FWC Air Cooled Exchanger PDF

FOSTER
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PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION
PROCESS STD
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JULY 2002
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
INDEX
Page
1.0
GENERAL
2.0
ECONOMICS
2.1
Air Versus Water Cooling
2.1.1 Advantages of Cooling with Air
2.1.2 Disadvantages of Cooling with Air
2.1.3 Effect of Approach Temperature
2.1.4 Cost Comparison
2.2
Air-Fin Optimization
2.2.1 Selection of Tube and Fin Dimensions
2.2.2 Number of Tube Rows
2.2.3 Design Air Velocity
5
5
5
5
6
7
8
8
9
9
3.0
PROCESS SPECIFICATION
3.1
Tubeside
3.2
Air Side
10
10
13
4.0
MECHANICAL DESIGN FEATURES

4.1
Induced or Forced Draught
4.1.1 Induced Draught
4.1.2 Forced Draught
4.2
Air Humidification
4.3
Tube Bundle Orientation
4.4
Header Type
4.5
Tubes and Fins
4.5.1 Tube and Fin Dimensions
4.5.2 Fin Types
4.6
Fans and Drivers
4.6.1 Fans
4.6.2 Drivers and Speed Reducers
4.7
Materials of Construction
4.7.1 Header, Cover, Plugs and Gaskets
4.7.2 Tubes and Fins
4.7.3 Fans
4.7.4 Corrosion Allowance
4.7.5 Design Pressure and Temperature
4.8
Distribution Piping
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INDEX (Contd)
Page
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OPERATION AND CONTROLS
27
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
27
27
27
28
28
29
Multiple Fans
Process Bypasses
Adjustable Louvers
Variable Pitch Fans
Air Recirculation
Variable Speed Motors
6.0
PLOT PLAN
30
7.0
NOISE
32
8.0
ESTIMATION OF EQUIPMENT SIZE AND UTILITY CONSUMPTION
33
8.1
8.2
33
36
Calculation Procedure
Sample Problem
Appendix A. Calculation of Design Air Temperature by a statistical method
42
INDEX OF TABLES
Table No.
1
2
3
4
Title
Allowable Pressure Drop
Typical Overall Heat Transfer Coefficients
Bundle Face Area Ratios
Typical Face Velocities
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INDEX OF FIGURES
Figure. No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Title
Page
Air Cooled Exch. Process Spec. Sheet (FWC Lvon)

Air Cooled Exch. Process Spec. Sheet (FWC London)
Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient vs. Liquid Viscosity
Temperature Corr. Factor for Cross Flow
Approximate Number of Tube Rows
Reciprocal of Air Density (d), vs. Air Temp. and Altitude
Air Side Static Press. Drop for 3 Rows Finned Tubes
Correlation of Air Flowrate and Fan Diam. Vs. Vel. Press.
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GENERAL
Air cooled exchangers have been in use in the petroleum industry since the early
1930's though until about 1950 their use was confined to locations where cooling
water supplies were virtually non-existent. Their widespread adoption since the
latter date has primarily been because of economic advantages. However, the use
of water coolers has always entailed the possibility of contamination of rivers and
ground waters. Increasing awareness of authorities with regard to environmental
pollution will result in more air coolers being selected due to their relative freedom
from environmental problems.
There are few restrictions on the use of air coolers and more recently services
have included cooling/condensing of turbine exhausts and condensing of vacuum
tower overheads.
Generally, the only services for which air coolers have not been considered,
because of the relative difficulty of cleaning tubes in situ, is either where frequent
cleaning of the process side is necessary, such as in the food industry, or where
the process fluid may gel on standing.
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2.1
Air Versus Water Cooling

2.1.1
Advantages of Cooling with Air

The advantages of direct cooling with air as compared to cooling
with water in shell and tube exchangers can be summarized as
follows:
2.1.2
1.
Elimination of water circulation system and possible water

cooling tower installation.
2.
The problem of temperature and chemical pollution of

water resources is eliminated.
3.
Exchanger maintenance is minimized as there is generally

little fouling on the coolant side and this causes few
problems.
4.
In the event of power failure some advantage can be

taken of cooling due to natural draught and radiation.
5.
Elimination of water treatment costs and provisions to

protect against freezing of coolant.
6.
Location of plant and coolers is facilitated because of

independence from water source.
7.
Cooling water often requires the use of exotic materials,

e.g. Admiralty Brass, Cu-Ni, Monel, etc.
8.
Air is free.
Disadvantages of Cooling with Air

1.
Air fins are more expensive.
2.
Air fins generally have a smaller MTD available.
3.
Leaking tubes may cause explosion hazards or fire.
4.
More electrical equipment is required.
5.
Air being more liable to temperature fluctuation than

water, process control instruments are often required.
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Effect of Approach Temperature

The selection of air-cooling may ultimately be based on economic
factors (see Section 2.1.4) taking into account the advantages and
disadvantages listed in Sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2.
The approach temperature defined as the difference between the
process fluid outlet temperature and the design air temperature is
the major design variable, which affects the economics.
The cost of an air fin and its ancillary equipment, assuming a fixed
duty, will decrease with increase in approach temperature.
Additionally, this decrease in cost will be at a faster rate than the
cost of a comparable water cooler. This is because of the
limitation usually imposed on the cooling water return temperature.
There is normally no similar restriction on the airside of an air fin.
Approach temperatures above 25F to 40F generally favor air
cooling, however, air cooled exchangers are not normally
considered practicable where the approach temperature is less
than 15 to 25F. If a number of services require cooling to an
approach less than 25F it is usually economical to provide air
coolers for even these services instead of water cooling
equipment if these services are only a small percentage of the
total duty. Where it is necessary to cool below a process terminal
temperature of 15F above the design air temperature,
consideration should be given to the following alternatives:
2.1.4
1.
Conventional water cooling throughout the range.
2.
Air cooling to an economic approach temperature followed

by water cooling to the required final temperature.
3.
Combined evaporative and air-cooling.
Cost Comparison
In a location where adequate supplies of cooling water are not
available the choice of an air cooler is obvious. In most cases,
however, it will be necessary to compare respective costs of air
and water cooling before a choice is made.
A list of points to be considered in a cost comparison of the two
systems is given below. In general, an air cooled exchanger will
be more expensive in capital cost than a water cooled exchanger
considered without its attendant offsite facilities and less
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HEAT TRANSFER
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EXCHANGERS
expensive than a water cooled exchanger with these facilities.

