Exchanger Temperature Optimization and Stability
Stable heat-exchanger outlet temperatures are essential to the proper operation of the process units they serve. Poorly performing control can generate temperature variations that directly affect reactors, distillation columns, and other downstream processes.
These disturbances can result in:
- Temperature variability and disturbances to downstream processes when changes in flow rate, inlet temperature, or utility conditions are not compensated quickly enough;
- Excessive consumption of steam, fuel, cooling water, or refrigeration when available heat recovery is not fully utilized or heat exchange is not effectively coordinated;
- Production below the actual limits of the process when temperature variations or reduced heat-transfer capacity require flow rates to be reduced to remain within thermal constraints;
- Progressive performance degradation due to fouling when the reduction in heat-transfer coefficient and increase in pressure drop are not detected or adequately compensated.
Our approach
Enero Solutions optimizes and embeds advanced regulatory control strategies directly within the control system to improve the performance of heat exchangers and heat-exchanger networks. These strategies can include PID optimization, cascade control, ratio control, feedforward signals, coordination of flows and bypasses, and adaptive logic that accounts for changes in process conditions and exchanger performance.
Enero’s optimization approach makes it possible to:
- Operate heat exchangers closer to their thermal and hydraulic limits
- Further automate response to load changes and changing heat-exchanger performance
- Optimize advanced regulatory control across individual exchangers and heat-exchanger networks
