Tube plugs are one of the most common accessories for heat exchangers. Tube plugs are available in many sizes and materials, including Titanium, Stainless Steel, and Brass.
They cater to the needs of the Pulp and Paper, Marine, and Utility industries. Read on to learn more about the benefits of tube plugs and how to select the right one for your specific application.
After choosing your material and size, you need to select the best type of tube plug for your particular needs.
1. High-efficiency heat exchangers
A high-efficiency heat exchanger recovers three times as much thermal energy as conventional technology.
Developed by the Thermal Management Materials and Technology Research Association (TMMTRA), this new technology will be available to the general public later this month.
The company hopes to broaden the availability of this high-tech heat exchanger and further improve its performance. To learn more, read on. This article will provide an overview of the features of a high-efficiency heat exchanger and offer advice and tips for choosing the right one.
Traditional heat exchangers are made of metal and have a rectangular shape. These heat exchangers are easy to manufacture using traditional techniques, but their rectangular shape doesn’t always maximize the amount of heat transferred into a small space.
Furthermore, the conditions of conventional heat exchangers are not suitable for high-temperature applications, and few fabrication techniques are suited to this application.
However, printing methods can make them much more compact than conventional designs.
2. Floating head design
The floating head design of heat exchangers provides differential expansion and mechanical cleaning of the tubes. This design has many advantages, such as higher surface area per shell and multipass tube circuit arrangement.
Moreover, it is easy to inspect and clean the interior of the heat exchanger shell. Therefore, this design is preferred over the other methods. The following are some of the critical benefits of a floating head heat exchanger:
This design can be a good fit for low-temperature and low-pressure applications. The tube bundle and the floating head cover are connected through-bolted or welded connections.
The head and the shell are usually associated with a cover plate. The cost of fixed tube sheet heat exchangers is also the lowest. Floating head design for heat exchanger products.
3. Compact design
The size, shape, and efficiency of compact design heat exchanger products are all crucial factors when evaluating the performance of a heat exchanger.
Most compact heat exchangers have two main design features: finned channels and layers of plates.
The performance of the surfaces of these compact heat exchangers is determined by their shape, which affects their non-dimensional heat transfer coefficient and friction factor relationships.
In addition, the size of the channels depends on the design feature and the desired heat transfer.
The Enerquip compact shell and tube heat exchangers are manufactured to ASME standards. These heat exchangers are code-stamped and certified to work safely under even extreme conditions.
The sanitary design of these products is facilitated by the inclusion of standard clean tri-clamp ferrule connections and EPDM Class VI O-Rings. These compact heat exchangers are available in several sizes and configurations.
4. Direct contact design
A typical direct contactor provides heat transfer between two fluid streams. Processes include:
- Simple heating or cooling of one fluid by another.
- Vaporization of a coolant.
- Partial or total condensation.
- Partial or complete solidification of a liquid.
Most direct contact applications are accomplished with spray columns, baffle trays, packed columns, and pipeline contractors. Depending on the application, a direct contractor may be a single-stage or multi-stage device.
In addition to utilizing heat recovery, direct contact heat exchangers are an essential heat source in the oil industry. A recent study investigated the thermal performance of a direct contact heat exchanger and proposes that the temperature differences between fluid streams do not cause phase changes.
Using the thermal approach, waste heat recovery could use hot oil streams to warm water, partially filling the requirements of an industrial site. A heat exchanger must be designed to accommodate the temperature and pressure drop to maximize heat transfer output.
5. Fluoropolymer design
The fluoropolymer tubed heat exchanger has a short payback period compared to other types of exchangers. They have already been installed in more than 150 reference plants ranging from 100 to 1000 MWel.
Fluoropolymer tubes are resistant to most chemical agents and environmental stress cracking. The advantages of fluoropolymer heat exchangers over conventional lines are outlined in the following section.
Because fluoropolymer tubes are durable and corrosion-resistant, they can handle all concentrations of diluted sulfuric acid. They are also corrosion-resistant and foul-resistant.
This makes them ideal for applications that require high purity. In addition, they can enhance the purity of process streams without the risk of fouling and scaling.
Fluoropolymer heat exchangers can be repaired easily without removing the entire exchanger, allowing plant personnel to complete the task quickly and economically.
