Design Improvements on Welded Plate Exchangers Used in Feed to Effluent Applications Minimize Energy Consumption and Reduce Emissions
Jesus Perez
Refinery & Renewable Fuels Sales Manager
Alfa Laval
ABSTRACT
Feed to effluent heat exchangers are widely used in catalytic processes in the hydrocarbon processing industries to recover heat from the hot effluent stream by transferring it to the cold feed stream. Their design plays a crucial role in optimizing heat recovery and minimizing energy consumption. Traditional shell and tube exchangers have been used for decades however, refineries and petrochemical plants have been improving process efficiency by using welded plate heat exchangers in key applications. This work presents the evolution of welded plate heat exchangers design that have contributed to their increased operational reliability. These changes include topics like surface area optimization, flow distribution, configuration, fouling mitigation, control strategies, performance monitoring and maintenance strategies.