INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT OF A PLATE-FIN HEAT EXCHANGER (internship)
BACKGROUND:Brazed aluminum plate-fin heat exchangers (PFHE) are widely used in cryogenic applications such as air separation, hydrocarbon processing and in particular, natural gas liquefaction (LNG). This type of heat exchanger combines large heat transfer surfaces with a small volume which makes it prone to thermal stresses, which could result in local mechanical failure or damage. Though PFHEs are very tolerant of large steady state stream-to-stream temperature differences, they may be damaged if subjected to transient or continuously unsteady operating conditions producing excessive thermal stressing. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this work is to estimate the fatigue life of a PFHE and provide recommendations on itsdesign and operation. For more information see: http://dutw1479.wbmt.tudelft.nl/~renep/content/internship_SBM.pdf