With the enlargement of the device and the increase in the diameter of the heat exchanger, what are the risks involved in manufacturing by the manufacturer?

The largest floating-head heat exchanger I’ve seen is 1800mm.

When the device is scaled up, aren’t there any risks in terms of manufacturing processes? Why does it have to be this big?

We often manufacture heat exchangers of 1500 m2 with over 2500 tubes of type DN2760 x6300, used for sulfuric acid conversion on polyamine ethers

This is an exam question of moderate difficulty. I hope those who are familiar with it will share their opinions and insights, so that we can pool our wisdom. As the saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined are as good as Zhuge Liang. I believe that it is difficult to control the precision of large heat exchangers. Firstly, it requires higher capabilities from the manufacturing equipment. Issues such as the unevenness of the baffle plates, the ellipticity and straightness of the shell, as well as the straightness of the heat exchange tubes, need to be properly controlled. If the precision in these various aspects is not maintained, it may result in some heat exchange tubes not being able to fit properly, and the welding areas between the shell and the tube sheets may not align properly, making welding difficult. Furthermore, a larger tube sheet diameter results in greater welding deformation; coupled with uneven bolt tightening during installation, this can lead to leakage at the sealing surfaces.

Therefore, standards have imposed corresponding restrictions on large-diameter heat exchangers, likely out of considerations regarding transportation and manufacturing. Therefore, when scaling up the device, it is also necessary to consider whether other aspects can be implemented and what risks exist; thus, one cannot simply proceed with larger devices blindly.

It seems that the manufacturer’s problems aren’t a big deal. Are there any comments from the operators? During operation, are there any special issues that differ from those encountered with smaller heat exchangers?

At present, the largest heat exchanger in our company has a diameter of 6000 mm and a length of 22,000 mm； With a weight of over 600 tons each

The enlargement of equipment is an inevitable consequence of increased production volumes. Scaling up production certainly requires larger manufacturing equipment, but it also brings about greater risks. In recent years, there have been continuous reports of accidents in chemical companies

I think the biggest risk for manufacturing plants is mainly tube bundle alignment, while the other issues relate to the risks associated with the large-scale design and operation of the equipment.

The forging quality of the tube sheet, pipe insertion, the welding or expansion joining quality of the pipe ends, assembly, etc.