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

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.