Thermal performance evaluation of hot oils and nanofluids by simulation of an indirect heating plant

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the thermal performance of four different heat transfer fluids in a hot oil system located in a paraffin hydrotreatment and fractionation plant of a petroleum refinery. The software Petro-SIM? (KBC- -Yokogawa) was employed to elaborate steady-state simulations intended to compare the heat transfer fluid currently used (eutectic of biphenyl and diphenyl oxide) and three fluids proposed as substitutes: paraffin oil (namely n-C13 +) produced in the same industrial unit, a nanofluid of eutectic of biphenyl and diphenyl oxide and copper at a 6% volume fraction, and a CuO/polydimethylsiloxane nanofluid at a 6% volume fraction. The results showed that n-C13 + was the only heat transfer fluid that could replace the eutectic diphenyl oxide/biphenyl in the system under analysis since it absorbed the heat duty of 13.79 Gcal/h, which exceeded the thermal energy of 10.57 Gcal/h absorbed by the heat transfer fluid currently used at the same operating parameters. The Cu/eutectic of biphenyl and diphenyl oxide and CuO/polydimethylsiloxane nanofluids presented lower heat duty than the energy needed for the operation of the hot oil system, which was 8.31 and 8.51 Gcal/h, respectively.