Troubleshooting shell-and-tube heat exchangers

It is stressful when exchangers go online and don`t perform as they should. This is especially true if there is a lack of thermal wells, pressure gages and flowmeters. In addition, many hundreds of thousands of dollars a day are being lost due to decreased production, so the problem has to be found immediately. In many cases, there has to be a shutdown. Here is helpful information on finding a cure, including: what information to collect and what to look for; the importance of calculated pressure drops and how they help analyze the problem; two-phase flow emphasizing low heat transfer due to stratified flow; and actual case histories of design and fabrication errors to help with the diagnosis. The concentration is on thermal problems; problems due to vibration and exchanger leaks are not discussed.