Air Cooled Exchanger
1.
Capital cost of exchanger including motors, foundations,

supporting structure, electric switchgear and cable,
control system.
2.
Shipping
3.
Construction
4.
Power consumed, preferably calculated based on the

annual average temperature.
5.
Maintenance
Water Cooled Exchanger
2.2
1.
Capital cost of exchanger including foundations,

supporting structure, control system.
2.
Shipping
3.
Construction
4.
Maintenance
5.
Cooling Water Distribution
6.
Proportion of offsite facilities, e.g., cooling tower and

pumping costs.
7.
Utility costs, i.e. power, water make-up, and chemicals for

treating.
Air Fin Optimization

For a given process duty the optimum exchanger in terms of economics is
that for which the sum of capital cost of equipment plus running cost of the
air fan is a minimum. Thus the calculation to determine the optimum air
cooler depends upon the relative costs of power, taken over the payout
period, and the exchanger surface specified.
The surface for the optimum exchanger will depend upon the correct
selection of tube and fin dimensions, number of rows and design air
velocity.
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A definite design is normally sought from a specialist vendor but the

discussion below indicates the effect of various parameters of interest to
the process engineer in preparing preliminary design.
2.2.1
Selection of Tube and Fin Dimensions

Tubes - The tube length is usually restricted by the client, who
requires a standard size or by installation and maintenance
requirements. Occasionally the tube length may be dictated by
the width of a pipe rack.
Generally, longer tubes result in a lower air fin investment cost.
Shorter tubes find use in services, which require a critically lowpressure drop. Tube diameters of 1" are generally specified
although process considerations such as pressure drop and
velocity limitations may dictate the use of other tube diameters.
Fins - The number of fins per inch is decided by the magnitude of
the tubeside heat transfer coefficient taken in conjunction with the
applied fouling factor. The higher the internal heat transfer
coefficient, the greater the number of fins per inch required. This
should not exceed eleven since beyond that limit boundary layer
effects on the air side reduce the air side coefficient.
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Number of Tube Rows

An initial selection of the number of tube rows is made from an
examination of the service conditions, the most important factors
being the level of cooling and the overall heat transfer rate. These
factors determine the relative quantity of air required for a given
heat duty. High heat transfer rates and small temperature rise on
the airside will tend to result in a small number of rows. Generally,
the number of tube rows varies between three and six since with
less than three rows, the airflow across the bundle tends to be
uneven and increasing the number of tube rows beyond six results
in higher fan power costs. However, if there is a restriction of plot
area, maximum noise levels or tube side drop, this general rule
may no longer be applicable. Final selection of the number of
rows is based on the economics of investment cost versus
operating costs to obtain a minimum overall cost.
2.2.3
Design Air Velocity

Increasing air velocity increases power consumption but lowers
the cost of exchanger surface because of better heat
transmission. Hence the design air velocity selected is based on
an economic balance between exchanger and power.
Air velocity is governed by the fan power and the fin density. For
services with low coefficients, it is usual to use bare tubes, but for
successively higher coefficients fin densities up to 11 fins/inch are
normal.
The optimum technical solution of a given overall heat transfer
problem is reached when the airside heat transfer coefficient
multiplied by the surface ratio (finned surface/bare tube surface)
equals the tubeside heat transfer coefficient.
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PROCESS SPECIFICATION
A copy of the air-cooled exchanger process specification sheet used in America
and England, Figure 1 and 2, is included at the end of this section and relative
comments are found below:
3.1
Tubeside
Heat Exchanged - Prepare alternative specification sheets where the
maximum heat duty does not correspond to the maximum viscosity, pour
point or flowrate.
Fluid Circulated - This describes the nature of the fluid, e.g. gas, liquid,
hydrocarbon, etc. The engineer must also state whether the fluid is fouling
and advise the nature and concentration of corrosive compounds, if
present.
For conditions where heavy fouling is expected and where a very low
inside heat transfer coefficient results, it is uneconomic to apply a high
ratio have finned surface. In addition, cover plate headers may be
required for heavy fouling fluids.
Fouling Factors - Only the fouling resistance of the fluid on the inside of
the tubes is required. The Standards of Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers
Association (TEMA) give fouling resistances for various process fluids.
Fluid Flowrates - Flowrates corresponding to the design heat duty are
required. If this is not the maximum flowrate, specify this also, as it will
probably control the pressure drop through the exchanger. Additionally,
where a fluid has a high pour point or high viscosity it is mandatory to
specify the minimum flowrate. With an associated low allowable design
pressure drop laminar flow and concomitant problems of poor heat transfer
and plugging in the tubes may result.
Fluid Viscosity - Specify the viscosity of the fluid at two temperatures within
the cooling range of the process fluid. If the exchanger has a range of
duties, specify also the maximum viscosity case. For fluids with very high
viscosity, it may be necessary to increase the allowable design pressure
drop to ensure turbulent flow.
Pour Points - Specify the pour points of fluids that contain waxy deposits or
have high viscosities. The exchanger should be designed so that the tube
wall temperature at the cold end under conditions of minimum flow, no
fouling, and winter design air temperature is at least 10F above the pour
point.
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For services where pour point is critical, vendors design should be given
close scrutiny to ensure that design has allowed for process requirements.
Steam coils and manual louvres are required for start-up operation in
services where fluids have high pour points. A rough approximation for the
steam requirement can be obtained for 30 ft. tube length by using 30 lbs/hr
of steam per foot of bundle width. However, it is recommended that each
case be considered separately taking into account the properties of the
process fluid and the minimum air temperature. Additionally, the process
fluid outlet temperature may be controlled to prevent sub-cooling.
Generally, temperature control is only used where the tube wall outlet
temperature is less than 20F above the pour point at the winter minimum
temperature and minimum fluid flowrate. Control is accomplished using
automatic louvres, 50% or 100% auto-variable fans and/or air recirculation.
The vendor may also consider designing the exchanger with co-current
flow and/or bare tubes.
Allowable Pressure Drop - Suggested pressure drop for various services
are given below. However, care should be taken to ensure that the
selected pressure drop results in the most economic overall installation.
The allowable pressure drop for product cooling and non-critical
services should not control the size of the exchanger, as this may result
in the uneconomic design which could be avoided by reconsidering the
hydraulics of the process circuit. Special consideration is required for
wide temperature range cooling of viscous liquids, low pressure gases
or condensation of vapors at very low pressures. In these services,
pressure drop is a critical requirement, which greatly influences the size
of the heat transfer surface.
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TABLE 1
ALLOWABLE PRESSURE DROP
Service
Liquid Cooling
Allowable Pressure Drop, psi

