r/ChemicalEngineering • u/mrnormality • 3d ago

O&G Tracking U of Heat Exchangers

Hello,

Is there really a significance for tracking Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient of heat exchangers over time? Monitoring the heat exchanger outlet temperature or simple lculation for the heat duty would already be a good indicator for the fouling that happens within the exchanger. If this is the case, there is no point in calculating U and tracking it, right?

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u/Ember_42 3d ago

If you have controls on the heat exchanger, the controls will keep the duty / controlled output temp flat. Until they don't. A calculated U based on actual in / out temps and at least one flow is useful (but be careful with bypass controls, you need the actual output, not the mixed temp to be valid).