Most common Heat Exchanger Problems
Heat exchangers can have a range of problems which can cause them to perform poorly or stop working all together. Much of the time performance issues within heat exchangers can be fixed with some solutions which will ensure your process plant will continue to get the performance it needs. However, in some cases the most common heat exchanger problems can be a lot harder to improve. In some cases the heat exchanger problems can lead to some heat exchangers been closed down while repairs are been carried out.
There are, however, some common heat exchanger problems which can become a nightmare for a range of engineers working within the chemical engineering industry. Many of the common problems within heat exchangers can be quite easy to treat although if not treated or repaired, these common heat exchanger problems can lead to the heat exchanger being closed down for repair. This could cost considerably more money than installing heat exchanger solutions to help combat the problems which might occur.
The most common heat exchanger problem for many chemical engineers is fouling which can occur within the inside of a tube wall and decrease performance and even damage the heat exchanger in the long run. Fouling is a term used to describe material which builds up on the inside of a tube wall within heat exchangers and in turn affects the performance of the heat exchanger. Material or fluids which might collect on the side wall will build up over time and, if not taken care of, can reduce the heat transfer within your heat exchanger and increase the pressure drop which can cause more problems in your heat exchangers.
Fouling is known as the most common heat exchanger problem because of the issues it can cause within any process plant. There are some things which can cause fouling to occur a lot more within exchangers and some things which can be done to help decrease the risk of fouling as well as remove it from your heat exchanger without having to close your process plant down.
The most common causes of fouling within any sort of heat exchangers are listed below; not treating fouling can lead to other major heat exchanger problems which can affect heat transfer as well as the pressure drop within your heat exchanger.
- Crystallization
- Decomposition
- Polymerization and or oxidation
- Settlement of sludge, rust or dust particles
- Biological deposits
- Corrosion
Fouling can build up very quickly and cause many problems, however there are some heat exchanger solutions which can help reduce the risk of fouling occurring.
Over time a range of fouling mitigation solutions have been formed to help reduce the chance of fouling occurring in heat exchangers. All of these solutions can be retrofitted or installed into new heat exchangers depending on the type of plant you might be running. One of the major fouling mitigation solutions on the market is hiTRAN which has been used in a range of heat exchangers to help reduce fouling as well as increasing the performance within that heat exchanger.
There are other common heat exchanger problems which can be very specific to any given process plant or heat exchanger and some of the problems might only occur within one plant due to the type of fluid been cooled or processed. Cal Gavin can help identify any other heat exchanger problems as well as help to improve the performance within your process plant and reduce the risk of heat exchanger problems building up.
