The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Mathematical model of temperature profiles and coking in a crude oil heater tube
Author:	Polimeni, Joseph C.
View Online:	njit-etd1983-023 (vii, 150 pages ~ 4.0 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Chemical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Lewandowski, Gordon (Committee chair) Wong, Wing T. (Committee member) Knox, Dana E. (Committee member)
Date:	1983-09
Keywords:	Heat -- Transmission -- Mathematical models Mass transfer -- Mathematical models Coke
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	A mathematical model to predict temperature profiles and coking of crude oil in furnace tubes is presented. The model assumes that the coking mechanism is due to a reaction in the laminar sublayer, whose rate depends upon the temperature profile. That profile is obtained by a numerical solution of the appropriate transport equations, with velocity profiles that may be laminar or turbulent, and including the temperature dependence of the crude oil properties. In addition, velocity and temperature profiles were adjusted when necessary to ensure closure of the heat and material balances. As a by-product of this study, a correction was found necessary to Nikuradse's formulation of the turbulent velocity profile in order to ensure material balance closure. Comparisons are shown between the model and the limited published data.