10
Note 1
Gas Cooling:
Operating pressure 15-50 psig
Condensing:
(atmospheric pressure and above)
Note 2
Total condensation
0.5 min
Note 3
Partial condensation
2-5
Note 3
Notes:
1.
Not valid for viscous fluids.
2.
For vacuum service the selection of an allowable pressure drop should be

from the results of an economic study. Pressure drops are usually in the
range of 3-5 mm Hg.
3.
For multi-pass air coolers, high pressure drops assure proper flow
distribution. Usually a minimum of 3 passes is considered in a tower
condenser. The higher pressure drop will also assure proper distribution at
lower than design throughput.
Condensing Curve Data - For condensing services state whether
condensing curve data is provided or straight line condensation can be
assumed.
Subcooling Requirements - If it is required to subcool a liquid to a
temperature lower than the saturation temperature of the vapor, then the
air fin must be supplied with a loop seal to ensure the provision of
subcooling surface. The exchanger vendor must advise the depth of the
loop seal to ensure flooding of the required tube rows for subcooling.
Maintaining the required amount of flooded surface is usually difficult due
to the fact that most air coolers have shallow bundles i.e. only 3 or 4 tube
rows.
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Tubeside Velocity - Specify any limitations on tubeside velocity. To

minimize fouling minimum velocities are specified where the process fluid
contains solids such as catalyst or where the process fluid is water (for
these services the velocity is generally not less than 3 ft/sec.) In addition,
maximum velocities are sometimes specified to prevent erosion.
Split Headers - Multipass services having inlet process temperatures of up
to 350F - 400F and a design temperature drop of over 200F should
have horizontally split headers to relieve tube to tube sheet stresses
between rows. This special provision should also be made where the
outlet process temperature is allowed to reduce during conditions of low
ambient air temperature and/or low process flow if this results in a
temperature range above 200F across the section.
Freeze Points - Process streams that contain water may freeze due to the
ambient air temperature being below the freezing point. The same
considerations that apply to high pour point streams apply here and also to
materials that crystallize at high temperature.
Onstream Cleaning - If special arrangements (e.g. extra nozzles) are
required to permit onstream cleaning, they must be specified.
Header Vents - In condensers used for total condensation but which may
contain non-condensibles, a vent should be located in the outlet header.
3.2
Air Side
Site Altitude - This is required to establish the air density, which in turn
affects pressure drop across the bundle, fan size, blade pitch angle and
driver horsepower.
Lowest Winter Temperature - This temperature is required to establish the
precautions to be taken when operating with high pour or freeze point
fluids.
This temperature is also used to determine driver H.P. where it is
mandatory for the driver to be capable of operation at the low air design
temperature with fan blades set at the pitch suitable for the high air design
temperature. The temperature is determined in a similar manner to the
summer design air temperature (see below).
Design Air Temperature - This determines the approach temperature,
which is usually the limiting factor for sizing the exchanger. Choosing a
high value may result in an unnecessarily large surface whereas a value,
which is too low, may adversely affect operation of the exchanger during
peak ambient air conditions.
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The cost of the air cooled heat exchanger is directly related to the chosen
design air temperature and careful consideration should be given to its
selection. The actual figure to be used may be specified by the client. If
the client does not specify a design air temperature, he should be
consulted with regard to the period of time that reduced capacity can be
tolerated as a result of the design air temperature being exceeded.
Consideration should be given to selection of services on a critical/noncritical basis. For instance, partial condensation of a tower overheads
providing reflux can be considered critical whereas product cooling is
obviously non-critical. Different design air temperatures may be selected
for the two categories.
The common practice for determining the design air temperature is to
select a temperature from meteorological data, which is not exceeded for
more than a percentage of time throughout the year. This percentage of
time varies according to the period over which the meteorological data is
assessed and on the location but is usually between !"# and 5% based
upon annual hourly readings.
It is important to remember that consideration must also be given to the
effect of local refinery heat sources on the air temperature. Shell Europe
suggest that adding 2C to the design air temperature is satisfactory.
See Appendix A for a statistical method to calculate the design air
temperature from meteorological data.
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MECHANICAL DESIGN FEATURES

4.1
Induced or Forced Draught

A forced draught unit pushes air across the tube surface with the fan
located below the tube bundle. An induced-draught design has the fan
located above the bundle and the air is pulled across the tube surface.
The two systems are compared below. The selection of induced or forced
draught type is generally made by the vendor who makes a selection
based on the advantages/disadvantages of each system related to the
process, engineering requirements and economics. However, occasions
do arise when the process itself may be a significant factor in this
selection.
4.1.1
Induced draught
1.
Induced draught units are less likely to recirculate the hot

exhaust air since the exit air velocity is !"# to $"#%times that
of the forced draught unit. This low susceptibility to air
recirculation is especially important for low temperature
approaches and for condensers with low condensing
temperature (ammonia, freon, propane).
2.
Better protection of tube bundle against sudden

temperature changes due to the weather. Towers
operating at ambient temperatures and total condensation
may fall into a vacuum condition.
3.
More uniform distribution of air flow across tube bundle

since the air velocity approaching the bundle is relatively
low.
4.
The unit is more suitable for installation above other

