HTRI Process Heat Transfer Technology - Fouling and PHE Hans U. Zettler Heat Transfer Research, Inc.

NOVEM/NLAHX Meeting The Hague, The Netherlands November 29th, 2002

Outline
l Benefits of using HTRI Technology l Crude Oil Fouling Research l HTRI Xchanger Suite - Xphe

Using HTRI Technology

Fouling Research l Important to effectively benefit from progress in heat transfer research l Need to distinguish between true fouling and safety factors l Should consider effect of operating conditions and fluid characteristics

Cooling Water Fouling Rate Correlation

l Original Formulation of Deposit Removal Concept
x d f kf dt dR E f = C2 = C1d n exp R RT dt b g as

Cooling Tower Water

l Seven year study: 40 water compositions l Exhibited asymptotic rate behavior l Asymptotic fouling factor solved from rate equation with deposit term = removal term

E * b R f = C3 C4 exp C5 C 6 aTs exp R T g sa

Behavior of a Selected Cooling Water

Fouling Factor, hr ft2 F /Btu
1.0

0.1 65.5

Surface Temperature, C
76.7

0.01

0.001 54.4 0.0001 2 4 6 8 10 12

Velocity, ft/sec

TEMA fouling factor

Water Fouling Model

Cooling water fouling model

Summary
l Cooling water fouling example confirms advantage of research incorporated in HTRI Xchanger Suite

Crude Oil Fouling Research Overview

l Background l Summary of Results l Plots of All Data l Prediction Model l Recent Surface Studies l Conclusions

Studies to Date
l Conditions
Temperatures Flow velocities

l Surfaces
Stainless, carbon steel, polished, finned

l Properties/Components
Physical properties (density, viscosity) Inorganics: sulfur, metals (except salt) Component types (CII)

Results: Ranking of Important Parameters

Twelve Crudes l Surface temperature l Velocity l Component types l Surface l Inorganics (except salt) l Other physical properties

Surface Temperature Effect > 260 C (500 F)

l Fouling rate is exponentially related to surface temperature l Arrhenius function is applicable
Activation energy, function of reaction type
l cracking straight chain molecules l asphaltene decomposition

Component Types
Typical Concentrations l Asphaltenes (<5 10%)
Cause fouling as function of surface temperature and residence time on surface

l Aromatics and Resins (40 60%)

Have stable cyclic molecules that stabilize asphaltenes in solution

Component Types
Typical Concentrations l Saturates (30 60%)
Have straight or branched-chain single-bond molecules Cause fouling by
l destabilizing asphaltenes, which causes them to clump in large groups (micelles) that decompose at the surface l cracking to coke at high surface temperature

Colloidal Instability Index (CII)

l Definition

CII =

(Saturates + Asphaltenes) (Resins + Aromatics )

l Apparent effects, based on current research

Low range < 0.5: Stable crude, low fouling High range > 1.2: Unstable crude, high fouling Mid-range: No effect correlated between CII and fouling

Velocity
l Low velocity
Diffusion limited Fouling increases with velocity

l High velocity
Deposit shearing Fouling decreases with velocity

Velocity
l Mid-range
Direct velocity effects difficult to correlate
Fouling Rate

Velocity

Indirect effects on wall temperature are significant

Recent Surface Studies

l Fins: Increase on-stream time by providing more surface for deposition l Surface roughness: fouling rates
Highest to lowest
l carbon steel l stainless steel l electropolished stainless steel

Inorganics/Properties
l Reactive sulfur
Some indication it increases fouling

l Other inorganics (except salt)

No conclusive evidence of effects

l Properties (density, viscosity)

No conclusive evidence of effects

Conclusions
l At given velocity and within certain ranges, crudes foul according to the Arrhenius reaction rate equation l Crudes that have very low or very high values of CII, however, do not fit the pattern and require special evaluation l Bulk temperature may be more important than once thought l Surface enhancements have some potential but more research is needed

Benefits
l Current: On-stream time can be increased by using higher velocities l Future: Deposit-removal model, in combination with component effects, is potentially a valuable tool to quantify effects of higher velocity in designing lower fouling crude exchangers

HTRI Xchanger Suite

Concept
l Consistent Microsoft Windows interface (GUI) l Design/rating of multiple unit types Air coolers Economizers Shell-and-tube exchangers Plate heat exchangers Interactive shell-and-tube tubesheet layout HTRI Property Generator l Platform for future units

Xphe 2.0
l New HTRI Xchanger Suite component
Calculation engine/interface combination Heat transfer and pressure drop for plate and frame exchangers

l Look and feel of Xchanger Suite

Xace, Xist, Xtlo

Xphe Interface

Calculation Options
l Rating l Simulation l Design
Grid design Classic design Grid of classic designs

l Single-phase liquid

Geometry
l One to six hot/cold passes l Mixed passes, e.g., 1 hot/2 cold l One or two plate types
Up to three effective chevron angles

l Multiple sub-streams (plate groups)

Maximum 12 total

Geometry
l Cocurrent or countercurrent flow
Within and between passes

l Internal plate databank l User-defined plate type databank

Incrementation
1

10 1 2 3 4 5 6

Incrementation
1

10 1 2 3 4 5 6

Internal Plate Databank

User-defined Plate Databank

User-defined Plate Databank

New plate in user databank

Plate Configuration

l Passes
Four hot/three cold Channel specification automatically calculated

Port Arrangement

Reports View

Graphs View 3D

Graphs View 2D