Abstract
Well over 85% of all air cooled heat exchangers (ACHEs) in operation do not perform to their specified design values or end user requirements. As a result of this, during hot summer days, the product flow has to be reduced to achieve the required product temperature or pressure in the column.
Production losses during these days can reach as much as levels between 20 to 40 %. This can lead to losses amounting as much as US$ 500,000 to US$ 1,000,000 per year for one single limiting air cooler on a critical unit.
In this paper, we would like to offer you a practical guideline enabling your organization to identify basic air cooler problems and offer you also a few options to get more out of your ACHE without having the need for brand new air coolers or adding new bays.