Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry.
Fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains is a well-known problem in the refining industry. Fouling will gradually reduce heat transfer coefficients and, therefore, heat recovery. This means that the furnace inlet temperature will drop over time, thus increasing furnace duty and operating costs. Pumparound cooling duty can also be affected by fouling, which can alter the cooling capacity and throughput of the unit. A further effect is that fouling deposits reduce tube diameters, leading to an increase in the pressure drop.
All these issues will increase operating energy costs. More importantly, they can cause a loss in throughput due to fouling, which will have a significant impact on refine
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