Determination of deposit thickness in natural gas cooler based on the measurements of gas cooling degree

An original method for estimating fouled deposit thickness on the inside surfaces of natural gas cooler tubes is presented. This method does not require opening and inspecting a cooler as it is based on the measurement of gas cooling degree, i.e. the gas temperature difference between the cooler inlet and discharge. The deposit layer on the internal heat transfer surfaces is of semi-liquid consistency and its thermal conductivity coefficient has not been investigated until now. This paper describes the experimental determination of the deposit thermal conductivity coefficient. This parameter enables determination of a cooler’s performance as a function of current deposit thickness. Practical application of the method is illustrated in the case of CH_R cooler working in the KS01 compressor station in Vel’ké Kapušany, Slovakia. For this type of cooler, a diagram for deposit thickness as a function of the gas cooling degree is presented.