Are there any other common cooling media for heat exchangers besides water?
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RT: If the heat exchange medium leaks, it will react violently with water. So I’m asking, what other common cooling media are used besides water, those whose cooling temperature isn’t very low? Air might not be the best choice after all, as it has a high heat release rate and cools things down slowly; substances like ethylene glycol can achieve lower cooling temperatures, so there’s no need for such low temperatures
In fact, within process optimization, there is the concept of thermal integration. Use your process heat and cold media for heat exchange, etc. Additionally, besides water and ethylene glycol, saltwater seems to work as well.
It is said that besides water, another cooling medium is ethylene glycol
I’m dizzy – salt water isn’t just water! ! ! I already said that water will react violently with the medium; even water to which ethylene glycol has been added won’t work
No temperature for cooling was specified; for air cooling, it is generally required that there be a difference of at least 15 degrees compared to the ambient temperature.
Alcohol or kerosene will work; a refrigerator can be used to cool them down
In the alternative method, isn’t heat transfer oil used to heat the medium? Here, you use room temperature water to cool the medium, and then exchange heat with oil to lower its temperature. This approach should be safe, but it is energy-intensive; I’m not sure if it’s feasible
Theoretically, any material with a high specific heat can be used as a cold source as long as its temperature is low. In the context of the situation described by the original poster, if the reaction with water is taken into account, then all chillers must be ruled out. As for refrigerants based solely on their physical properties, if it is not feasible to achieve very low temperatures, then air is currently the most commonly used option. As for the point mentioned above that relying solely on low-temperature heat transfer oil is not a viable option, although the original poster did not specify the outlet temperature of the heated material, since water cooling was used initially, then even without taking into account the phase transition freezing point of the heated material, the cooling medium that can be used is at least one that operates at room temperature. Even though there are many unconventional refrigerants available, there is no problem in normal temperature ranges; however, it would be a waste to use a dedicated refrigeration unit for this purpose. Regular economic approaches should still be considered. Actually, low-temperature air can be considered. The approach is also indirect, similar to the one mentioned above. Given that the cold source must be dry, it is recommended to use an air compressor equipped with water cooling to cool and dehumidify the air, and then use this low-temperature, dry air as a cold source for heat exchange with the special medium you mentioned. Compared to the aforementioned oils, this solution is both safe and economically sound.
Air is my first choice; I’m just worried about it getting too cold, so I’m hesitant
It is a practical method: one refrigeration unit is used to cool the alcohol inside the tank, and a pump is employed to circulate the alcohol through the heat exchanger