【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】Domestic production of condensers, key components of propane compressor refrigeration units for 1 million tons/year continuous reforming units from 2019 to 2022

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Witnessing the decade-long rapid development of chemical processing equipment: Praise for China’s prosperity and strength. Replies are rewarded; discussions are welcome. -------------------------------------------Recently, it was learned from Yulin Refinery that, as part of maintenance work on the propane compressor refrigeration unit of its 1 million-ton continuous reforming plant in Workshop 3, the condenser, a key component of this unit, was overhauled and its components were replaced with domestically produced ones, thereby achieving localization of this component. It is reported that the propane compressor for the 1 million tons per year continuous reforming unit was manufactured by Kiye Refrigeration Technology Co., Ltd. This type of refrigerator is a typical cooling device used for the deep cryogenic purification of hydrogen in China’s chemical industry. Since the unit began operation, all tasks such as startup and commissioning of the original equipment, replacement of spare parts, and troubleshooting have been carried out by professionals assigned by the manufacturer. Robust measures are in place to maintain the confidentiality of the unit’s core technologies. The dimensions of various components of this imported equipment do not conform to the standards set by China’s chemical industry; therefore, the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the unit’s main components, lubrication systems, coolers, and evaporators rely entirely on imported parts, resulting in very high operating costs. To address the issue of relying entirely on imports for equipment technical services and spare parts procurement, the factory conducted extensive research, examined the operating conditions of various domestic refrigerators, paid attention to the collection of daily parameters, and reviewed actual operation data from different types of refrigerators. By gathering a large amount of operational data as well as the manufacturer’s guidance on maintenance procedures, after analysis and research, it was decided to replace the existing condenser with a domestically produced one during the plant’s major maintenance period. After analyzing and comparing the workload at various operating stages, an appropriate cooling capacity was selected after repeated calculations. Comparisons were also made with leading domestic companies, along with on-site inspections and measurements. Ultimately, a domestically manufactured condenser was successfully developed. During the plant’s maintenance, the new condenser was installed, pressure-tested, and checked for air tightness. After a month of operational testing, all parameters were under control, meeting all the requirements of actual production. It is reported that each condenser produced by Kieie Refrigeration Technology Company costs 960,000 yuan, while domestically produced condensers incur a total cost of 390,000 yuan including design, manufacturing, materials, and maintenance; thus, an savings of around 570,000 yuan can be achieved at one time after the replacement. At the same time, the ordering time for domestically produced spare parts is **reduced**, the procurement process is simplified, and the operating costs of the equipment are lowered – achieving multiple benefits at once.