The design life of the heat exchanger is unreasonable
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Currently, a certain design standard specifies that the equipment lifespan is 3 years or one operating cycle. I think the design life is too short; in actual operation, if the water quality is good and the heat exchange medium is non-corrosive, there should be no problem operating it for 6 to 10 years. Generally speaking, the actual lifespan of a product when used in an environment with proper maintenance is closer to its designed lifespan. The unified design principle of this institution is self-protection. Normal heat exchange equipment is not replaced after completing one cycle of operation, but there are cases where it operates beyond its designed lifespan. Whether this constitutes compliant operation, and who is responsible for such extended operation, are questions that need to be addressed. I suggest that the relevant design institutes increase the design life of the heat exchanger tube bundles, including those made of carbon steel and stainless steel, to 10 years or 15 years. I wonder if this is appropriate.
The full equipment lifecycle management being implemented now is designed to prevent equipment from operating beyond its recommended lifespan, as this can pose safety risks. When an accident occurs, it’s not enough to just save one piece of equipment.
The unified regulations set by the design institute are also based on the requirements of the client; if you are the client, these regulations must be specified before negotiating the contract. Bringing them up now would constitute a change. Moreover, there is a significant difference between what constitutes the equipment’s lifespan and that of the heat exchange tubes over those 3 years
When specifying design requirements, the owner should clarify the expected service life.
Yes. It can be stipulated in the contract. If you are not satisfied, you can switch to another design firm.
A short lifespan is definitely due to very harsh process conditions
The design service life of pressure vessels is generally around 10 years. It has nothing to do with the design institute. The key issue is the responsibility of the designers of the heat exchange equipment. Currently, with prices dominating the market, equipment manufacturers naturally opt for low-cost solutions, which satisfies owners; yet this leads to an increasingly serious problem of deliberate cutting corners in construction
The client requires 30 years; what if you insist on writing about 3 years? In fact, many heat exchangers only last three or four years