Benefits

The enhanced performance of hiTRAN Thermal Systems brings a range of benefits in the design and operation of tubular heat exchangers.  This, in turn, delivers benefits to the process plant as a whole.  A selection of the benefits provided are described below.

Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

• Reduced number of shells-in-series
• Lower weight – smaller shell diameters
• Reduced plot space – shorter tube lengths
• High efficiency single pass designs (important for temperature cross duties)

Case study comparison with and without hiTRAN System – Shell and tube heat exchanger – pdf >>

Air Cooled Heat Exchangers

• Reduced plot space requirement
• Fewer tube rows
• Fewer tube passes
• Lower fan power requirement
• Reduced fan noise

Case study comparison with and without hiTRAN System – Air cooled Lube oil cooler –  pdf >>

Process Benefits

The characteristics of hiTRAN Systems give rise to the following process benefits:

• Thermal performance maintained under turndown conditions
• Improved product quality through reduced temperature gradients
• Intrinsic safety through reduced fluid inventory
• Longer on-stream time through reduced fouling tendency
• Processing higher Prandtl number fluids i.e. where viscosity and thermal conductivity constrain the rate of heat transfer.
• Improved operability through the use of parallel exchanger layouts to offer online maintenance options

COST BENEFITS >>

Benefits are best illustrated by viewing the case studies below. For full details of any case study please see CASE STUDIES >>

(CS15) Tar oil residue heating system in carbon black plant reaches 25 years operation – longer run times, minimum fall-off in performance while processing residue prone to polymerisation and coking CABOT CARBON	(CS9) New heavy cycle gas oil cooler designed with 80% reduced surface area provides consistent performance without usual sticky deposit formation IMPERIAL OIL
(CS4) LNG Vapouriser – thermal performance rescued by eliminating liquid droplet carry-over, film boiling limitation and flow maldistribution ADNOC	(CS7) Crude unit exchanger designed with combined enhancement technologies achieves 9 year operation with minimal fouling DEUTSCHE BP
(CS6) Wax crystalisation fouling eliminated in heavy wax distillate cooling service with additional benefits of 50% surface area reduction BP OIL	(CS3) Paraxylene feed/effluent vapouriser – increased capacity achieved from 100% improvement in tubeside heat transfer co-efficient ICI CHEMICALS (HUNTSMAN CHEMICALS)
(CS2) Vacuum distillation reboiler – retrofit achieves 40% increased duty plus 20% spare capacity MOHAWK LUBRICANTS	(CS1) Correcting vapour flow maldistribution and low vapour phase co-efficient increases performance of Hysomer feed/effluent exchanger DEUTSCHE SHELL