Process and utility packages
Transfer line exchangers
Transfer line exchangers (TLEs) are the first heat exchangers a cracked-gas stream sees leaving an ethylene furnace or reformer, quenching the hot effluent within milliseconds to arrest secondary cracking reactions while recovering the heat as high-pressure steam. They’re among the most demanding heat-transfer duties in a process plant, combining severe thermal shock with high-pressure steam generation.
Key Components
- Specialized quench-type shell-and-tube bundle
- High-pressure steam drum
- Refractory-lined transfer piping
- Bundle extraction and inspection provisions
Applications
- Ethylene/olefins steam cracking units
- Petrochemical complexes with high-severity cracking furnaces