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The fouling in the tubular heat exchanger of Algiers refinery

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Abstract

Crude oil fouling in refinery preheat exchangers is a chronic operational problem that compromises energy recovery in these systems. Progress is hindered by the lack of quantitative knowledge of the dynamic effects of fouling on heat exchanger transfer and pressure drops. In subject of this work is an experimental determination of the thermal fouling resistance in the tubular heat exchanger of the crude oil preheats trains installed in an Algiers refinery. By measuring the inlet and outlet temperatures and mass flows of the two fluids, the overall heat transfer coefficient has been determined. Determining the overall heat transfer coefficient for the heat exchanger with clean and fouled surfaces, the fouling resistance was calculated. The results obtained from the two cells of exchangers studies, showed that the fouling resistance increased with time presented an exponential evolution in agreement with the model suggested by Kern and Seaton, with the existence of fluctuation caused by the instability of the flow rate and the impact between the particles. The bad cleaning of the heat exchangers involved the absence of the induction period and caused consequently, high values of the fouling resistance in a relatively short period of time.

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Abbreviations

A:

The heat transfer external surface (m2)

a⊥, ac⊥ :

The fluid passage area at side tube and side calender, respectively (m2)

CP :

The heat-storage capacity (kJ/kg °C)

CPf, Cpc :

The heat-storage capacity (kJ/kg °C)

d:

The fluid circulating density at side tube

di:

Tubes interns diameter (m)

d0,e :

Diamètre externe des tubes (m)

d 154 :

Density

Dc, De :

Diamètre de la calandre et diamètre hydraulique, respectivement (m)

ft :

The friction factor

F:

The correction factor

Gt :

The mass speed fluid circulating at side tube (kg/h m2)

hi :

The heat transfer coefficient at internal film (kW/m2 °C)

h0 :

The heat transfer coefficient at external film (kW/m2 °C)

hi0 :

The heat transfer coefficient at internal film brought back to the external surface (kW/m2 °C)

Jhf, Jhc :

Coefficient de transfert pour le fluide froid et chaud, respectivement (kW/m2 °C)

l:

Tubes length (m)

m:

The cold fluid mass flow (the crude oil) (m3/h)

mf, mc :

Débit massique pour le fluide froid et chaud, respectivement (kg/s)

mf⊥, mc⊥ :

Mass flow for the cold and hot fluid, respectively, concerning the straight section (kg/s)

MLDT:

The difference logarithmic temperature (°C)

nc, nt :

The devices and the master keys numbers

Pe, Ps :

Inlet and outlet pressure of the crude oil respectively (Pascal)

Prf, Prc :

The Prandtl number for the cold and hot fluid, respectively

Qf, Qc :

Volume flow for the cold and hot fluids, respectively (m3/s)

Rd :

Fouling resistance (m2 °C/kW)

Ref, Rec :

Reynolds number for the cold and hot fluid, respectively

te, ts :

Inlet and outlet temperatures of the crude oil, respectively (°C)

Te, Ts :

Inlet and outlet temperatures of head ebb respectively (°C)

Tc :

Calorific temperature of the hot fluid (°C)

tc :

Calorific temperature of the cold fluid (°C)

US, UP :

The overall heat transfer coefficient at the dirty state and the clean state, respectively (kW/m2 °C)

ρf, ρc :

Density for the cold and hot fluids, respectively (Kg/m3)

μf, μc :

Dynamic viscosity for the cold and hot fluids, respectively (Kg/m s)

ϕt, ϕs :

The viscosity correction coefficient for the cold and hot fluids, respectively

δRd :

The fouling resistance uncertainty

δUs :

The overall heat transfer coefficient at the dirty state uncertainty

δUp :

The overall heat transfer coefficient at the clean state. The overall heat transfer coefficient at the dirty state and the clean state

Δpexp, Δpth :

The experimental and theoretical pressure drops (Pscal)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Transfer Phenomenon, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB), BP 32 EL-ALIA, 16111, Bab Ezzouar Algiers, Algeria

    Rima Harche & Abdelkader Mouheb

  2. EBI (Ecole de Biologie Industrielle), Industrial Biology School, Inst. Polytech. Saint-Louis, 32 Boulevard du Port, 95094, Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France

    Rafik Absi

Authors
  1. Rima Harche
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  2. Abdelkader Mouheb
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  3. Rafik Absi
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Correspondence to Rima Harche.

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Harche, R., Mouheb, A. & Absi, R. The fouling in the tubular heat exchanger of Algiers refinery. Heat Mass Transfer 52, 947–956 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-015-1609-0

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