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The article discusses the generation of thermal nitrogen oxide (NOx) in steam cracking and steam methane reforming (SMR). Topics include the significance of thermal cracking of hydrocarbon as a key process in ethylene manufacturing, the selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and the degradation of catalyst for SCR.

The article focuses on a study conducted on fouling in heat exchanger preheat trains in the refining industry. Topics discussed include Particulate fouling due to the deposition of organic precursors like asphaltenes and corrosion fouling due to the presence of naphthenic acid being types of fouling experienced in crude oil, fouling inhibition being achieved by mixing hydrocarbons and anti-fouling chemicals and crude management and desalter operation being ways of controlling fouling.

The article reports on the methods of energy conservation on distillate hydrotreaters used in the refineries. It states distillate hydrotreaters consumes large part of the energy in the refineries. Hence methods to conserve energy are suggested in the article. It states retrofitting distillate hydrotreaters is one of the options to improve energy efficiency. Installation of a hot separator, usage of alternative heat exchange techniques like twisted tubes, are also ways to conserve energy.

The article reports on the problems related to asphaltene destabilization in heavy crudes used by refineries. It states that asphaltenes in heavy crudes affect key performance indicators (KPIs) such as heat transfer coefficients and corrosion rates when become destabilized and agglomerate up to the occurrence of precipitation. Moreover, it discusses the asphaltene stability technique that measures the stability of sphaltenes in crude oils in which solvent-titration method is used.

The article offers tips on how to use titanium (Ti) for exchanger construction in the U.S. It cites the various components of the shell-and-tube exchange which include the tube, tube-wall thickness and allowable tube-side velocity. It also examines the impact of capital cost and service life of the component on construction materials. It further mentions several options for designers when selecting flange designs including Ti-hub flange and carbon steel (CS) loose flange.

The article examines how the application of heat integration can improve the performance of an existing heat exchanger network. The authors demonstrate how the combination of heat integration and retrofitting of heat exchange networks into the total design procedure when debottlenecking a process unit can optimize effective utilization of existing heat exchangers, without adding new heat exchangers, boilers, furnaces or cooling/refrigeration systems.

Focuses on the high temperature air combustion technology for steam reformers. Ability of the technology to reduce facility nitrogen oxide emissions; Effectiveness of high preheated air temperatures combined with intense internal exhaust gas recirculation.

This article presents guidelines to predict the performance of open rack vaporizers during normal and abnormal conditions. For performance calculations, the heat transfer length is divided into a number of zones-six in this example, not too few such that the possible formations of ice might be masked, and not too many such that calculations are unconsuming but without a useful gain in accuracy. Combining the heat transfer lengths for all zones is used to determine tube length of the vaporizer. If this value does not agree with the vendor's specified length, repeat calculations and increase the number of zones. The LNG temperature at the final point corresponds to its temperature at vaporizer outlet.

This article presents information regarding monitoring and controlling cooling water corrosion. Corrosion of heat exchangers and associated piping is a major problem in chemical process plants like ammonia-urea fertilizer plants. Key equipment, such as piping, valves, condensers and hear exchangers, can be degraded by corrosion attack of cooling water. Such attacks can reduce equipment performance and reliability and, in extreme cases, lead to unexpected failures and shutdowns. The cooling water system at ammonia-urea fertilizer plant was commissioned in 1994 and the experience in the past 10 years of operations is shared.

Evaluates thermodynamic efficiency and economic benefits when using process technology/heat transfer to recover ethylene from cracked ethane. Comparison between the conventional front-end demethanizer design and an improved distributed distillation configuration; Use of multilevel mixed refrigeration with a distributed distillation design.

Presents tips on the prediction of temperatures during gas depressuring events by including heat transfer effects into design models. Improvement of vessel material specifications; Mathematical modeling for a pressurized container or vessel; Preparation of energy balance equation for the fluid.

The article offers information on several innovations related to hydrocarbons. It showcases the stackable structural reactor (SSR), an improved, efficient ceramic catalyst which can produce large amount of hydrogen out of natural gas and enables higher heat transfer which prolongs its lifespan, from Catacel Corp. Meanwhile, it also highlights a patent from Carbon Sciences Inc. wherein its gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel technology can convert CH4 and CO2 into gasoline.

Discusses information on heat tracing as a method that maintains the temperature of the contents of a pipe or container. Applications for heat tracing; Types of heat tracing; Evolution of electric heat tracing; Comparison of the relative costs of self-regulating electric heat tracing in two operating plants conducted by a major chemical company in 1990.

The article focuses on the limitations of the new method of computing heat exchanger network called Pinch Technology. Pinch analysis uses thermodynamics but relegates the use of practical matters including distillation and crude hydraulics to secondary importance. If disregarded, an analysis can be rendered useless by fouling, corrosion, poor residue stripping, and fractionation which can cause problems with heavy crude oils.