One question per week: Discuss the methods and precautions for forcing hot water circulation in converters; a reward of 5 to 15 wealth points will be given
Thread Content
For heat removal from the hot water in a converter, how is the steam at the top handled? What are the methods for forced circulation, and what are the precautions to take?
Generally, the steam at the top needs to be led out and sent to the processes that require it. Effectively remove the reaction heat.
It is important to control the temperature of the hot water; around 95 degrees is a good setting, as this prevents excessive vaporization. The new converter we have does not have any self-circulation pipes; instead, it relies on forced circulation. Only at the beginning of operation is there steam at the top of the converter, and this steam can be vented easily. There are no special pipes leading the steam elsewhere; this situation only occurs at the start of operation, and after 1 to 2 days of operation, no overheating has been observed.
Although using forced circulation requires operating more hot water pumps and consumes more electricity, it enables heat to be transferred promptly. There is no steam evaporation around the tubes of the converter, which reduces corrosion of those tubes significantly. The heat transfer efficiency is also improved, and catalyst sublimation is reduced; all of this is beneficial for lowering catalyst consumption and stabilizing the parameters of the conversion process
Forced circulation is used to control the hot water pressure in the converter; there is a vapor layer at the top, which makes it difficult to remove heat, and the catalytic reaction becomes intense at 200°C.
If the temperature is high, can the intake valve be turned down? Is the temperature still this high at the front or back? We have connected the converter exhaust steam valve connections to the main pipe leading to the hot water tank.
Guide the steam from the top out； With forced circulation, it is necessary to run the hot water pump more frequently to control the temperature of the hot water and prevent overheating that could lead to steam formation.
Currently, the catalyst usage time on the front end of the converter is just over 2400 hours, and there is little reaction on the back end. It’s mainly because the company needs to meet production targets, you know! Forced circulation should involve mixing the steam and water in the upper pipeline, followed by gas-liquid separation; the steam should flow through the steam pipeline, while the hot water flows through the hot water pipeline. The key issue is determining the appropriate pressure of the hot water in the shell side of the converter. Hot water pumps are prone to cavitation when the temperature exceeds 95°C, which can cause severe vibration.