Air separation main heat exchanger
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of using an integrated high-pressure and low-pressure heat exchanger for the main heat exchanger? Is it being used somewhere, and is it running smoothly? To illustrate the pressure, here’s an example: the maximum oxygen pressure is 8.7 MpaG.
I’m just offering my preliminary thoughts; as I don’t have any practical experience with this, what I know comes solely from what I’ve heard. Compared to split high- and low-pressure heat exchangers, I believe that integrated heat exchangers take up less space, and the piping required might reduce the amount of work involved. In this way, there are fewer welds, which relatively reduces the number of defects. The integrated high and low pressure heat exchanger achieves efficient heat exchange, resulting in relatively low heat loss. I wonder if there are any advantages in terms of control as well? The downside is that domestic manufacturing may not meet standards.
It seems everyone is still celebrating! No one has replied!
Maximum oxygen pressure: 8.7 MpaG. ---The device won’t be small. The high-and-low pressure integrated heat exchanger unit is large in size; is it easy to transport?
For a one-time investment, a split-type design with high and low pressure sections (high pressure from imported components, low pressure from domestic components) is likely to be cheaper than a single high-pressure unit with imported components. Additionally, in the event of a failure in the plate-type unit, repairing a split-type unit is probably easier and less costly compared to a single-unit design; after all, the supply lead times from foreign suppliers are quite long~~
This is probably similar to the difference between installing one air separation unit worth 100,000 and two units worth 50,000 each; the two units worth 50,000 will be a bit more expensive, but they are relatively simpler to operate, more flexible, and easier to design, transport, and install.
Ours are separate; I’m not sure what an integrated version looks like. In my opinion, an integrated design requires higher-quality materials, is more difficult to maintain, involves a lower initial investment, poses greater transportation challenges, but takes up less space and offers higher efficiency.
The device itself won’t be small, but compared to the total size of separate units, does it take up less space? It’s integrated, the piping is relatively simple as well – does it also take up less space?
Plate-fin heat exchangers are now all vacuum brazed; when they really break down or start leaking, they need to be repaired. Whether it’s high-pressure or low-pressure systems, it’s difficult to repair them these days. After all, with such high pressure, even in a separate design, a high-pressure plate is still necessary!
I find your metaphor very vivid and inspiring! But between 2 units with an air separation energy consumption of 50,000 each and 1 unit with an energy consumption of 100,000, which one has the advantage?
Separately, if the operating conditions change, is the fluid distribution even? Is adjustment necessary to ensure even distribution of the fluid?