I would like to ask an expert for advice on a design issue
Thread Content
I’m a beginner; I have a question for everyone. A heat exchanger is now to be designed with the following parameters: the shell side fluid is N46 hydraulic oil, which belongs to the category of lubricants; the inlet and outlet temperatures are 40°C and 33°C respectively, and the flow rate is 430 l/min ； Guancheng uses circulating water, with inlet and outlet temperatures of 20°C and 25°C respectively. For the preliminary design, a fixed-tube-sheet heat exchanger is being considered; is it suitable to use copper tubes as the heat exchange tubes? ? ? I would appreciate it if an expert could help me select and calculate the parameters for its structure, so that I can compare them with those of my own design. Thank you! !
Has antiscalant, biocide, etc. been added to your circulating water? In theory, using copper pipes is no problem; it’s just that I don’t know what your water pressure and oil pressure are.
What material are the other heat exchangers in the unit made of? Using copper tubes for this heat exchanger will affect subsequent maintenance.
The water pressure is 1.0 MPa, the oil pressure is 0.8 MPa; the water is industrial cooling water
For other materials, carbon steel is generally used; for the shell, Q235-B is suitable, and for the tube sheets, is 16MNR better or is Q235-B sufficient?
Oil coolers are generally made of stainless steel, with 304 or 316 being suitable options. The bottleneck in heat exchange isn’t the material; using copper tubes isn’t a problem either. Oil coolers generally have high resistance; pay attention to the selection of the pump as well as the number of tubes in the tube side and the shell side.
Oil coolers are usually made of 304 or 316L??? But that’s too costly; it doesn’t seem to conform to the principles of economic efficiency
The lubricating oil in some oil coolers contains certain substances that are not compatible with copper. I wonder if the oil in this heat exchanger is like this? If copper is no problem, using copper pipes is of course a good option. Otherwise, use carbon steel or stainless steel pipes. However, it is recommended to provide low fins on the lubricating oil side of the heat exchange tubes, as this can significantly increase the heat transfer area and improve the overall K value. Additionally, the heat exchange tubes can be made slightly thinner, such as with an outer diameter of 16 or 14, to increase the effective area. If the pressure drop on the oil side is a concern, spiral baffle plates can also be used. Create a small, compact, and efficient oil cooler.
Thank you. Your opinion is very insightful; I’ve learned a lot from it