Energy Efficiency and OM Cost Reduction Gained by Automatic Tube Cleaning System (ATCS) installation in Oil Refinery Plant: Case Study and Fouling Global Perspectives

摘要

Automatic cleaning of heat exchangers and condenser tubes by means of sponge balls is well known since the early 1950s, with applications expanding from steam power plants to industrial cooling and air conditioning systems. The main benefits (bottom-lined in cost savings) are: elimination of maintenance down-time, elimination of the need for chemicals, more efficient operation of the processes and the plant and more efficient use of energy. This paper presents the design and performance assessment of an Automatic Tube Cleaning System (ATCS) implemented in a hydrogen-sulfide retrieval and monoethanolamine treatment plant at the Paz Ashdod Refinery, one of the two refineries in Israel. Patented by CQM for its ball injection and trapping methods, the ATCS reveals unique benefits in operation, and the resulting O&M cost savings are evaluated in detail. The paper concludes by presenting the main costs of heat exchanger fouling, offering a view on fouling mitigation as a means to meet the main goals of global energy efficiency.