mechanical equipment such as pipe racks or shell and
tube exchangers.
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Forced draught
1.
For the same duty the forced draught unit requires less
horsepower because it moves air at the lowest available
temperature and highest density.
2.
The driver, gears and fans are in the cool air stream. The
outlet air temperature of induced draught units is
restricted to protect the mechanical equipment in the hot
exit air stream.
3.
Provides easier access to the tube bundles and fans.
4.
For the majority of vendors is 5 to 6% cheaper, although

induced draft can be more economical in low temperature
services where the drivers can be located overhead.
Air Humidification
In this system water is sprayed into the incoming air stream to pre-cool the
air passing to the exchanger. A relatively small amount of water is used.
This water has not normally undergone water treatment, hence effective
drift elimination is essential to prevent fin corrosion and the deposition of
calcium and magnesium salts onto the fins. This system is most effective
in climates with a low humidity but is also used when required process
outlet temperatures are so low that air cooling alone is not economical.
4.3
Tube Bundle Orientation

Horizontal Type - The tube bundle elements are arranged horizontally.
This type is usually preferred because it permits simpler arrangement of
pipework and convenient exchanger grouping although the plot area
required is larger than with other types.
A - Frame - The tube bundle elements form a roof. This type requires
about 60% only of the plot area necessary for the horizontal type. The
most favorable applications are in vacuum plants, very large units and for
condensers having liquid after-coolers mounted beneath the condensing
elements. One particularly interesting application is for use as a vacuum
steam condenser (turbines) in cold climates as it allows counter-current
steam flow and water drainage in the tubes (vacuum pulled from the top).
Hence water freezing does not occur. For other applications, reference
should be made to manufacturers literature. However, some vendors will
not use this type of unit because of the effect of crosswinds.
V - Frame - The tube bundle elements form an inverted A. These are used
in similar applications to the A-Frame but with an induced draught fan.
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Vertical Type - The tube bundle elements are stacked vertically. This
orientation is used extensively for small air conditioning type units
4.4
Header Type
The types of headers most widely used in air coolers are described below.
For a preliminary selection of the header type use can be made of the
following recommended pressure limitations for each type.
Cover Plate
up to 30 kg/cm2
Plugs
up to 60 kg/cm2
Manifold
over 60 kg/cm2
For more detailed information, reference should be made to FW Eng. Std.

23A1.
Plug Type - This type has a closed header with plugs opposite to each
tube end. Access for cleaning the tubes is through the plugs.
Cover Plate - The tube plugs and plug sheet are replaced with a flanged
cover plate. With this type of header it is quicker and simpler to clean the
tubes than with the plug type, but it is more expensive and requires thicker
plates. Cover plates are used where the fluid has a fouling factor greater
than 0.004 but their use is limited to services with low design pressures as
this type of construction is susceptible to leaks.
Manifold - The inlet and outlet headers are of all welded design with a Utube arrangement for the return bends. This type is used for very high
pressure services.
Split Headers - When the difference between the inlet and outlet
temperature of the process fluid exceeds 200F, in multipass units, one of
the headers should be split to allow for differential expansion between the
tube passes.
4.5
Tubes and Fins

4.5.1
Tube and Fin Dimensions

Ideally tube length, spacing and pitch and the fin height and
spacing would vary with the service. Practically, however,
manufacturers find it more economical to limit these parameters to
a number of standard configurations.
Standard lengths for tubes are 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30 and 40 ft.,
the most common being 30 ft.
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Tube bundles are available in widths to 13 ft., lengths to 40 ft. And

depths to 8 rows. The most commonly used tube diameter is 1"
O.D. which has fins varying in height from 0.5" to 0.625" and in
spacing from 3 to 11 per linear inch. There are a few special
types such as the rectangular finned GEA elliptical tube designed
for certain conditions. For details of these reference should be
made to manufacturers' literature. Tube pitch varies between 2.0
to 2.75" triangular to ensure good contact between the air and
fins. The factors which determine the selection of a particular
configuration are discussed in Section 2.2.
4.5.2
Fin Types
The type of fin construction must be suitable for the service
conditions taking into account such factors as metal temperature,
environmental effect and abnormal operating conditions as well as
heat transfer rate.
The list below gives the available types of finned tubes with their
respective characteristics. Additional information can be obtained
from F.W. Eng. Std. 23A1.
Tension Wound and Wrapped - The steel or aluminum fin is
wrapped under tension on the surface of a bare tube. The heat
transfer capacity of this type depends on the small contact surface
between fin and tube. If differential expansion occurs between fin
and tube this type becomes rapidly inefficient and consequently its
use is usually limited to a design temperature of 250F. It also has
poor resistance to atmospheric corrosion because of the large
area of exposed bare tube.
To increase the contact area between the fins and the bare tube
the fin base may be bent to form an "L" or "J" shape, and in this
form can be used for design temperature up to 500F.
Mechanically Embedded - The fins are mechanically wrapped
under tension and embedded in a grove spirally cut into the
outside surface of the tube. This type is suitable for high
temperature service (up to 750F design temperature) because it
has good distribution of contact surface and low bond resistance.
Welded, Brazed and Soldered - The fins are attached to the tubes
by brazing or soldering instead of grooving or tension winding.
The use of the tubes is limited by the softening temperature of the
brazing compound or solder (i.e. virtually no limit on design
temperature).
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Welded fin tubes are costly and are used only in special cases for
severe duties.
Bimetallic - In this type of tube an aluminum liner from which fins
have been formed by extrusion is bonded to an inner tube. Good
thermal efficiency is ensured by a large contact area but at high
tube wall temperatures bond resistance becomes acceptable.
Integral - This is the best type of finned tube but also the most
expensive. The completely integral fin ensures that any
mechanical or heat transfer problem which may exist with a
bonded fin is eliminated and, therefore, this type of finned tube
may be used for the most severe temperature and pressure
services, e.g. aluminum suitable for use with wall temperatures up
to 250-280F.
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Fans and Drivers

