Corrosion and scaling of the tube bundles in petrochemical heat exchangers are issues that require our attention
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The images below show the corrosion and scaling conditions of the gasoline water cooler (on the gasoline side) and the wastewater cooler in a certain petrochemical plant; the tube bundles have a short service life and result in low heat exchange efficiency. This is a common phenomenon in petrochemical carbon steel pipe bundles, posing a significant bottleneck for enterprise production. It is also a challenge facing us, the technical professionals.
I think there’s an issue with the choice of shell and tube sides; why isn’t the cleaner water used in the shell side? Various chemicals can also be used for anti-corrosion protection, and even desalinated water can be employed to achieve a closed-loop system. Gasoline flows through the shell side; to ensure the quality of the fuel, no anti-corrosion treatments can be applied!
You mean the side affected by water doesn’t have much of a problem, while the side affected by oil is severely corroded, right?
Is it common to use anti-corrosion coatings in reality? Is there a better process?