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Long-Term Reliability: Unipetrol, Refinery Litvínov, Czech Republic Case Story

The Packinox heat exchanger installed at Unipetrol's refinery in Litvínov, Czech Republic in 2002 has provided reliable performance and major energy savings over 16 years of operation. The actual hot approach temperature has been consistently below the designed temperature of 48°C, resulting in even greater energy savings than expected. Minimal maintenance has been required over this time period, with only one chemical cleaning. The heat exchanger has saved Unipetrol an estimated 4-5 million euros in fuel costs compared to alternative equipment.

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Osmar Dias
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140 views2 pages

Long-Term Reliability: Unipetrol, Refinery Litvínov, Czech Republic Case Story

The Packinox heat exchanger installed at Unipetrol's refinery in Litvínov, Czech Republic in 2002 has provided reliable performance and major energy savings over 16 years of operation. The actual hot approach temperature has been consistently below the designed temperature of 48°C, resulting in even greater energy savings than expected. Minimal maintenance has been required over this time period, with only one chemical cleaning. The heat exchanger has saved Unipetrol an estimated 4-5 million euros in fuel costs compared to alternative equipment.

Uploaded by

Osmar Dias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Long-term reliability

Unipetrol, Refinery Litvínov, Czech Republic Case story

Unipetrol RPA has been operating a Packinox combined Hot approach temperature (HAT)
feed/effluent heat exchanger in its refinery in Litvínov, 60
Czech Republic, since 2002. This heat exchanger recovers
50
heat in the refinery’s catalytic reforming unit and has deliv-
ered reliable performance and large energy savings for 40
HAT (°C)

many years. 30

20
Stable performance Designed HAT
10
The Packinox heat exchanger was designed for a hot
approach temperature, i.e. the temperature difference 0
2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

between the incoming hot reactor effluent and the exiting


cold feed, of 48°C (86°F). The actual hot approach tempera-
ture has constantly been below the design temperature, see Despite some natural fouling over 16 years, the hot approach
diagram 1. This means the energy savings have been even temperature has been significantly below the design temperature
larger than expected. of 48°C (86°F), meaning the energy savings have been even
larger than expected.

Major energy savings


As can be seen in diagram 1, the average hot approach The extra fuel cost due to the inferior heat recovery would be
temperature has been below 40°C (72°F) over the 16 years 0.25–0.30 million euros per year. This means the Packinox
of operation covered by the diagram. As a rough comparison, heat exchanger has saved Unipetrol somewhere between 4
an equivalent setup with shell-and-tube heat exchangers and 5 million euros over the years (not taking the gradually
would have a hot approach temperature of around 65°C decreasing thermal performance of a shell-and-tube or the
(117°F) and recover 1.25 MW less heat. fluctuating energy prices into account).
HEATER 1 REACTOR 1 HEATER 2 REACTOR 2 HEATER 3 REACTOR 3 HEATER 4 REACTOR 4

Hydrogen

COOLER SEPARATOR

PACKINOX HEAT
EXCHANGER

Naphtha RECYCLE GAS


COMPRESSOR Reformate

Recycle gas

Low, stable pressure drop Minimal maintenance


The pressure drop in the heat exchanger has also been The only maintenance that has been required to this date
very stable since it was commissioned. On the feed side (August 2018) is a chemical cleaning that was performed
it is 0.3 kg/cm2 (29.4 kpa) and on the effluent side it is during a plant turnaround in 2016 – 14 years after the unit
0.4–0.5 kg/cm2 (39.2–49.0 kpa). was commissioned. An endoscopic inspection confirmed the
cleaning had been effective.
An average shell-and-tube setup has a pressure drop that is
2–3 times higher, leading to higher costs for the compressor Mr. Mĕstka concludes: “Over the years we have been
(CAPEX and OPEX) and in some cases lower yield in the very satisfied with the performance of our Packinox heat
process. exchanger and the support we have received from Alfa
Laval.”
Continuous follow-up
Every Packinox heat exchanger comes with Alfa Laval’s
unique Lifetime Follow-Up service, which includes continuous
Fast facts
collection and analysis of operating data and regular condition
reports together with recommendations on how to improve
The plant
performance and when to plan for service. Unipetrol’s refinery in Litvínov, Czech Republic.

Petr Mĕstka, Head of Technology and Research at Unipetrol The challenge


To cut fuel costs in the refinery’s catalytic reforming unit by recovering as
says: “This has resulted in maximum operating reliability and much heat as possible.
has allowed the company’s engineers to optimize the opera-
tion of the Packinox heat exchanger.” The solution
A Packinox combined feed/effluent heat exchanger.

The benefits
• Maximum heat recovery
• Reliable operation
• High yield

100001040-EN 1901 Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.

How to contact Alfa Laval


Up-to-date Alfa Laval contact details for all countries are always
available on our website at www.alfalaval.com.

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