Topic :

Enhancing Heat Exchanger Performance

Optimising Production And Reducing Energy

Presented by :
Martin Gough, Managing Director
Global Consulting Engineers for Heat Transfer
Solutions

• CALGAVIN established 1980

• Indian Office: Vadodara, India
• Heat exchangers enhanced
globally: 20000+
• Retrofits: 5,800+
• Countries Supplied: 50+
• Number of Industries: 15+
Engineering Services Provided

• Analytical engineering
Advise on design and performance improvement of
new and existing heat exchangers
• Design services
Evaluating specifications and modelling thermal &
hydraulic ratings (HTRI®, Aspentech® EDR &
CALGAVIN®.SP)
• CFD analysis
Identify heat exchanger poor performance root caused
by maldistribution, stratification or other causes via
CFD
CALGAVIN Global Locations
Extensive Thermal Research, Product Development
& Software
• Unique in-house Test Laboratory
• Scientific research into flow phenomena in collaboration with
multiple Universities
hiTRAN® Thermal Systems

The Science….
Direction of flow
Flow Visualisation
In laminar flow, there are no dynamics to
remove the thermally limiting laminar
boundary layer.

hiTRAN Thermal Systems removes

laminar boundary layer and mixes it
with displaced fluid from the centre.

The improved fluid dynamics changes the

mode of heat transfer at the boundary
layer from conduction to convection
thereby enhancing both heat
and mass transfer.
Benefits For New Equipment
Optimising exchanger systems to;
• Reduce number of bundles for same duty
• Reduce weight
• Reduce space requirement
• Lower energy demand
• Lower installation and maintenance costs
Benefits of Retrofitting
• Improve, integrate and optimise performance of existing equipment
• Increase production and reduce energy use
• Maintain performance by mitigating fouling
• Improve plant operability
• Reduce operating costs
• Low-cost investment
In Summary We Have Worked With…
Target Applications for hiTRAN® Technology

Condensers
Wet/Dry Crude Glycol Gas Feed/Effluent
Exchangers Dehydration Exchangers

Resin/Polymer LNG/LPG
Air Cooled Heat Reboilers Vaporisers
Coolers
Exchanger
Case Studies
Process Air-cooled Exchanger Enhancement
End User:
Reliance Industries, Surat, India
Contractor: Bechtel Limited
Service
Product Fractionator Bottoms Cooler
Exchanger
Tubeside Fluid: Vacuum Gas Oil (203 C to 88C)
Problem:
Planned upgrade hindered by bottlenecked exchangers.
Benefits:
• Replaced with hiTRAN bundle
• New duty met, with additional 10% capacity calculated – 38%Increased throughput
• Reused existing bays, fans, structures - no modifications
• Significant cost reduction
Export Oil Trim Cooler
End User
Kuwait Oil Oil Flow Air Cooler Duty - 9.7 MW
125 kg/sec
Inlet: 100°C
SERVICE Outlet: 60°C
ΔP Allowed: 103.4kPa
Export Oil Cooler
Duty: 9.7MW

EXCHANGER
API 661 Forced draft air cooler. Airflow
4 Bays in parallel, 2 bundles per bay Ambient Temperature: 50°C
ΔP allowed: 200 Pa
473 tubes per bundle Face Velocity: 2.1 m/sec

(31.75 x 2.1x 12,800mm)

 Case Study: Export Oil Trim Cooler

hiTRAN®
Empty

+5x Heat
Transfer Coeff.

Geometry Empty Tube Design hiTRAN® Design

Bays in parallel 8 4

Tubes per row / tube rows / No 50 / 12 / 8 43 / 11 / 2

of passes
Tube per bundle / Total 600 / 9600 473 / 3784

Plot area (m2) 712.3 309.7

Fan Power (kW) 271 107

Predicted cost after 10 years $3,100,000 $1,200,000 (incl. hiTRAN®)

Column Top Condenser Enhanced with hiTRAN
Designer: DOW Chemicals & CALGAVIN
Fabricator: Doosan Mecatec
End User: Reliance Industries

Dimensions:
8.2m Shell diameter.
15300 tubes
3m long w/ partial hiTRAN matrix

Benefits:
Reduced size
Improved heat and mass transfer
Feed/Effluent Exchanger Enhancement
Exchanger
• Heat recovery from reactor effluent
• Additional pre-heating provided by fired heater
• TEMA AES, 3 series x 2 parallel shells
• 2,521 tubes per shell (9m long)

Problem
• Insufficient heat transfer for higher throughput
• High fuel consumption in furnace (at firing limit)

hiTRAN® Benefits
• Improved performance
• Reduced maldistribution on tube-side
• Increased duty of 2.2 MW (+50%)
• Increase plant throughput
• Alternative: Fuel saving of $233,000 per year
CALGAVIN – The Future
The new Centre for Flow Processing, will be the focal
point for integration of commercial, research and
university educational activities to position the UK at the
forefront of this science led technology for future
generations.

The Centre for Flow Processing (CFP) will:

• House a state-of-the-art flow and heat transfer

laboratory
• Prototype development facilities
• Manufacturing for existing and new products
CALGAVIN Resource Portal https://www.calgavin.com/resource-portal

• CALGAVIN has a protected customer resource portal and knowledge base to explore and learn!
• Case studies (Offshore, Refining, Petrochemicals & Chemicals)
• Academic papers, conference papers & magazine articles
• Over 20 webinars (Heat exchanger design, condensation, maldistribution, vaporisation etc.)
Any questions?

Martin.Gough@calgavin.com
Ashwin.Chandarana@calgavin.com