TY - JOUR AV - none N1 - cited By 32 SP - 105 TI - Discrete phase-CFD simulations of asphaltenes particles deposition from crude oil in shell and tube heat exchangers PB - Elsevier Ltd SN - 13594311 EP - 118 N2 - Fouling in crude preheat trains is a major cause of thermal inefficiency in petroleum refineries. The limited fundamental understanding of its causes and mechanisms led to ineffective fouling mitigation techniques. It is believed that asphaltenes precipitation and deposition is the major cause of fouling. The present work attempts to simulate the deposition of asphaltenes from crude oil in a multi-pass shell and tube heat exchanger through discrete-phase CFD simulations. The effects of bulk velocity, temperature gradients in the radial direction and particle sizes on asphaltenes deposition are investigated. In an effort to understand the effect of various forces on the rate of deposition of asphaltenes, forces such as gravity, drag, Saffman lift and thermophoretic are applied on the asphaltenes particles. The deposition velocities of the asphaltenes particles are determined based on solving the balance of these forces. The asphaltenes particles mass deposition rate is high in locations of higher particle deposition velocities. The CFD simulations indicate that the dominant forces to encourage particles deposition are gravity and drag. The deposition velocities and mass deposition rates are high for larger particle sizes. Low fluid velocities, higher temperature gradients and larger particle sizes favor higher particle deposition rates. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd ID - scholars11760 KW - Asphaltenes; Crude oil; Deposition rates; Drag; Fouling; Heat exchangers; Particle size; Thermal gradients; Velocity KW - Asphaltenes deposition; Deposition velocities; Larger particle sizes; Mass deposition rate; Particle depositions; Particles depositions; Shell and tube heat exchangers; Thermal inefficiencies KW - Computational fluid dynamics Y1 - 2019/// A1 - Emani, S. A1 - Ramasamy, M. A1 - Shaari, K.Z.K. JF - Applied Thermal Engineering UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85058163974&doi=10.1016%2fj.applthermaleng.2018.12.008&partnerID=40&md5=8f63f30e059a62d665272c4e2ddabf0f VL - 149 ER -