【Major Equipment in the Chemical Equipment Industry】012 – The first large-diameter waste heat boiler for the comprehensive utilization of raw gas to produce 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol per year
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The past decade has been a period of rapid development for China’s chemical industry, marked by the emergence of many new processes, products, and equipment. There has also been significant progress in China’s chemical processing equipment, which has contributed to the swift advancement of the petrochemical sector. Here, we have compiled some of the achievements and breakthroughs made by Chinese equipment manufacturers in terms of larger-scale production and greater use of domestic equipment. We welcome everyone to share their insights and engage in discussions – let’s support Made in China! Give a thumbs up to chemical processing equipment! The core equipment for China’s first project for the comprehensive utilization of waste gas to produce 400,000 tons of ethylene glycol per year – the large-diameter waste heat boiler – has been completed
There are 2 such waste heat boilers in total, with a diameter of 3200 mm and a weight of 220 tons each; they are the largest fire-tube waste heat boilers in China. The heat exchange tube bundle consists of 4 layers of coiled tubes with a certain helical angle and curvature, with each layer comprising 5 groups of coiled tubes. During the manufacturing process, the company’s design and technical departments worked closely together with the production workshops, conducting numerous technical briefings to optimize the manufacturing processes and overcoming various technical challenges. The Production and Manufacturing Department actively coordinated resources to ensure that all components were manufactured simultaneously, thus guaranteeing the smooth progress of waste heat boiler production. During the tube bundle formation process, the workshop studies the structure of the tube bundle and explores methods for winding and nesting, strictly controlling key parameters such as the helix shape and pitch, curvature, and helix direction to ensure optimal heat exchange performance and smooth assembly. Due to the special nature of the tube bundle material, stress-relief heat treatment is carried out with the aid of tube bundle brackets; round steel bars are used for supporting each layer of coiled tubes, and the protruding parts of the tube bundle are fixed using specialized fixtures, which effectively prevents deformation and ensures product quality as well as project progress. The development of the large-diameter waste heat boiler has further enhanced the company’s R&D and manufacturing capabilities, providing valuable experience for the production of similar products in the future.
The waste gas comprehensive utilization project of Hami Guanghui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. is located in the Naomaohu Industrial Park in Yiwu County, Hami City. It is an environmental protection project that utilizes waste gas resources to produce ethylene glycol as an energy source, with a total investment of 3.56 billion yuan. To date, over 70% of the equipment has been installed, and completion and operation are expected by 2021.
There are two such waste heat boilers in total; each has a diameter of 3200 mm and a weight of 220 tons. The main challenges in manufacturing lie in the internal heat exchange tubes, which have a special shape and are made from multiple materials, making welding and assembly difficult. During the tube bundle forming process, production technicians strictly control key parameters such as the helix shape, pitch, curvature, and helix direction, and use specialized fixtures for fixation. This ensures good heat exchange performance while facilitating assembly.