Installation location of the low-temperature methanol wash level valve
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In our factory, level valves are generally installed between the liquid entering the tank or tower, after it has passed through the heat exchanger and cryocooler. I saw not long ago that some designs include a level valve right at the pump outlet; I’m not quite sure how that works. Let’s discuss it together.
This post was last edited by ningzi521 on 2016-4-15 at 10:14. It’s probably because the structural design or function of the self-regulating valves differs. The self-regulating valves in the methanol washing tower serve to reduce pressure and control flow; they are installed near the equipment, after the cooler, in order to prevent gas blockages in the heat exchanger. Devices such as the self-regulating valve behind the pump do not experience decompression when under pressure
The installation location of the control valve needs to be considered comprehensively. In some media, such as methanol-rich fluid coming out of the scrubber tower, two-phase flow may occur after depressurization behind the valve. Moreover, such low-temperature media generally need to exchange heat with media from hotter areas in order to recover the cold energy; therefore, at least two factors need to be considered: one is the heat exchange efficiency, and the other is the stress issues associated with two-phase flow in the pipes. Therefore, such control valves are generally placed near the equipment, which ensures that a liquid phase is present during heat exchange, thereby avoiding two-phase flow heat exchange and its negative impact on the efficiency of heat transfer ； It also prevents pipe vibration caused by excessively long two-phase flow pipes, thus avoiding pipe damage and accidents. Of course, another very important point is to consider the operability and convenience for the operators.