Operational issues - Finfan coolers

[neo]

What are the major operational issues related to the finfan coolers?
What kind of damages could be expected when normal operating procedures are not followed?
Need to understand contributing factors from operational run when having mechanical integrity concerns, leaking tubes, in a finfan cooler.

[ww2i]

This is a very important issue as finfan coolers can easily get damaged (slowly) if not operated well.
Temperature Control Problems play a vital role here as running too hot leads to high process outlet temp and running too cold would cause overcooling.
Overcooling will eventually result into condensation, then corrosion and eventually fouling.
Under-cooling would result into process inefficiency leading to an upstream upset but may not eventually hit your finfan.
The example issue is that in case of a hydrocarbon service, if temp drops below dew point, liquid dropout would happen which will cause slugging and erosion eventually.

[irish]

Finfan for sure does not fail suddenly. There has been a slow process to that.
I would recommend you to check for the following with support of inspection & other discipline teams, these are primarily the affects:
Under-deposit corrosion + fouling
Flow-induced vibration
Condensation from overcooling
Erosion from liquid carryover
Thermal fatigue from fan cycling
---
And connect these findings to:
Checking temperature profile across bundle (I am not sure if someone can help you with that)
Inspect air recirculation paths (you need to somehow check this to know if the operations are all correct)
Review fan operation logic (easy to check to make sure that the operations has all been good throughout)
Look at cleaning frequency (you must be having this recorded, easy to find)
Check process for liquid carryover (process can help you with this data)
Review velocity vs design (reach process back again)
Look for vibration history (take a guy from rotating to help you assess)

[neo]

Thanks for the leads.
Need to work on them all.