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Process Heat Exchangers: Applications and Rules-of-Thumb Short Course

Course Fee: US$1200

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Why select a horizontal instead of a vertical thermosiphon? How do you size a heat exchanger for an application? How much margin should you select? What are typical operating problems?

This course focuses on developing design checklists and rules-of- thumb to help engineers avoid common problems in process heat transfer. It surveys common heat exchanger types used in the process industry including shell-and-tube, air-cooled, plate-frame, and plate- fin exchangers. Fundamentals of heat transfer and pressure drop are provided for single-phase, boiling, and condensing services. Selection criteria for common applications are discussed, guidelines for thermal design are provided, and detailed examples are summarized. Industry case studies of thermal design and operational problems are presented and lessons learned discussed.

A copy of Process Heat Transfer: Principles, Applications, and Rules of Thumb, by Robert Serth and Thomas Lestina, is included with the course and serves as the primary reference for course material. Engineers who have recently graduated and more experienced engineers who are responsible for design and operation of process heat exchangers will find this course valuable.

Key Topics

  • Types and applications of heat exchangers
  • Fundamentals of heat exchanger performance
  • Heat exchanger selection criteria
  • Single-phase applications and performance
  • Boiling applications and methods
  • Condensing applications and methods
  • Operational problems
  • Troubleshooting heat exchanger operation

Suggested Participants

Engineers—from novice to expert—who want to improve their design process and checklists

Course Credits: 12 hours (PDH/CEU)


Outline

  1. Types and Applications of Heat Exchangers
    • Types
    • Applications

  2. Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Performance
    • Energy balance
    • Rating methods
    • Pressure drop
    • Performance margins

  3. Heat Exchanger Selection Criteria
    • Customer requirements
    • Cost
    • Operating conditions
    • Maintenance needs
    • Material selection
    • Mechanical considerations

  4. Single-phase Applications and Performance
    • Heat transfer coefficients
    • Pressure drop
    • Extended surfaces
    • Enhancements

  5. Boiling Applications and Methods
    • Reboiler types and applications
    • Boiling heat transfer mechanisms
    • Two-phase pressure drop

  6. Condensing Applications and Methods
    • Condenser types and applications
    • Condensing heat transfer mechanisms
    • Two-phase pressure drop in condensing applications

  7. Operational Problems
    • Fouling
    • Vibration
    • Flow maldistribution
    • Temperature pinch
    • Two-phase flow instability

  8. Troubleshooting Heat Exchanger Operation
    • Use of field data
    • Inspections
    • Case studies

Currently Scheduled


Upcoming Instructors

  • Tom Lestina


  • Senior Vice President, Engineering, has more than 25 years of engineering project management experience. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA, and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. He is a member of ASME and serves on the technical committee for the ASME Performance Test Code 12.5, Single Phase Heat Exchangers. Prior to joining HTRI, he worked as a Lead Engineer for MPR Associates, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, USA. His primary areas of responsibility include contract services, technical support, and training. He serves as principal subject matter expert on technical content for course and instructor materials, assists in developing and customizing training, and routinely teaches courses. Lestina is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Texas.

  • Andy Mountford


  • Senior Technical Lead, Training, provides technical support and training for HTRI. He earned a BSc and MSc in Chemistry and a PhD in Organometallic and Materials Chemistry from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. During his tenure there, he conducted research at Wolfson Laboratory for Materials and Catalysis. He previously held the position of Thermal Design Supervisor at Tecnicas Reunidas in Madrid, Spain, gaining valuable experience using HTRI methods and software. Mountford oversaw the development of several high-profile PWR and BWR nuclear plant projects, as well as gained valuable experience in the thermohydraulic design of heat transfer equipment for the petrochemical and nitric acid/nitrates industries. His experience in using HTRI Xchanger Suite makes him uniquely qualified to bring an end-user’s perspective to the HTRI training program and to share techniques for effectively working with the software.