Optimization of velocity for energy saving and mitigating fouling in a crude oil preheat train with fixed network structure

Yufei Wang, Shihui Zhan and Xiao Feng

Energy, 2015, vol. 93, issue P2, 1478-1488

Abstract: Fouling of the inside of tubes in crude oil preheat systems increases pressure drop and pumping costs. In this paper, a method is proposed for optimizing crude oil velocity to reduce fouling of the heat exchanger tubes thereby maintaining heat transfer rates and reducing pressure drop. A simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to describe and optimize the interactions between heat transfer, pressure drop and fouling by adjusting fluid velocity. A specific crude oil heating system is used as a case study to verify the application of the algorithm. Results from case study showed that total annual cost is reduced by 6.4%, indicating that a better performance can be obtained by velocity redistribution using proposed method.

Keywords: Fouling; Velocity optimization; Pressure drop; Energy saving; Crude oil preheat train (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544215013742
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:93:y:2015:i:p2:p:1478-1488

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2015.09.130

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().