【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】Plate-shell heat exchangers were successfully applied in China’s largest ethane recovery project from 1979 to 2020
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2023-10-11 at 14:42. Looking back at the ten-year development of chemical technology, let’s celebrate the prosperity and strength of modern China. This is just a starting point; more participation will make the discussion more lively. Hainan Sea River becomes even better with you here. [Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Equipment] – A continuously updated summary thread; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html. Enhance quality awareness and promote high-quality development. ----------------------------------------- In November 2020, China’s first large-scale ethane recovery project, built by Changqing Oilfield, came online successfully. The 711th Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation supplied nearly 40 sets of fully welded plate-shell heat exchangers for this project, which are used in various applications such as natural gas desulfurization, decarbonization, dehydration, and light hydrocarbon recovery. The high-pressure natural gas used in this project is flammable and explosive, which requires the owner to have extremely high standards regarding the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchangers in various units as well as the reliability of the equipment. The total heat exchange area of this batch of heat exchangers exceeds 8,000 square meters, with a maximum design pressure of 5.2 MPa. Their heat transfer efficiency is 2 to 3 times higher than that of traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers, while their floor space requires only one-third to one-fifth of that of shell-and-tube heat exchangers. They meet the requirements for process heat exchange effectively, and their designed service life is 15 years. This project represents the first large-scale application of shell-and-tube heat exchangers in China’s natural gas sector, indicating an improvement in the design capabilities of such heat exchangers at the 711 Institute. It also further expands the market for shell-and-tube heat exchangers.
【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】The first domestically produced large-scale plate-and-shell heat exchanger for a 650,000 tons/year phenol propionate production facility, 1180–2021 https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5309334-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum)
Thank you for sharing. Plate-shell heat exchangers do have their advantages, but it’s not easy to implement them effectively
The compact size of plate and shell heat exchangers is a major advantage, as it leaves more space for other necessities such as instruments and piping. Since the materials required for low-temperature operation are often stainless steel, and they have a smaller volume compared to shell-and-tube heat exchangers, this usually results in cost advantages as well. This also applies to heating or cooling evaporated gases; due to the relatively warm environmental conditions, any low-temperature liquid storage tank, no matter how well insulated it is, must take this issue into account. Its unique circular plate structure provides high resistance to thermal stress: the circular plates have a strong capacity to withstand thermal stress and can handle large temperature differences between the two plates (allowing a temperature difference of over 250°C); therefore, ethylene glycol and similar liquids can be used as the secondary circuit for cold recovery in HVAC or refrigeration systems. Plate-shell heat exchangers are highly suitable for these applications, as they can **improve heat transfer efficiency**.