What to do if the air-cooling heat transfer efficiency is poor?
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I thought we could shut down one or two units during winter, but it turns out that we can’t even keep them all running. Please help me think of a solution! It’s best to be simple and practical. Here are the specific details: 1. The medium (butane + water vapor) exits the top of the stripping tower at around 220 degrees and at a flow rate of approximately 30 t/h; it needs to be cooled to below 60 degrees ； 2. Basically, it needs to be rinsed with water every 3 to 4 months; otherwise, the temperature becomes extremely high when it cools down, forcing the device to reduce its output ； 3. The 6 air-cooled units are arranged in a row; the 6 fans are connected in pairs and then combined together ； All air coolers are of the fin-tube type, but due to historical reasons, their design loads vary: Coolers No. 1 and No. 2 are designed for a temperature of 250 degrees, with a heat exchange area of 2400 ； Numbers 3 and 5 have a temperature of 300 degrees, with a heat exchange area of 4500 ； Numbers 4 and 6 represent 180 degrees, with a heat exchange area of 4500 ； 4. The coke transport vehicles pass by the facility every day, raising a lot of dust, which has a certain impact on the air-cooled heat exchange ；
If one can’t get through winter, how can they get through summer? ! External dust can be washed away, but internal plaster buildup needs to be suppressed or removed somehow.
Based on the owner’s description, your air coolers have the following characteristics: 1. There are three different specifications of air coolers； 2. There are three sets of air coolers connected in parallel ； 3. High dust content in the air ； 4. The cooled medium, butane, may contain oil ； Given the characteristics of your installation, I recommend the following: 1. Connect coolers No. 1 and No. 2 in series with coolers No. 4 and No. 6, and then parallel them with another set of coolers (No. 3 and No. 5). This approach will not only meet the requirement for low inlet temperatures at coolers No. 4 and No. 6, but it will also address the issue of the small heat exchange area of coolers No. 1 and No. 2 ； (Since we are not aware of the current setup, if it isn’t arranged this way already, you might consider doing so.) 2. Valves can be installed at the outlets of each of the three sets of air coolers, in order to regulate the flow rate of the fluid being cooled by each set of coolers, thereby ensuring that the outlet temperatures of all three sets are roughly the same (of course, it would be advisable to install a thermometer at the outlet of each set of air coolers) ； (As the original poster did not specify whether valves are installed, this is a suggestion.) 3. If necessary, consider increasing the air flow of the cooling medium by changing the size of the pulley and boosting the motor power, in order to improve the cooling effect ； 4. Take advantage of maintenance opportunities to clean the inner walls of the air cooler tube bundles in order to reduce heat transfer resistance ； I hope the above suggestions will be helpful to you.
:Lol, is it the steam freezing up and blocking the pipes?:lol