What are the differences in application scenarios between coiled tube heat exchangers and high-flux tube heat exchangers?

This post was last edited by upc-ljb on 2017-6-1 at 20:12. The content here represents my personal opinions and is for reference only. Currently, both types are primarily used in large-scale petrochemical plants, and compared to traditional heat exchangers, they offer advantages such as a high heat transfer capacity (high thermal load), a smaller footprint, and superior heat exchange efficiency. However, compared to traditional heat exchangers, it is difficult to maintain. Due to the high heat load requirements for heat exchangers in current large-scale petrochemical plants, traditional heat exchangers need to be enlarged in size to meet these requirements. However, an increase in the size of heat exchangers inevitably brings difficulties in processing, manufacturing, maintenance, and other aspects (generally not exceeding 1800 mm), and serious risks such as leaks are inevitable in high-temperature, high-pressure, and hydrogen-exposed environments; therefore, plate heat exchangers, shell-and-tube heat exchangers, and high-flow tube heat exchangers have been developed. Compared to traditional heat exchangers, high-flux tubes have a better heat transfer performance because the tubes are not smooth but rather feature numerous surface pores, which enhances the heat transfer coefficient. Coiled tube heat exchangers increase the length of the tube bundle, thereby increasing the heat exchange area. At the same size, the heat transfer load is high. Generally, coil-type heat exchangers are used in areas with high temperature and pressure, or in those where high pressure drops are required (such as heat exchangers for reforming reaction feed; if the pressure drop is too high, it will inevitably increase the energy consumption of the recycle hydrogen compressor). The remaining parts use high-throughput methods. In terms of investment, it has a lower cost compared to traditional heat exchangers under the same heat load. However, since there are few manufacturers with proven experience in tube-in-tube heat exchangers, and also few producers of high-flow tubes (patented), the overall price is relatively high. Selection order (when all options meet the requirements): High-throughput tube, coiled tube

I am very grateful for the patient guidance from the person above; it has given me a new understanding of the new type of high-efficiency heat exchanger.

I asked manufacturers of coiled tube heat exchangers in another post; could you tell me which are the well-known companies that produce high-flow tube heat exchangers? Thank you.

Take a look at our turbulent heat film tube-shell heat exchangers: they feature a fully stainless steel welded structure, and their volume is only 1/5 that of traditional tube-shell heat exchangers. It combines the advantages of brazed plate heat exchangers, such as small size and high temperature resistance, while overcoming the drawbacks of frame plate heat exchangers, including the aging of the gaskets (made primarily of nitrile rubber and EPDM) and high maintenance costs. By using stainless steel vortex tubes as the heat exchange elements, it significantly improves the overall performance of the heat exchanger. The eddy current thermal film heat exchanger utilizes the latest eddy current thermal film heat transfer technology to enhance heat transfer by altering the flow pattern of the fluid. As the fluid passes over the surface of the eddy current tubes, it exerts strong scouring force on the tube surface, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency. It can reach up to 10,000 W/m2°C. At the same time, this structure provides corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, high-pressure resistance, and anti-scaling properties. The fluid channels in other types of heat exchangers have a fixed-direction flow pattern, which results in swirling flow around the surface of the heat exchange tubes and reduces the convective heat transfer coefficient. The greatest feature of the eddy current thermal film heat exchanger is the combination of economy and safety. By taking into account the flow relationships between the heat exchange tubes as well as between those tubes and the shell, baffles are no longer used to force turbulence; instead, alternating vortex flows are naturally induced between the tubes, maintaining an appropriate level of oscillation while ensuring that the tubes do not rub against each other. The heat exchange tubes have an optimal balance of stiffness and flexibility, preventing them from colliding with each other. This approach not only eliminates the problem of damage caused by collisions between floating coil heat exchangers but also avoids the scaling issue common in conventional shell-and-tube heat exchangers.

This vortex heat film tube heat exchanger is quite good: it has a high heat transfer coefficient, low cost, and can also prevent the formation of coke due to localized overheating of the oil during heating processes.