【Major Industrial Equipment in the Chemical Industry】013—Titanium alloy coiled tubular heat exchangers for offshore platforms have passed inspection

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The past decade has been a period of rapid development in China’s chemical industry, with the emergence of many new processes, products, and equipment. China’s chemical processing equipment has also seen significant progress, 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 increased 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! ——————————@ On October 30, the titanium alloy coiled tubular heat exchanger, developed jointly by Wuhan Donghai Petrochemical Heavy Equipment Co., Ltd., CNOOC Gas & Power Group, and CNOOC (China) Co., Ltd. Shanghai Branch, passed the acceptance test in Wuhan. The acceptance expert group unanimously agreed that this equipment is the first titanium alloy coiled-tube heat exchanger to be used in domestic offshore platform installations; it represents a technology at the leading level in China and is worthy of widespread adoption. The expert group believes that this equipment can help reduce the weight of devices used on offshore platforms, meet the requirements for efficient heat exchange, and effectively address the corrosion issue associated with heat exchange devices that use seawater. The equipment manufacturing and quality control processes ensure the safety of the products as well as their performance characteristics. It is recommended to carry out further data monitoring and analysis during operation, and to accelerate the development of design and manufacturing techniques for larger-scale applications, thereby laying a solid foundation for the wider use of coiled tubular heat exchangers in large offshore platforms. 　　According to Zhao Yong, head of the acceptance expert team, the titanium alloy coil-type heat exchanger prototype developed using the property data of mixed wet hydrocarbons provided by CNOOC Gas & Power Group is nearly 60% lighter than the shell-and-tube heat exchangers used in existing platform installations, with a heat exchange efficiency that is 35.27% higher. It is estimated that when applied to large-scale industrial 100-ton/hour plants, individual units can have their weight reduced by at least 30%. Li Junsong, chairman of Wuhan Donghai Petrochemical Heavy Equipment Co., Ltd., said that compared with ordinary shell-and-tube heat exchangers, coil-type heat exchangers have a larger specific surface area, higher heat transfer efficiency, and greater capacity to withstand high pressures. Under the same heat transfer load, their weight is at least one-third less, and their dimensions are more compact, which helps to **reduce the load on platforms and the investment costs associated with projects. They are suitable for most heat exchange applications in offshore platforms, offering excellent economic and technical advantages. “This titanium alloy coil-type heat exchanger has achieved three breakthroughs: first, it was the first to see engineering application of a coil-type heat exchanger based on independent Chinese CNOOC technology; second, it became the first coil-type heat exchanger to be used in the seawater condensation process on offshore platforms; third, technical specifications for the design, manufacturing, and inspection of coil-type heat exchangers for offshore platforms were established. ”Li Junsong said that numerous technical challenges were overcome during this manufacturing process. For example, stricter requirements were imposed on the materials used for heat exchangers as well as on their structural design, in order to accommodate the wet cooling processes in offshore platforms where the fluid flowing through the tubes is highly corrosive seawater. Additionally, comprehensive manufacturing and inspection standards along with performance testing protocols were established to ensure the mechanical strength and reliability of the heat exchangers, enabling them to function in harsh environments with high salt and humidity levels. It is reported that, in order to accommodate the high-flow phase change conditions that arise with larger sizes, vibration analysis was also conducted on this prototype. It features a seismic-resistant structure, representing a useful attempt to expand the application scenarios of coil-type heat exchangers, with the goal of obtaining operational data for verification as soon as possible. Mi Xiaoguang, an expert from CNOOC Gas & Power Group, said that the successful development of this heat exchanger helps to accelerate the practical application of CNOOC’s proprietary coil-type heat exchangers, thereby reducing the investment and operational costs associated with offshore oil and gas projects. Meanwhile, the relevant industrial operation data can effectively verify the accuracy and reliability of the key technologies related to the heat exchange systems in CNOOC’s domestically designed natural gas liquefaction technologies, providing a technical foundation for advancing the practical use of CNOOC’s own large-scale LNG/FLNG coil-type heat exchangers.