Typical Heat Exchanger Fouling Resistances

Refining Applications

Crude / Vacuum

 

rude Oil

Velocity, ft/s

less than 2

2 or more

(h.ft².°F/Btu)
0-250 °F 0.003 0.003
250-350 °F 0.003 0.003
350-450 °F 0.003 0.003
over 450 °F 0.003 0.003
Crude / Vacuum Streams (h.ft².°F/Btu)
Atmospheric Tower Overhead Vapor 0.001
Vacuum Overhead Vapors 0.002
Light Naphtha 0.001
Gasoline 0.002
Heavy Naphtha 0.002-0.003
Kerosene 0.002-0.003
Light Gas Oil 0.002-0.003
Heavy Gas Oil 0.003-0.005
Heavy Fuel Oils 0.005-0.007
Atmospheric Tower Bottoms 0.007
Vacuum Tower Bottoms 0.010
Cracking & Coking
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
light Coker Gas Oil 0.003-0.004
Heavy Coker Gas Oil 0.004-0.005
Overhead Vapors 0.002
Light Liquid Products 0.002
Light Cycle Oil 0.002-0.003
Heavy Cycle Oil 0.003-0.004
Bottoms Slurry Oil (4.5 ft/s Min) 0.003
HF Alkylation
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Alkylate 0.003
Depropanizer Bottoms 0.003
Main Fractionator feed 0.003
Main Fractionator Overhead 0.003
All Other Process Streams 0.002
Hydrocracking
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Reactor Charge 0.002
Reactor Effluent 0.002
Recycle Gas 0.001
Overhead Vapors 0.001
Liquid Product Over 50 °API 0.001
Liquid Product 30-50 °API 0.002
Hydrodesulfurization
  (h.ft².°F/Btu)
Reactor Charge 0.004-0.005
Reactor Effluent 0.002
Recycle Gas 0.002
Stripper Charge 0.003
Liquid Products 0.002
Light Ends Processing
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Overhead Vapors And Gases 0.001
Liquid Products 0.001
Absorption Oils 0.002-0.003
Alkylation Trace Acid Streams 0.002
Reboiler Streams 0.002-0.003
Lube & Wax Processing
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Feedstock 0.002
Solvent-Feed Mix 0.002
Solvent 0.001
Extract 0.003
Raffinate 0.001
Asphalt 0.005
Wax Slurries 0.003
Refined Lube Oil 0.001
Naphtha Hydrotreating
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Reactor Feed 0.003
Reactor Effluent 0.002
Recycle Gas 0.001
Overhead Vapors 0.0015
Treated Naphtha 0.002
Naphtha Reforming
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Reactor Charge 0.0015
Reactor Effluent 0.0015
Recycle Gas 0.001
Overhead Vapors 0.001
Liquid Products 0.001
Visbreaking
(h.ft².°F/Btu)
Overhead Vapor 0.003
Visbreaker Bottoms 0.010
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