Can the inlet and outlet of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger be swapped?
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Affected by the properties of the crude oil being processed, the heat exchangers in the atmospheric and vacuum electrical desalination systems handling saline wastewater suffer from severe scaling. Currently, in the heat exchange system, the fluid flowing through the tubes on the tube side of the end heat exchanger is circulating water, while the fluid on the shell side is saline wastewater. Due to the high amount of impurities in the saline wastewater, scaling occurs rapidly on the shell side, requiring frequent cleaning. To address the current issue, the owner plans to modify the heat exchanger by swapping the media in the tube and shell sides through a process change. Does this situation require confirmation from the manufacturer? ? Will it affect the heat exchange efficiency? After the swap, it will also affect the equipment’s lifespan, right?
“The fluid in the tube side is circulating water, while the fluid in the shell side is saline wastewater. The pressure levels are different, but not by much. It is necessary to determine the appropriate pressure levels together with the design team; if they fall within the acceptable range, then the fluids can be exchanged~~~~
Hello, all the nozzles are rated at 5.0, so there should be no issue with pressure. But does it have an impact on the structure of the device itself? ?
There shouldn’t be any; you can consult the design agency~~
As long as it is within the specified pressure range, there should be no problem, but whether the heat exchange efficiency will meet the process requirements after the replacement needs to be considered separately
Another approach is to add an appropriate amount of scale inhibitors and dispersants to the saline wastewater, which can effectively alleviate the problem of scaling.
It’s possible. Since the conditions of saline wastewater are more severe, switching to a configuration where the fluid flows through the shell side can help reduce the area available for scale formation. In cases where both the tube side and the shell side are contaminated, it’s also a good idea to have only one side contaminated, as the materials used for the tubes and the shell are already capable of withstanding the conditions imposed by saline wastewater. Your circulating water is much better in quality than saline wastewater, so it should not be affected
1. Material, have you considered that? 2. What are the heat exchange areas of the tube side and shell side? 3. Pressure rating?