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Chemical Reaction Fouling of Heat Exchangers

  • Chapter
Fouling Science and Technology

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSE,volume 145))

Abstract

Chemical reaction fouling can occur to varying degrees in any process environment in which hydrocarbons, or other reactive organic species, are heated. Particular problem areas include:

  1. (a)

    oil refinery heat exchangers

  2. (b)

    jet fuel stability

  3. (c)

    polymerisation reactors

  4. (d)

    steam cracking furnaces (reviewed by Froment1)

  5. (e)

    food processing (discussed elsewhere in this book)

Nobody is certain what the total finalcial penalties are with this type of fouling. However, in 1979 the Exxon Chemical Company2 reported that the estimated annual expense for process-side fouling on a hypothetical 100, 000 bbl/day (~ 13500 tonne/day) oil refinery was nearly $10 million. Table l shows the breakdown of fouling-related expenses into additional energy consumption (process fuel cost ≡ $0.0096 per kWh), loss in through-put (margin ≡ $2/bbl), maintenance and cleaning for four important units on the refinery. The estimates show that about half of the total cost is attributable to fouling in the crude distillation unit (CDU) in which all of the incoming crude oil is heated from ambient conditions to elevated temperatures (over 350 °C) in a network of shell and tube exchangers and furnaces.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    B. D. Crittenden

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  1. B. D. Crittenden
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    L. F. Melo  & C. A. Bernardo  & 

  2. University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    T. R. Bott

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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Crittenden, B.D. (1988). Chemical Reaction Fouling of Heat Exchangers. In: Melo, L.F., Bott, T.R., Bernardo, C.A. (eds) Fouling Science and Technology. NATO ASI Series, vol 145. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2813-8_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2813-8_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7766-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2813-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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