4.6.1
Fans
Fan Pitch - Fans are generally of two types; manually adjustable
where the pitch angle can be adjusted when the fan is at rest and
auto-variable in which the pitch angle can be automatically
controlled during operation. In either case the pitch normally has
a range of 30of positive and 10-15of negative angle. The
negative pitch can be used to suppress natural convection flow
across the tube bundle and prevent overcooling during cold
ambient conditions.
Fan Layout - To ensure even distribution of air flow across the
bundle face, each air fin should be provided with a minimum of
two fans. In addition, the fan area should not be less than 40% of
the plot area. This rule can be relaxed for induced draught
designs because the velocity of the air entering the tube bundles
on the suction side is much lower than with the forced draught
type; the value for induced draught designs is 30%.
Fan Blades - Generally four blades are employed in modern air
coolers unless there is a noise restriction or severe service
requirement (high air flow rate and high static pressure) in which
case six or eight bladed fans are used.
4.6.2
Drivers and Speed Reducers

Electric motors are the most widely used drivers and they should
be rated to operate at the specified minimum ambient air
temperature.
The most common types of speed reducer are V-belts or right
angle gear drives. V-belts and pulleys are cheaper in initial capital
cost and are often preferred from a maintenance view point as
failures are virtually restricted to belt breakages and belts can be
replaced quickly. For motor HP's above 30 only gear drives are
suitable, but because of their high initial cost they should only be
used when an economic balance dictates the necessity to save
exchanger surface area by increasing power consumption.
When the fan diameter is small (up to 5 ft.) the speed reducer is
eliminated and the motor is connected directly to the fan.
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Materials of Construction
4.7.1
Header, Cover, Plugs, and Gaskets

Headers, header covers and plugs are normally fabricated from
carbon steel. Where a corrosion problem exists these items are
fabricated from alloy steel or carbon steel with a large corrosion
allowance.
Specifications for gasket materials are given in FW Eng. Std.
23A1. Plug gaskets are generally solid metal but metal jacketed asbestos filled type with the metal compatible with the header
material can also be used.
Cover plate gaskets are compressed asbestos unless the vendor
or client has overriding requirements.
4.7.2
Tubes and Fins

Prime tubes are normally carbon steel either seamless or electric
resistance welded. Seamless tubes only are used in hydrogen
service or where corrosive attack on the seam of a welded tube
may occur. Alloys and non-ferrous tubes are sometimes specified
to overcome corrosion problems, e.g. aluminum brass for a crude
overheads exchanger.
Aluminum is the most economic and commonly used fin material.
FW Eng. Std. 23A1 specifies temperature limitations for fin
material.
4.7.3
Fans
The most commonly used materials are plastics and cast
aluminum. Cast aluminum is generally acceptable but can be
subject to corrosion in certain atmospheres. This can be
overcome by use of corrosion resistant paint.
Plastic or laminated fiberglass blades are now accepted
industrially and are corrosion resistant, although they should be
limited to 200F maximum air temperature.
Steel blades are sometimes used on larger fans but tend to be
expensive. Carbon steel blades require a protective coating.
Wooden blades with or without a plastic coating are no longer
accepted by FW.
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Corrosion Allowance
A minimum corrosion allowance of 1/8" should be specified on all
internal carbon steel or low alloy surfaces exposed to the process
stream except the tubes unless otherwise specified by a client.
Higher allowances may be used for particularly corrosive services.
It should be noted that the tube wall temperature in air fins is
marginally higher than in water cooled shell and tube exchangers
and corrosion rates may be different.
4.7.5
Design Pressure and Temperature

Design Pressure - The location of the air fin usually dictates the
method which is used to determine its design pressure. If the air
fin is located in a pump discharge circuit and can be shut in
against pump discharge, the design pressure is normally set at the
shut-off pressure of the pump calculated by the method given in
Section 400 of the Process Design Standards.
Alternatively the airfin may be part of a system such as a
distillation tower and condenser which is protected by one relief
valve. In this case, the design pressure is set at the maximum
operating pressure in the system plus 10% or 25 psig whichever is
the greater.
Design Temperature - Specified as the maximum process fluid
temperature plus 50F.
4.8
Distribution Piping
It is usually impractical to have a completely symmetrical piping
arrangement at the air fin inlet or outlet. To minimize the effect on the flow
distribution of non-symmetry, the pressure drop in the distribution piping
should be small in comparison with the total overall system pressure loss.
In general, the preferred piping system is as shown in type A&B with inlet
and outlet headers running the full length of the air fin header box with
direct connections from the header to each pass.
Type A (Co-Current)
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The characteristics of this type are:

Simple arrangement
Low Pressure Drop
(1) Poor flow distribution and hence unbalanced heat transfer.
Type B (Counter Current)

Simple arrangement
Low pressure drop
(1) Poor flow distribution but better than Type A.
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This is the preferred type for liquid flow. (See F. W. Francaise report
"Straight Manifold Design for Balanced Flow" for additional information.)
Type C

More complex structure
High pressure drop
Good flow distribution
In multipass two phase service the numerous bends and T's promote fluid
separation.
For additional information on flow distribution see Chemical Engineering
June 17, 1968, pages 210-213.
One known refinery has solved it's two phase mal-distribution problems by
adding notched stand pipes to the individual inlets in the inlet header.
Apparently the notched stand pipes distribute the condensed liquid to all
inlets allowing the vapor to readily flow through each coil pass.
(1).
The design of piping distribution systems should be reviewed very

carefully, particularly in large units operating at low pressure and
where piping frictional losses are to be minimized for vapor
services.
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OPERATION AND CONTROLS

