Prior planning is very important before the installation of many types of heat exchangers.
- Adequate foundations and supports should be provided to bear the static weight of the exchanger unit, the weight of the units in it, and the dynamic loads due to wind, earthquake, etc. to make sure that the exchanger unit will not settle thus causing strains in piping and stresses in the unit.
- Adequate foundations and supports should be provided to bear the static weight of the exchanger unit, the weight of the units in it, and the dynamic loads due to wind, earthquake, etc. to make sure that the exchanger unit will not settle thus causing strains in piping and stresses in the unit.
- Leave enough space to be able to service the exchanger in a future, such as cleaning, repairs or replacement.
- Piping configuration should allow bypassing of the unit for inspection, cleaning, and repairs. Cooling water piping should be set to allow backflushing to remove deposits.
- Piping should be able to expand and contract freely. It should not transmit fluid pulsations and mechanical vibrations to the unit
- Provide necessary instruments to measure temperatures and pressure next to it.
- Do not pipe drain connections to a common closed manifold, as it makes it difficult to check if the unit has been thoroughly drained or not.
During actual installation of the unit on site take the following steps:
- On receipt of a heat exchanger inspect it for any damage in transit.
- Remove packing and preservative materials if it has been stored prior to installation.
- Set the unit square and level so that the piping connections can be made without forcing.
- Insulate the unit if very hot or cold compared to the ambient temperature.
- Pressure test the heat exchanger before starting operation.
What types of heat exchangers these installation recommendations can be used for?
These installation recommendations can be used for shell and tube, double pipe, finned coil, brazed plate heat exchangers, plate and frame type of exchangers, oil coolers and many other types.
These installation recommendations can be useful not only for industrial and / or commercial installations, but to home improvement installations of heat exchangers as well.
What other factors should be considered during selection and /or installation of the exchangers?
During selection and /or installation of the units another common factors to be considered are fouling, fluid viscosity, thermal performance, etc.
Most heat exchangers selected are thermally correct, but some constructions are not suitable for a specific application and can cause field problems. Constructions having a negative influence on plant operation, maintenance, metallurgy, requirements, cost, handling, shipping, freezing, recirculation, tolerances, manifolding, distribution, noise, availability, and pressure drop, etc. The effect of adjoining non-exchanger related constructions on performance should not be overlooked. The effects of filters, racks, screen rooms, packaging, heat sinks, hot spots, blowers, and ducting also have a great influence on performance of the heat exchangers.
We believe this information can be useful both for training engineering and non-engineering personell.
No comments:
Post a Comment