scope:

The selection of the most appropriate process plant cooling system is a complex issue where experience and knowledge of local factors are of the essence. ESDU 13004 guides the process engineer in this selection and is a "top down" and generic treatment of the subject of cooling. The choice of heat rejection systems (and, indeed, of whether heat rejection should be pursued in any case) is paramount. ESDU 13004 addresses this question of choice by spelling out the options which a process designer has in addressing the problem of cooling a given process stream.

The selection process applies strictly to an essentially "greenfield" situation, i.e. a new plant is being constructed which is essentially independent of other plant in the same locality. In many cases, the choice will be influenced by the situation in adjacent plant - for instance there may be spare cooling tower or air cooled heat exchanger capacity on the site and this will clearly affect the choice of cooling system. There may also be available redundant equipment which can be used at little cost to achieve the cooling objective. Wherever applicable, these local factors should always be considered in deciding on the choice of system. It should also be stressed that decisions on plant selection are strongly affected by the balance between capital and operating costs.

Developed under the guidance of the IHS Oil Industry Fouling Working Party, this User Guide complements ESDU 03004 and 08002, which address heat rejection to sea and to fresh water respectively, and provide extensive guidance on fouling in water cooling systems.