Heat exchanger process

Abstract

Heat exchanger processes are disclosed. A heat exchanger process uses a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a surface positioned to be contacted by a fluid. The heat exchanger process includes contacting the surface with the fluid by transporting the fluid through the heat exchanger and transferring heat between the surface and the fluid. The transporting is at a rate of less than 2 meters per second, the surface includes a fouling-resistant coating, the fluid includes particles known to cause fouling, or a combination thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger process using a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a surface positioned to be contacted by a fluid, the heat exchanger process comprising:
 contacting the surface with the fluid by transporting the fluid through the heat exchanger; and   transferring heat between the surface and the fluid;   wherein the transporting is at a rate of less than 2 meters per second;   wherein the surface includes a fouling-resistant coating.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein transporting concurrently includes laminar and turbulent flow of the fluid. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein transporting consist of laminar flow of the fluid. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein transporting consist of turbulent flow of the fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes particles known to cause fouling. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes corrosion products known to cause fouling. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes crystals. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes biological material. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes non-homogenous materials. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes impure materials. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flows at a first rate, then a second rate, the first rate differing from the second rate by at least 1 meter per second. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the surface has a roughness that induces fouling in the absence of the fouling-resistant coating. 
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger has a shell and one or more tubes and the surface is within the shell. 
     
     
         14 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 13 , wherein the shell includes segmented baffles arranged at a distance of less than one fifth of a diameter of the shell. 
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a low-finned tube heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger. 
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a gas. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a liquid. 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger process of  claim 1 , wherein the fouling-resistant coating includes amorphous silicon, hydrogen, and carbon. 
     
     
         20 . A heat exchanger process using a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a surface positioned to be contacted by a fluid, the heat exchanger process comprising:
 contacting the surface with the fluid by transporting the fluid through the heat exchanger; and   transferring heat between the surface and the fluid;   wherein the surface includes a fouling-resistant coating;   wherein the fluid includes particles known to cause fouling.