

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Edward Masato Ishiyama

Edward Ishiyama is a Senior Technical Lead (SmartPM) at HTRI. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. His research interests include applying heat transfer, process control, and thermodynamic principles to identify and solve problems associated with heat exchanger networks. His doctoral work entitled ‘Modeling of heat exchanger networks subject to fouling’ has led to the development of software tools to manage fouling in heat exchanger networks worldwide. He is currently the secretary of the International Conference on Heat Exchanger Fouling and Cleaning.

Simon John Pugh

Simon Pugh is the Senior Product Lead (SmartPM) at HTRI. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Brunel University, UK. Prior to joining HTRI in the fall of 2016, he was Director of Downstream Research at IHS in London, UK.  At HTRI he leads a group of engineers working on the development and application of new software, with particular emphasis on improved refinery heat exchanger network efficiency. With his team, he works closely as a consultant with engineers at several of the world’s leading refining companies, developing and applying SmartPM models.

Alan Paul Watkinson

Alan Paul Watkinson is Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He joined the faculty in 1971 after spending five years performing research in the pulp and paper and metallurgical process industries. From 1992 to 2001 he served as the head of the department. He holds a B.Eng. degree in Chemical Engineering from McMaster University, and M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from UBC. He is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, and a registered Professional Engineer in BC (1978–2021). He has carried out research on pyrolysis, gasification and combustion, heat exchanger performance, and biofuel use in rotary kilns. He has won awards for his research and has published numerous articles in scientific journals on conversion of coal, coke, shale, and biomass into gaseous and liquid fuels. He also coauthored patents on lignin-based liquid fuels, and on tar destruction in gasifiers.