Function of the first 50 tubes in the methanol water cooler
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There is a 50-mm low-pressure steam pipe near the point where the syngas exits the preheater and before it enters the methanol water cooler; the drawings indicate that this pipe is used for purging. What could possibly clog the heat exchanger after cooling by water?
Paraffin, used to melt wax when parking.
It’s actually completely unnecessary. I’m not sure which company designed the process used by the original poster; generally, syngas is passed through the pipe network, and steam can be used for cleaning during shutdowns
This design is generally employed. The formation of paraffin during methanol production is inevitable. After passing through the heat exchanger, the temperature is usually around 100°C, at which point paraffin adheres to the tube walls. Once cooled by the water cooler, the temperature drops below 40°C, and the paraffin solidifies inside the tubes of the water cooler, thereby increasing the resistance in the pipes and the entire system. This situation requires treatment; if no shutdown is carried out, the only option is to raise the temperature of the gas in order to melt the paraffin. A DN50 steam pipe can provide an additional heat source to accomplish this task
When using coal to produce methanol, it is necessary to design steam pipelines, which are mainly used for melting wax; in the case of methanol production from coke oven gas, wax formation is minimal, so such design may not be required.
It’s used for purging. Be careful not to let steam get into the synthesis tower\