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Digitalization
After identifying the airflow paths responsible for the problem, plant operators implemented targeted mitigation measures, including adjustments to fan operation and modifications to surrounding airflow patterns. These actions reduced cooling-related production bottlenecks by up to 43 %.
Use case 3: Mechanical degradation Even when external inefficiencies such as fouling or airflow disturbances are addressed, the performance of air-cooled heat exchangers gradually declines over time due to mechanical degradation. Fans, bearings, gearboxes, belts, and structural components are subject to wear, fatigue, and ageing during decades of continuous operation. Finned tube bundles may also experience corrosion, fin damage, or other forms of material deterioration that reduce their effective heat transfer capability. Because many air-cooled heat exchangers remain in service for several decades, it is common for their mechanical condition to deviate significantly from the original design state. Even small reductions in fan efficiency or airflow distribution can progressively reduce the available cooling margin. Continuous performance monitoring allows operators to quantify these long-term performance losses. By analysing trends in exchanger effectiveness and comparing measured performance with expected design behaviour, it becomes possible to distinguish between short-term operational issues and structural performance decline caused by equipment ageing. These insights are particularly valuable when evaluating refurbishment programmes or replacement of ageing cooling equipment. In one example involving a two-step cooling process, air-cooled heat exchangers removed most of the heat load before the product entered a chiller for final temperature control. Gradual degradation of the aircooled exchangers increased the load on the chiller system. Following refurbishment of the air-cooled heat exchanger installation, cooling performance increased by 28 %. This reduced chiller energy consumption by approximately 5 % and significantly decreased production bottleneck periods during warm weather.
Strengthening cooling resilience As heatwaves become more frequent and industrial processes operate closer to their design limits, understanding and optimizing cooling system performance is becoming increasingly important. Digital monitoring technologies allow operators to move beyond reactive maintenance toward a proactive strategy in which cooling capacity, reliability, and energy efficiency are continuously evaluated. By identifying hidden inefficiencies, prioritizing maintenance actions, and supporting longterm asset management decisions, performance monitoring can play a key role in improving the resilience of industrial facilities to extreme summer conditions.
Distillation column with an air-cooled overhead condenser. Image courtesy of Hexwise.
Two-step cooling process where air-cooled heat exchangers remove the primary heat load before the product enters a chiller. Image courtesy of Hexwise.
References( 1) Bloomberg( 2023) Extreme Heat Fast Becoming a Threat to Global Fuel Security
( 2) Bloomberg( 2024) Searing Heat Triggers Fuel- Supply Worries at Oil Refineries in Europe and Beyond
( 3) S & P Global( 2024) Europe’ s Refining Complex Braces for Summer Heat Wave
( 4) U. S. Energy Information Administration( 2026) Gulf Coast( PADD 3) Percent Utilization of Refinery Operable Capacity( Percent).
About the author
Pim van Ramshorst is Chief Business Officer and Co-Founder of Hexwise, a company specialized in digital twin technology and advanced analytics for industrial cooling systems including air-cooled condensers( ACCs), air-cooled heat exchangers( ACHEs), and cooling towers for the petrochemical, power, gas and data center industry. www. heat-exchanger-world. com Heat Exchanger World May 2026
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