Service life of stainless steel bellows tube heat exchangers
Thread Content
Our plant’s ammonia synthesis system uses stainless steel bell-and-tube heat exchangers for the chiller water coolers, and practice has shown that these work well. On site, some water coolers are vertical while others are horizontal. We found that the internal heat exchange tubes in vertical coolers tend to break more easily, resulting in a shorter service life. Why is this?
(Original) The high concentration of chloride ions and scale impurities in the cooling water on the inner wall of the heat exchange tubes destroys the passivation film, leading to pitting corrosion and subsequent damage to the heat exchange tubes. Compared to horizontal tubes, the passivation film in vertical tubes is more prone to destruction