5.1
Multiple Fans
Where a unit is equipped with multiple fans a simple control may be
achieved by taking selected fans out of service. This has an added
advantage due to savings in power and still provides the required degree
of cooling if the air temperature is lower than the design. Air fin exchanger
publications (e.g., Hudson Engineering) state that with an induced draught
design up to 40% of the cooling duty may be achieved by natural
convection when the fans are not in operation; the value for forced draught
designs is 15 to 20%.
5.2
Process Bypasses
Product outlet temperature control can be provided by bypassing some of
the process fluid round the air cooler through a conventional control valve
in the bypass. In the case of an air fin with a low &P, e.g. a condenser, a
butterfly control valve should be used. The method is readily applicable to
multi-service units and is accurate but wasteful of power. Residue coolers
and other high viscosity or high pour point streams cannot use this method
since there is a serious risk of the cooler plugging due to overcooling of the
process stream in the cooler.
5.3
Adjustable Louvers
Louvers may be used to control the product outlet temperature by
restricting the flow of air through the tube bundle. Manual louvers are
used for adjustment of product temperatures which may vary due to
process or air temperature changes. Automatic louvers may be used to
control the product outlet temperature of a critical service which is
arranged in a common unit with other services under one or more common
fans. Generally, the initial cost for automatic louvers is higher than for AV
fans and they have the further disadvantage that the fans consume close
to full power at all times.
One advantage of louvers is that they provide some protection to the tube
bundle during inclement weather.
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Variable Pitch Fans

Variable pitch fans are commonly used to provide accurate control of fluid
outlet temperature under conditions of varying heat load and varying
ambient air temperatures. The pitch of the fans may be adjusted either
manually or automatically. The use of auto-positioners for the fan blades
also gives a saving in horsepower as the fans move only the required
amount of air. Auto variable pitch fans cannot be used where a number of
heat exchangers for different services share common fans as auto fans
operated from the fluid outlet temperature of one cooler would affect the
operation of the other coolers.
On very large single service units employing a number of fans, accurate
control and economical operation may be achieved by using a proportion
of auto-variable fans (say 50%) with the remainder being manually
adjustable.
Hysteresis curves shall be required from manufacturers when using
automatic pitch adjustment. This is particularly important when the air fins
are tower condensers.
5.5
Air Recirculation
Where it is necessary to condense or cool fluids which solidify above the
ambient air temperature, recirculation of warm air is used to prevent
solidification in the cooler. Part of the warm air leaving the tube bundles is
passed through the fan again and mixed with the correct proportion of
fresh air to give a constant cooling air temperature. The control of the
mixing ratio between warm and fresh air is by means of louvres or
dampers which can be operated automatically or manually. For start-up or
part load operation in winter, heating elements may also be built- in.
Air recirculation systems are very expensive and with very large duties
such as residue coolers in refineries there is an economic limit to the
application of this design. As an alternative the engineer should consider
cooling the fluid liable to solidification on the shellside of a shell and tube
exchanger using tempered water from an auxiliary circuit. The water in the
auxiliary circuit is then cooled using a normal fin tube cooler. This
alternative should in fact be considered every time a viscous material is to
be cooled in an air fin. It is particularly important for large services with
laminar flow conditions in the air fin when the combination of shell and
tube + airfin + tempered water is cheaper and saves plot areas.
5.6
Variable Speed Motors

Product outlet temperature control can be achieved by varying the speed
of the fans. This can be done by variable gear boxes, hydraulic drives or
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variable speed motors, but these methods are usually expensive in terms
of capital and running costs. Variable speed motors are generally used for
small fans and low horsepower requirements only. Coarse regulation, to
save power, can be achieved by the use of two-speed motors.
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PLOT PLAN
Airfin Location
Airfin exchangers are supported from grade on their own structure or on top of
some other structure, a frequent location being above an elevated pipe rack; the
space beneath the structure is used for other equipment. In either case certain
precautions are necessary. Exchangers should not be located over or near
equipment giving off large quantities of heat and the amount of equipment under
the exchangers should be minimized and arranged so as not to impede air flow or
promote air recirculation. In addition, location of air fins at different levels should
be avoided as this can also promote warm air recirculation.
If airfins are unavoidable near to heat sources, then the design air temperature
should be raised accordingly.
Also to be avoided are parallel banks of airfins which are so close together as to
impede the flow of cold air.
Airfin Type
Roof-type exchangers are sometimes used for very large units as they require only
about 60% of the floor space of horizontal types. Induced draught horizontal types
have some advantages over forced draught horizontal types in plot plan
considerations. For a given column height there is more space beneath the
induced draught type which can be utilized for the installation of other equipment.
Additionally, when overhead drives are used, the induced draught type is more
suitable for mounting over existing equipment and pipe racks.
Tube Bundle Size
For units with a small heat transfer surface, consideration should be given to
reducing the tube length and increasing the bundle width to obtain a more compact
unit.
Combination of Services
The plot area required can be minimized by grouping together under common fans
services which are non-critical, i.e. services such as product coolers which do not
require accurate control of their outlet temperatures. Units which are too small to
have independent fans are also combined. Tower condensers should not be
combined as accurate control may be required to maintain required tower
conditions.
Fan Mounting
To ensure satisfactory air distribution, fans should be mounted at least one-half the
fan diameter (minimum distance is 6'-6") above grade for forced draught designs
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and above the tube bundle for induced draught designs.

Column Top Condensers
GEA, a German vendor with many foreign licensees, appears to have good
experience in the location of airfin condensers at the top of medium sized
fractionating towers and this system may be considered particularly for partial
condensers.
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NOISE
Maximum allowable operating noise levels for air cooled exchangers are specified
in the Foster Wheeler Engineering Standards 23A1. The noise emanating from
airfin coolers is essentially axial fan noise. The power of the noise generated is a
function of the fan speed and blade angle and it can be reduced by using a slower
speed fan. The fan may be equipped with a greater number of blades to move the
same quantity of air.
The use of intake and discharge silencers on the air flow has not generally been
used except on small plants near residential areas or in air conditioning systems
due to the considerable cost involved.
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ESTIMATION OF EQUIPMENT SIZE AND UTILITY CONSUMPTION

This section provides the process engineer with a method for determining the
approximate tube surface, operating power and plan area of the air cooled heat
exchanger.
The major factors affecting the calculation for an economic design such as air
velocity, tube and fin dimensions and number of tube rows are discussed in detail
in Section 2.2.
The method given below should not be used as a rigorous solution to the thermal
design for the optimum exchanger which depends upon the correct selection of the
above parameters and the relative costs of power and tube surface.
8.1
Calculation Procedure
1.
Overall Coefficient - Assume an overall heat transfer coefficient

