Performance analysis of heat exchangers of an existing naphtha hydrotreating plant: A case study

This paper presents the performance evaluation of heat exchangers of an existing naphtha hydrotreating (NHT) plant. Originally, the NHT plant consisted of six plain tube heat exchangers connected in series. During plant revamps operation, three plain tubes were replaced with the three twisted tube heat exchangers. In this study, the heat exchangers data were collected from the plant before and after installation of the three twisted tube heat exchangers. The data were then analyzed to see the effects of the twisted tube configuration on fouling of heat exchangers and heat transfer. The analysis of the data showed that the twisted tube heat exchangers caused reduction in fouling resistance of tubes and increased the heat transfer. Also, the replacement of the three shells and tube type heat exchangers by the twisted tubes resulted in an increase of feed flow rate by about 7.85%. An economic analysis showed that the simple payback period for the twisted tube heat exchangers is 2.12 years. It can be concluded that considerable benefits in terms of energy and cost savings can be realized through the application of this innovative twisted tube heat exchanger technology in existing or new chemical plants.