Can a heat transfer oil pipeline be converted into a steam pipeline?
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The triple-effect evaporator is heated internally by heat transfer oil (from a gas-fired heat transfer oil furnace). Due to fluctuations in the prices of steam and gas, it is possible in production to use external steam for heating or heat transfer oil, depending on the circumstances. So, can the heating pipelines inside the evaporator be shared? In other words, if the pressure rating and pipe material meet the requirements, can it be used to feed both steam and heat transfer oil?
It cannot be switched between uses at will. The heat transfer oil pipe can be switched to steam heating; it must be cleaned before use.
For the pipeline alone, as long as the design requirements and material specifications are met, it should be fine. However, for the entire heat exchange system, more considerations are needed, such as the locations of the inlet and outlet; the heat transfer oil might flow in from below and out from above, while steam should flow in from above and out from below. The heat transfer efficiency of steam is higher; how is the temperature controlled? Add a condensate drainage system
After steam heat exchange, water is present, while the heat transfer oil remains oil; does that mean that cleaning and purging are required before changing the medium each time? Something that has just been heated cools down like this
It’s not impossible, but switching and cleaning it is quite troublesome. It doesn’t seem worth it……
No, water must not be present in the pipes that use heat transfer oil; otherwise, safety accidents can occur.
Yes, there is a significant safety risk in restarting operation when water is present in the heat transfer oil pipeline
The pipelines are generally fine to use, but switching and isolating them is rather troublesome. Additionally, the pipelines need to be thoroughly cleaned, which makes frequent switching unsuitable.