(Ud) from Table 2 or from Figure 3 if the process fluid is all liquid
and has a known viscosity. Care should be taken with highly
viscous fluids which have very low overall coefficients (Ud = 5 to
20). In these cases a small change in the coefficient can result in
a large change to the required surface area.
2.
Log Mean Temperature Difference - Assume a hot air outlet

temperature (Tao) and calculate the LMTD. Apply the correction
factor (Ft) from Figure 4 using the curves applicable to the
selected number of passes. The minimum value for (Ft) should be
0.8.
For a good approximation of the air temperature rise the following
equation can be used:
&tair = Ufinned x 0.12 (Average fluid temp. - Air inlet temp.)
Select the number of tube passes from the following guide:
Gas cooling and condensers
1 pass
Cooling of medium/heavy hydrocarbons
2 passes
Cooling of light hydrocarbons
4 passes
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Surface Area - Calculate the bare tube surface area from the
equation:
A=
Q
U D x LMTD x Ft
A = outside bare tube surface (sq. ft.)

Q = heat exchanged (Btu/hr)
4.
Number of Tube Rows - Evaluate the ratio:
Ti - Tai and from Figure 5 obtain the

number of rows (NR).
U
Ti = process fluid inlet temperature (F)
Tai = design air inlet temperature (F)
5.
Bundle Face Area - Calculate the bundle face area (FA) from the
bare tube surface area using the ratios given in Table 3.
6.
Air Outlet Temperature - Select a face velocity (FV) from Table 4

corresponding to the calculated number of tube rows and calculate
the air outlet temperature from the equation
Tao = Tai +
Q
FA x FV x 1.08
(The density and specific heat of air at the standard conditions,

70F and 29.92 inches of Hg, are incorporated in the constant
1.08.)
Compare the calculated value of Tao with the assumed value from
(2). If the values do not check within 5% assume a new value for
Tao and repeat the calculations (2) to (5).
7.
Air Flow Rate - Calculate the actual volumetric air flow (ACFM)
from the equation
ACFM = FA x FV x '
Where ' =
1
Air Specific Gravity
(See Figure 6)
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For forced draught units ' is measured at the air inlet

temperature, Tai, and at the air outlet temperature, Tao, for
induced draught units.
8.
Airside Static Pressure Drop - Estimate the static pressure drop

(&P) from Figure 7, using the face velocity from (6) and correct for
the number of tube rows and actual air density to obtain the static
pressure drop (SP) using the equation:
SP = &P x
NR
x '% (inches of water)
3
' is determined at the arithmetic mean air temperature.

9.
10.
Fan Selection - From the tube length and face area calculated in
(5) calculate the unit width and estimate the fan dimensions using
the following criteria:
(a)
Provide a minimum of two fans per unit.
(b)
The total area circumscribed by the fan blades must be at

least 40% of the face area for forced draught designs and
30% for induced draught designs.
(c)
Use a standard size fan. See Figure 8.
Total Pressure Drop - Obtain the velocity pressure drop (VP) from
Figure 8 and calculate the total pressure drop (&P) from the
equation
&P = SP + VP (inches of water)

11.
Power Consumption - Absorbed horsepower per fan is estimated

from the equation
HP (fan) =
ACFM x &P
3900 x Number of fans
Size the fan driver for 120% of absorbed fan horse power to allow
for climatic and process changes.
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Sample Problem
Process Duty:
Service
Kerosene Cooler
Heat exchanged
17,700,000 Btu/hr
Kerosene inlet temperature
250F
Kerosene outlet temperature
130F
Design air inlet temperature
86F
Tube dimension:O.D. (bare)
1"
Length
Airfin type
30'-0"
Forced draught
Calculation:
1.
Use UD = 90 Btu/hr-ft2-F
2.
Assume Tao = 145F
(Table 2)
LMTD = 70.1F (uncorrected)
P=
145 - 86
= 0.36
250 - 86
R=
250 - 130
= 2.035
145 - 86
Assuming 4 tube passes Ft = 1.0 (Figure 4)

Corrected LMTD = 1 x 70.1F
3.
Bare tube surface area, A

=
17,700,000 ft 2
90 x 70.1
2,805 ft 2
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4.
Ti - Tai
UD
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250 - 86
= 1.82
90
Number of tube row, NR = 5.3 (Figure 5)

Use 5 tube rows
5.
6.
Bundle face area

=
2,805 ft 2
6.32
444 ft 2
(Table 3)
Face velocity = 565 ft/min

Tao = 86 +
(Table 4)
17,700,000
(F
444 x 565 x 1.08
= 151(F
This checks within 5% of the assumed value, 145F
7.
Air flow rate at Standard Conditions
8.
Static pressure drop, &P = 0.27 ins. H2O (Figure 7)

Corrected static &P = 0.27 x
5
x 1.0888 in. H2O
3
(' at mean air temp. of 115F from Figure 6)

= 0.488 ins. H2O
9.
Fan Selection:
Unit width =
444
= 14.8 ft.
30
Required fan area 0.4 x 444 = 178 ft2

Consider 2 fans,
1/2
fan diameter
. 178 x 4 +
,
)
- 2/ *
10.6 ft.
Use 2 x 11 ft. diameter fans.

