Fouling Control
Our fouling control programs minimize total fouling cost by avoiding unscheduled production slowdowns or shutdowns and limiting emissions. This saves energy, maximizes conversion, maintains throughput, and increases run lengths. Our laboratory analytical capabilities, problem-solving skills, and experience enable understanding of the fouling mechanism in a given system. We work together to develop cost-effective, technically appropriate total-fouling control solutions.
Process-side fouling occurs in most refinery units, causing operating and maintenance problems. Fouling that limits unit throughput or forces downtime for cleaning are the most expensive problems. Excess furnace firing from lost heat transfer increases fuel cost. Other cost is increased maintenance and equipment failure. Fouling has increased as refineries use more difficult-to-process and heavier crude oils.
The increased use of hydrotreaters to comply with new regulations is an additional challenge.
Determine underperforming equipment
Our predictive maintenance techniques determine underperforming equipment. Catching equipment problems early results in less expensive repairs and downtime. Our simulation programs optimize heat exchanger maintenance schedules to avoid unscheduled production slowdowns or shutdowns. We calculate economic impact of performance degradation, prioritize equipment maintenance, and target cleaning for critical heat exchangers. Our programs minimize operating cost and maximize throughput. We determine which exchanger causes capacity limits when cleaning and its impact on lost throughput. We can also evaluate the effectiveness of fouling inhibitors and optimize their use.
Optimize visbreakers
Baker Hughes VisTecTM visbreaker technology program expands the operating visbreaker envelope to maximize conversion rates and extend run lengths. Our program combines VisTec additives and monitoring to control fouling and stability so severity can be increased.
Address delayed cokers
Baker Hughes MILESTONETM heater-fouling control technology interrupts fouling mechanisms identified for specific delayed coker operations and feedstock types. MILESTONE applications extend heater run lengths and increase unit throughput, while reducing the frequency of coil decoking procedures.


































































