Prevention measures for hydrogen leakage from the inlet and outlet flanges of the reforming reactor
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To prevent hydrogen leakage from the flanges at the inlet and outlet of the reforming reactor, single-sided disc springs have been installed on the eight large flanges at these locations. Has anyone ever seen a physical example of such a measure to prevent leakage? Are there any other viable options?
I have seen steam fire suppression rings on the eight large flanges for import and export; I haven’t seen the single-sided disc spring you mentioned
I have seen this type of disc spring used during major overhauls before; it should perform well after such overhauls, though its price is relatively high. For the second-phase construction, disc springs were not used; instead, a steam curtain was added at the inlet and outlet of the large flange of the reforming reactor as a preventive measure
Will that steam curtain remain on and in use?
Of course, it was opened only after discovering a leak and fire; however, a steam trap should be installed at the steam pipe outlet at the bottom to remove water effectively
Disc springs are also an important means of preventing leaks in high-pressure and high-temperature environments; they are commonly used at the outlet of high-pressure pumps. However, I have not seen them used on the large flanges of reactors. Theoretically, it should be possible to use them there, but the bolt sizes on reactor flanges are generally quite large, which imposes very high requirements on disc springs. Steam curtain protection is a commonly used protective measure on reactors and high-exchange flanges, but it is not a preventive measure.
Currently, zero-leakage gaskets or disc springs are still widely used to prevent leaks on large flanges. Zero-leakage gaskets are more expensive than disc springs; disc springs can provide thermal compensation, while zero-leakage ensures that each bolt achieves the same preload when tightened. This information can be found by searching on Baidu. The investment is high; it’s sufficient to disassemble it twice. Please refer to this
What does a zero-leakage washer look like, as you mentioned?
The collecting duct flange is more prone to leakage, right?