Sulfuric acid plantsSulfuric acid plant attached to copper smeltersCopper smelter often experience high SO2 gas concentrations entering the first converter pass, resulting in very high outlet gas temperatures. The hot gas exchanger downstream of the first pass is therefore a critical piece of equipmentEquipment and may be routinely exposed to gas temperatures in excess of 650 °C (1,200 °F). The combined effects of hot gas corrosionCorrosion and the potential for excessive thermal stressThermal stress on the tubes make for one of the most severe service cases seen in sulfuric acid plantsSulfuric acid plant. NORAM has been engaged to designDesign and supplySupply a replacementReplacement hot gas exchanger for Rio Tinto KennecottRio Tinto Kennecott’s large copper smelterCopper smelter acid plantAcid plant in Utah, the designDesign of which is a useful case study in general strategies to mitigate the deleterious effects of high temperatures on gas-to-gas heat exchangersGas–gas heat exchanger. In addition to general solutions, the designDesign process also highlights the usefulness of more advanced techniques, such as computational fluid dynamicsComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), in identifying and remedying issues unique to a particular heat exchanger, or other acid plantAcid plant equipmentEquipment.