Air Cooled Heat Exchangers

Why to use an Air cooled heat exchangers

Generally used where a process system generates heat which must be removed, but for which there is no local use. A good example is the car radiator.

How are they constructed ?

Typically an air cooled exchanger consist of a finned tube bundle with rectangular box Headers on both end of the tubes.

Cooling air is provided by one or more fans.

Usually air blows upwards through a horizontal tube bundle.

The fans can be either forced or induced draft depending on whether the air is pushed or pulled through the tube bundle.

The space between the fans and the tube bundle is enclosed by a plenum chamber which directs the air. The whole assembly is usually mounted on legs or a pipe rack.

How are they constructed ?

What standards are used for air cooled exchangers ?

API 661 ( Air cooled heat exchangers for general refinery service ) ASME

What kind of finned tubes are used ?

The tubes can be of virtually any material available such as carbon steel, stainless steel admiralty brass or more exotic alloys. Minimum preferred outside diameter is 1 mostly process coolers would be 1.0, 1.25 or 1.5 outside diameters. Fins are mostly of aluminium material. Most common type of fin is the helically wrapped, L-footed type. These are used where process temperatures are below about 350 Deg. F.

What are headers ?

Headers are the boxes at the ends of the tubes which distribute the fluid from the piping to the tubes.

MANIFOLD TYPE
PLUG TYPE - Best suited for a high pressure application up to 3,300 psig (230kg/cm2G). - The individual tube is accessible for cleaning and tube plugging. BONNET TYPE - Best suited for a high Vacuum operation . - The bonnet type eliminates welding joints of the box type. -This type is a vacuum steam condensers of a power plant application. -The large manifold ensures the low pressure drop so that the flow rates become equal to every tube type.

Why some coolers are forced draft & some induced draft? Which is better ? Which is batter
Mostly air cooled heat exchangers is of forced draft construction. Forced draft units are easier to manufacture and to maintain. Tube bundle is mounted on top of the plenum, so it can be easily removed & replaced. The fan shaft is short since it does not have to extend from the drive unit through the tube bundle and plenum to the fan as in an induced draft design. Forced draft units require slightly less horse power Since the fan is moving a lower volume of air at the inlet than they would at the outlet. If the process fluid is very hot, the cooling air is hot at the outlet, this could cause problems with some fans or fan actuators. If the fan is exposed to very hot exhaust air, since forced draft coolers do not have the fans exposed to hot exhaust air.

What kind of controls are used

As one might expect the best kind of control scheme depends on the application. Does the process require a very tight control on the process outlet temp. or is it better to allow the process temp. to go down with the ambient air temp. Following is a list of some of the commonly used control devices for air coolers, but in no particular order.

Manually operated louvers B. Pneumatically activated automatic variable pitch fans. C. Variable frequency fan variables.
A.