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Total Pressure Drop

Velocity pressure drop, VP = 0.143 ins. H2O (Figure 8)
Total pressure drop, &P = 0.488 + 0.143 ins. H2O
= 0.631 ins. H2O
11.
Horsepower per fan absorbed

= 255,000 x 0.631 = 20.6 BHP
3900 x 2
H. P. of each driver = 1.2 x 20.6 = 24.7
Therefore, use 25 HP motor for each driver.
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TABLE 2
TYPICAL OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS
All the overall heat transfer coefficients (UD) for air coolers listed below are based on the
total bare outside surface of the tubes.
Liquid Cooling (Also see Figure 3)
Service
LPG
UD (Btu/hr ft 2 F)
110 - 125
Propane
Butane
Process Water
105 - 120
Light Naphtha
90 - 110
Gasoline
Pentane
Platformate
Heavy Naphtha
85 - 95
Kerosene
Light diesel
Medium Hydrocarbons
65 - 75
Atmospheric gas oil

Heavy diesel
Atmospheric bottom pumparound
Heavy Hydrocarbons
40 -50
Reduced crude
Light vacuum gas oil
Fuel Oil
20 - 30
Residuum
10 - 20
Tar
5 - 10
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Gas Cooling
Service
Air or flue gas at 50 psig
UD (Btu/hr ft2o F)
10
(&P = 1 psi)
Hydrocarbon gases at 15 - 50 psig
(&P = 1 psi)
Hydrocarbon gases at 50 - 250 psig
30 - 40
50 - 60
(&P = 3 psi)
Hydrocarbon gases at 250 -1,500 psig
70 - 90
Ammonia Reactor Stream
80 -90
Condensing
Service
UD (Btu/hr ft2F)
Steam (0 - 20 psig)
130 140
Amine Reactivator
90 - 100
Ammonia
100 - 120
Light Hydrocarbons
80 - 95
Ethane
Propane
Butane
Light Naphtha
70 -80
Reactor Effluent
60 - 80
Platformers
Hydroformers
Heavy Naphtha
60 -70
Still Overhead
60-70
(Light naphtha, steam and

non-condensible gas)
Freon 12
60-80
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TABLE 3
BUNDLE FACE AREA RATIOS
Tube Rows
10
11
12
* sq. ft.
surface per
sq.ft. Face
Area
3.80
5.04
6.32
7.60
8.84
10.08
11.36
12.64
13.92
15.20
* Based on bare tube surface

Table taken from Hudson Engineering Corporation Technical Data Booklet.
TABLE 4
TYPICAL FACE VELOCITIES
Tube Rows
Face Velocity, ft/min
10
11
12
630
595
565
540
510
490
465
445
425
405
Table taken from Hudson Engineering Corporation Technical Data Booklet.
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APPENDIX A
CALCULATION OF DESIGN AIR TEMPERATURE FROM METEOROLOGICAL DATA
The following statistical procedure can be used for calculating the design air temperature
from recorded meteorological data.
Assume that the temperatures recorded follow the normal Gaussian distribution.
Let 0 = the standard deviation of all temperatures.
0 = 1/6 (Absolute maximum temperature - absolute minimum temperature)
The Gaussian distribution shown below can be represented as:
Q1x 2 4
1
2/
3x2
2
Min.
Mean
Max.
Temp
No.of SD
Let T be the required temperature which is not exceeded for r% of the year.
Probability integral t = T mean - T
0
Area shaded (A) = 0.5 -
r
100
The value of t is found from standard tables.
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Example
Calculate the temperature exceeded for 1% of the year from given meteorological
data.
Assume absolute Min. temp. = 27F (over one year)
Assume absolute Max. temp. = 114F (over one year)
0=
Then the S.D.
114 - 27
= 14.5
6
T mean (based on average daily max. and min.) = 58.5F

Shaded area (A) = 0.5 -
1
= 0.49
100
From tables t = -2.33

Substitute in
t=
T mean - T
- 2.33 =
58.5 - T
14.5
T = 92F
The following table indicates the effect on the temperature T by a change in the
percentage of the year when T is exceeded.
r%
Area A.
t (from tables)
T, F
0.49
2.33
92.3
0.48
2.05
88.2
0.47
1.88
85.7
0.46
1.75
83.9
0.45
1.64
82.3
Normal practice is to use the temperature which is not exceeded for 5% of the year.
FOSTER
WHEELER
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
PROCESS STD
302
PAGE
44
REV
10
DATE
JULY 2002
FOSTER
WHEELER
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
PROCESS STD
302
PAGE
45
REV
10
DATE
JULY 2002
FOSTER
WHEELER
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
PROCESS STD
302
PAGE
46
REV
10
DATE
JULY 2002
FOSTER
WHEELER
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
PROCESS STD
302
PAGE
47
REV
10
DATE
JULY 2002
FOSTER
WHEELER
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
PROCESS STD
302
PAGE
48
REV
10
DATE
JULY 2002
FOSTER
WHEELER
HEAT TRANSFER
AIR COOLED
EXCHANGERS
PROCESS STD
302
PAGE
49
REV
10
DATE
JULY 2002

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What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using air cooling versus water cooling?

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using air cooling versus water cooling?

What factors affect the design of air cooled heat exchangers?

What factors affect the design of air cooled heat exchangers?

FOSTER

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

MECHANICAL DESIGN FEATURES

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

OPERATION AND CONTROLS

ESTIMATION OF EQUIPMENT SIZE AND UTILITY CONSUMPTION

Appendix A. Calculation of Design Air Temperature by a statistical method

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

Air Cooled Exch. Process Spec. Sheet (FWC Lvon)

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

Air Versus Water Cooling

Advantages of Cooling with Air

Elimination of water circulation system and possible water

The problem of temperature and chemical pollution of

Exchanger maintenance is minimized as there is generally

In the event of power failure some advantage can be

Elimination of water treatment costs and provisions to

Location of plant and coolers is facilitated because of

Cooling water often requires the use of exotic materials,

Disadvantages of Cooling with Air

Air fins are more expensive.

Air fins generally have a smaller MTD available.

Leaking tubes may cause explosion hazards or fire.

More electrical equipment is required.

Air being more liable to temperature fluctuation than

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

Effect of Approach Temperature

Conventional water cooling throughout the range.

Air cooling to an economic approach temperature followed

Combined evaporative and air-cooling.

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

expensive than a water cooled exchanger with these facilities.

Capital cost of exchanger including motors, foundations,

Power consumed, preferably calculated based on the

Water Cooled Exchanger

Capital cost of exchanger including foundations,

Cooling Water Distribution

Proportion of offsite facilities, e.g., cooling tower and

Utility costs, i.e. power, water make-up, and chemicals for

Air Fin Optimization

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

A definite design is normally sought from a specialist vendor but the

Selection of Tube and Fin Dimensions

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION

Number of Tube Rows

Design Air Velocity

FOSTER WHEELER ENERGY LIMITED 2002

PROCESS PLANTS DIVISION