Application of Air-Cooled Heat Exchanger
Air-cooled heat exchangers (ACHEs) are widely used across industries where water is scarce, expensive, or environmentally restricted. Here’s a detailed breakdown of their key applications:
1. Oil & Gas Industry
- Refineries: Cooling hydrocarbon streams (e.g., naphtha, kerosene, diesel).
- Gas Processing: Condensing natural gas liquids (NGLs) or cooling compressed gas.
- Upstream Operations: Cooling produced water or lubricating oil in remote locations.
- Example: Forced-draft ACHEs cool refinery overhead vapours in distillation columns.
2. Power Generation
- Steam Condensation: Dry cooling for steam turbine exhaust (in place of water-cooled condensers).
- Generator Cooling: Hydrogen or air cooling in gas turbines.
- Solar Plants: Cooling thermal oil in concentrated solar power (CSP) systems.
- Example: Induced-draft V-type ACHEs in thermal power plants.
3. Petrochemical & Chemical Plants
- Polymer Production: Cooling molten plastics or reactor feeds.
- Acid/Alkali Cooling: Handling corrosive fluids (using SS 316/ titanium tubes).
- Compressed Air Cooling: After air compressors (aluminum-fin ACHEs).
- Example: Hybrid ACHEs with water spray for sulfuric acid cooling.
4. HVAC & Industrial Cooling
- Data Centres: Rejecting heat from server cooling loops.
- Chiller Plants: Condensing refrigerant gases.
- Process Water Cooling: For machinery or closed-loop systems.
- Process Water Cooling: For machinery or closed-loop systems.
5. Renewable Energy
- Geothermal Plants: Cooling brine or working fluids.
- Biogas/Waste-to-Energy: Cooling syngas or exhaust gases.
6. Specialty Applications
- Aerospace: Cooling hydraulic fluids (compact aluminum ACHEs).
- Marine: Deck-mounted ACHEs for shipboard systems (corrosion-resistant materials).
Why Choose ACHEs Over Water-Cooled?
Water Savings: Zero water consumption (critical in arid regions).
Lower Maintenance: No scaling/fouling from water.
Environmental Compliance: Avoids thermal pollution from hot water discharge.
Limitations
Climate Sensitivity: Efficiency drops in hot ambient air.
Higher Energy Use: Fans consume more power than water pumps.
Industry-Specific Examples
| Industry | Application | ACHE Type |
| Oil Refining | Crude oil cooling | Forced-draft horizontal |
| Power Plant | Steam condenser | Induced-draft V-type |
| Chemical Plant | Vinyl chloride monomer cooling | SS 316 finned-tube |
| LNG Terminal | BOG (boil-off gas) recondensation | Cryogenic ACHE |