The operation and maintenance of plate heat exchanger skids

With the continuous improvement of heat exchange demand and more intelligent applications, complete sets of plate heat exchange equipment are increasingly widely used. As a result, the plate heat exchanger skid is trendy because of its high heat exchange efficiency, small footprint, intelligent design, and characteristics. Today, we will talk about the daily operation and maintenance of plate heat exchanger skids. 

Routine operation of plate heat exchanger unit: preparation, debugging, start, shutdown (including suspension). 

1. Preparation 

①First check whether the unit parts are complete, whether the takeover is correct, and whether the valve and power supply are closed. 

②Check whether the supporting pump is stuck, noise, and other unqualified phenomena. Long-term shutdown needs to adjust the pump to prevent corrosion. 

③Open the pump inlet valve, open the exhaust valve to fill the pump cavity and then close the exhaust valve. 

④Move the water pump by hand to make the lubricant enter the mechanical seal face. 

⑤Start the motor and make sure the speed is correct.   

2. Debugging 

①Open the inlet valve of the water pump, switch the power supply of the control cabinet to the "working" state, press the start button of a pump, then gradually open the outlet valve of the water pump, and pay attention to whether the starting current exceeds the rated value. Observe whether there are abnormal phenomena, check the leakage of the shaft seal. If it is unnormal, the user should stop in time. According to the above debugging of each supporting water pump, observe whether the system pressure and the water supply are normal. 

②When the pressure of the cold side system tends to be stable, open the outlet valve of the hot side, and then open the inlet valve of the hot side slowly and quickly. The temperature rise of the system should not be too fast. 

③Observe whether the circulating water system flow, pressure, temperature, and pump operation are regular. 

④During debugging, the temperature, pressure, current, voltage, and other parameters at each point should be recorded regularly. 

⑤After the above debugging is confirmed, the heat exchanger can be used in operation.  

3. Start 

①Start the make-up pump. 

②Start the circulating pump. 

③Open the hot water valve slowly. 

④When shut down, close the steam valve firstly, and then shut the circulation pump and water pump. 

⑤After the stable operation of the unit, data such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate at each point should be recorded every 2 to 6 hours to ensure that the team works within the normal range.   

4. Stop (pause)

①Close the steam inlet valve of the hot side firstly, and then close the circulating water pump, the outlet valve of the cold side, the inlet valve of the cold side, and the power supply of the control cabinet in turn. Users should shut down the system slowly to avoid hard leaks.   

②If the ambient temperature is lower than 0℃, or the unit has been stopped for a long time, please drain the water inside it. And open the ball valve to drain the accumulated water in the heat exchanger. At the same time, open the drain valve on the lower side of the pump to drain the water. 

③For re-use, follow steps 2 and 3 to start.  

Only by mastering the routine operation steps of the plate heat exchanger unit and ensuring the regular operation of equipment in the switching mechanism can users operate the unit better and safer.

Shanghai Accessen Co., Ltd. professionally specializes in heat exchangers R&D, manufacturing, sales, and service. We founded in 2002. Accessen’s three manufacturing bases are located in Shanghai and Jiangsu, China. Over 100,000 square meters in total, producing up to 30000 heat exchangers and 5000 heat exchanger skids annually. The core of Accessen´s operations is based upon one key technology: customized products. We are also complying with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, CE-Pressure Equipment Directive, American Petroleum Institute, Japanese Industrial Standards, International Electro technical Commission, Bureau Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping, Det Norske Veritas, China Classification Society, and other.