Technical Paper: Optimizing the Cleaning of Heat Exchangers

Sector: Refining and Petrochemical

The proper performance of shell and tube type heat exchangers within a process can affect the cost of the final product, or even the production rate. Unfortunately, heat exchangers are prone to fouling, its nature depending on the fluids flowing within and over the tubes: and the reduction in heat transfer that results almost invariably has an impact on product cost. To reduce this impact, heat exchanger performance should be intelligently monitored and the heat exchanger cleaned atintervals that are determined from optimal economic criteria.