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Spiral tube heat exchangers : Combining high efficiency and robustness
Spiral tube heat exchangers ( STHE ) have been used for many years . In fact , they have been used since the beginning of the cryogenic liquefaction industry in the early nineties . They were developed by Linde under the industrial name of coil-wound heat exchangers ( CWHE ) and were used for the first time on an industrial unit of liquified air in 1895 .
By Christophe Gajecki and Ren Hongliang
Zhenhai Petrochemical Jianan Engineering Co ., Ltd ( ZPJE ) is an independent joint-stock company established in the Ningbo region on the Chinese east coast . The company has more than 700 employees specialised in spiral tube exchangers manufacturing , thermal and hydraulic calculation , R & D , and project management . For more than 30 years , ZPJE has developed a unique knowledge of heat exchange calculation , hydraulic simulation , and mechanical modelling of spiral tubes design to enable this technology to be used in refinery , petrochemical , and oil & gas applications . The idea was to use the advantage of the spiral tube technology , enabling very large surfaces packed in a single exchanger , and to apply it to hydrocarbon fluids at high pressures and temperatures . ZPJE was able to develop its technology based on an extensive expertise of the various processes and was driven by the feedback and needs of its customers . It can accommodate the various demanding process conditions combining very high thermal and hydraulic performances , with the robustness needed in such demanding industries .
Since 1999 , ZPJE has delivered more than 1450 exchangers , with units operating for more than 24 years . The complete installed base accumulates 5600 years of efficient and reliable operation . After 25 years of experience in China , and with the support of main international licensors , they are now ready to provide their experience to the worldwide market with already 24 references sold outside China .
Design The design of spiral tube heat exchangers consists of two main components : the tube bundle and the pressure vessel . The inside bundle is formed by many seamless tubes arranged in multiple layers of helical coils , around a centre pipe . This tube bundle is then horizontally inserted inside a fully welded cylindrical pressure vessel to complete the fabrication of the heat exchanger . The fluid on the tube side and on the shell side flows in opposite directions , making the equipment a true countercurrent heat exchanger .
ZPJE comply with several certifications :
•• PED 4.3 ( for tubes ) qualified by E . U .
••
A1 , A2 pressure vessel design and manufacturing licenses in China
•• ASME authorisation certificates of U & U2 .
•• ISO 9001:2015
•• ISO 14001:2015
•• ISO 45001:2018
Spiral tube heat exchanger ready for delivery
28 Heat Exchanger World November 2022 www . heat-exchanger-world . com