Excerpt from Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers, Fifth Edition, by Stephen Hall (Butterworth- Heinemann, 2012). Table of Contents and accompanying spreadsheet templates at ‘Air-cooled Heat Exchangers: Forced vs. Induced Draft Air-cooled heat exchangers are classified as forced draft when the tube section is located on the discharge side of the fan, or induced draft when the tube section is located on the suction side of the fan, Forced draft units are more common. Typically, 25.4 mm (1 in) OD carbon steel tubes are fitted with aluminum fins, 12.7 to 15.9 mm high (14 to §/8 inch), providing outside surface area about 14 to 21 times greater than the area of the bare tubes. The process stream, flowing inside the tubes, can be cooled to about 10°C to 15°C (20°F to 30°F) above the dry-bulb temperature of the air. Air flows at a velocity of 3 to 6 m/s (10 to 20 fi/s)/ Table 2-10: Comparison of forced draft and induced draft air-cooled heat exchanaers (Ref 8) Attribute Forced Draft Induced Draft Distribution of air across section | Poor distribution of air over the | Better section Effluent air recirculation to intake | Greatly increased possibility of | Lower possibility because fan hot air recirculation due to low _ | discharges air upward, away from discharge velocity and absence of | the tubes, at about 2 times the stack intake velocity, or about 450 m/min (25 fs) Influence of weather conditions | Total exposure of wibes to sun, | Less effet from sun, rain, and rain, and hail hail because 60% of fac covered Freezing conditions Easily adaptable for warm air | Warm discharge air not recirculation durng freezing recirculated conditions Result of fun failure Low natural draft capability on | Natural draft stack effect is fan failure duc te small stack ‘greater than forced draft type effect Power requirement Slightly lower fan power because | Slightly higher fan power because the fan ig located in the cold air | the fan i located in the hot air stream (air has hgher density) | stream (air has lower density) ‘Temperature limit ~ discharge air | No limit ited to about 95°C (200°F) 10 stream prevent potential damage to fan blades, bearings, belts, and other components in the ai stream ‘Temperature limit—tubeside | Limited by tube components Limited to 175°C (50°F) process fluid because fan failure could subject fan blades and bearings to excessive temperatures ‘Maintenance Batter access to mechanical ‘Mechanical components are more components difficult to access because they are above the tubesExcerpt from Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers, Fifth Edition, by Stephen Hall (Butterworth- Heinemann, 2012). Table of Contents and accompanying spreadsheet templates at Table 2-12: Variables that must be optimized for air-cooled heat exchanger design (Ref 18) Variable Considerations Airflow rate | Rule of thumb for face velocity approaching the tube bundle (otal flow divided by {otal area of bundle): = 3 row oil: 240 t0 275 m/min (800 to 900 fvmin) = 4 ow coil 150 49210 avin (500 t0 700 fein) = Sow col: 140 t0 180 m/min (450 to 600 fvmin) = 6 row coil: 100 10 150 m/min (350 to $00 f/imin) Air-sde film coefficient varies tothe 0.5 power of air mass velocity Air-sde pressure drop varies to the 1.75 power of air mass velocity Tube length Length is established in conjunction with the bundle width. There are usually two bundles ina section, and two fans per section. Bundle width normally limited to 3.2 m to 3.5 m (10 fet0 11-5 fi fans are commonly 3.6 m to 4.3 m (12 fet0 14 ft) in diameter, API 661 specifies minimum fan coverage of 40%, Therefore, tubes are typically in the range of 8 m to 10 m long (26 ft to 33 f), Tube outside Cost of exchanger is lower with smaller diameter tubes diameter Cleaning is more difficult with smaller diameter Minimum recommended (and most common) tube size is 25 mm (1 in) OD Optimize with pressure drop by adjusting the number of passes and tube size Fin height ‘Usual fin heights are 9.5 mm, 12.7 mm, and 15.9 mm (3/8 in., 1/2 in., and 5/8 in.) Selection depends on relative values oFait-side anu tube-side (lm evetTicients ‘With higher fins, fewer tubes can be accommodated per row ‘Typically, use higher fins for steam condensers and water coolers ‘Typically. use lower fins for gas coolers and viscous liquid hydrocarbon coolers Fin spacing ‘Spacing usually varies between 276 to 433 fins/m (7 to 11 fins/in) ‘Typically, use higher density for steam condensers and water coolers ‘Typically, use lower density for gas coolers and viscous liquid hydrocarbon coolers Tube pitch ‘Staggered pattern almost invariably employed Designers tend to use the following combinations of bare-tube OD, finned-tube OD, and tube pitch: 25 mm / 50 mm /60 mmm (1 in /2 in 2.375 in) 25 mm / $7 mm / 67 mm (1 in /2.25 in / 2.625 in) As tube pitch is decreased, air-sde pressure drop and power consumption increase ‘more rapidly than the air-side heat transfer coefficientExcerpt from Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers, Fifth Edition, by Stephen Hall (Butterworth- Heinemann, 2012). Table of Contents and accompanying spreadsheet templates at Variable Considerations Number oftube | Most exchangers have for to six tube rows, but cam range from three tot rows Air-sde film coefficient varies inversely with number of tube rows More rows advantage: more heat transfer area in the same bundle width, reducing ‘number of bundles and sections ‘More rows disadvantage: increases fan horsepower for the same air velocity and lowers the Mean Temperature Difference “Typically, four oF Five tube rows for stonm condonsors and water enalors Typically, six or seven tube rows for gas coolers and viscous liquid hydrocarbon coolers Number oftube | Distribution of tubes in the various passes need not be uniform; especially useful in passes: condensers where the flow area in each pass can be gradually reduced as the liquid fraction increases progressively Optimize to obtain uniform pressure drop in each pass Fan power Power varies directly with volumetric air flow rate and pressure drop consumption Fan horsepower varies to the 2.75 power of the air mass velocity Optimum air mass velocity is hizher when air-side heat transfer coefficient is highly controlling (e.g, steam condensers and water coolers) Exchangers are usually designed with a pressure drop between 0.3 in H.O and 0.7 in HO