Preventive Maintenance for Heat Exchanger Subjected to Fouling

Heat exchanger is equipment used to transfer heat from one fluid to another. It has extensive domestic and industrial applications. The proper performance of the condenser is critical to minimizing the operating costs of a turbo generator unit, in terms of both heat rate and generation capacity. After reviewing the major causes for deteriorating condenser performance, a distinction is drawn between those causes that are cyclical or predictable and those that occur at random time intervals. In the first category, the fouling of condenser tubes and/or tube sheet can be corrected by cleaning, the intervals between which can be optimized. Extensive technical literature is available on heat exchanger maintenance, but it is widely scattered throughout the industrial bulletins, industrial design codes and standard, technical journals, etc. The purpose of this paper is to consolidate into basic background and preventive maintenance and to calculate the effectiveness after maintenance of heat exchanger closely related to the industrial practices.