What are the precautions for using heat pipe heat exchangers?
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The catalytic reforming feed heat exchanger in our unit is of this type; we haven’t seen it before. Thank you
Tubular heat exchangers are quite simple; as long as you choose the right material for the equipment and the temperature difference between the fluids isn’t too large – in which case thermal expansion needs to be taken into account – I really can’t think of any other things to pay attention to
Is it a floating-head type or a fixed-tube-sheet type? The floating-head type is convenient for maintenance but prone to leaks
The temperature rise and fall that prevent aggregation cause leakage
Precautions for heat pipe exchangers: 1. When starting up, introduce the cold fluid first and then the hot fluid; when shutting down, stop the hot fluid first and then the cold fluid. 2. Pay attention to controlling the inlet and outlet temperatures of the hot fluid – too high an inlet temperature can lead to tube rupture, while too low an outlet temperature can cause dew point corrosion. 3. If dust accumulation occurs, activate the dust cleaning device on a regular basis.
The heat exchanger I used at first was very delicate and required high pressure; it got damaged during purging. This one looks very similar to a heat exchanger – it has only four inlets and outlets plus one access panel, and it is said to be of the heat pipe type