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[Olaniyi]

Good morning colleagues

Quick question. How does a fouled air cooler (air-side fouling) affect the pressure drop on the process side?

 

Thanks

Ogeds

[shan]

Fouling air-side will impact heat transfer rate of the air cooler, which means less heat will be rejected into air. 

 

If the process side flow is single phase liquid, there is not much affect on the pressure drop unless the liquid viscosity is very sensitive with temperature. 

 

If the process side flow is single phase vapor, the hotter fluid is, the larger actual flow volume will be and the higher flow velocity will be.  The higher velocity will lead to larger pressure drop.

 

If the process side flow is two phase flow (the air cooler works as condenser), less liquid will be condensed out of the stream.  Overall volume will be larger and pressure drop will be higher.