Sunday, September 13, 2015

Knowledge On Heat Exchanger Tube Plugs

By Daphne Bowen


Designers, engineers and manufactures of heat exchanger devices are the people responsible for selection of proper materials for the process. Following that, they should consider a number of factors in the selection process. The three main aspects influencing the choice are operation and maintenance processes, the design of the materials and the water quality. Below is an elaboration of heat exchanger tube plugs.

On water quality, consider the temperature, PH, residual manganese and chlorine, sulfide level, chloride level, dissolved oxygen, the water purity and the tendency to form sediments. Ions of iron, sodium, magnesium and calcium are less likely to form deposits and this is why their concentration goes up in coolers of water boilers. The type of alloys used to make the plugs depend on the chloride concentration in the H2O .

Soluble oxygen has a big impact on tube corrosion. Based on this occurrence, it is important to put additives in water to reduce its amount. Sulfates bring this problem too. If you go for tubes which are made from copper or stainless steel when the concentration of oxygen is high, there are likely to disappoint you. They also do not function well if the water passing therein has a lot of dirt. Going for something that has excellent performance will save you the frustrations.

When chlorine is mixed with water, the end product is very corrosive. Since chlorine is the only product which performs well in purification of water, its use is extensive. It is upon the selectors of tube plugs to think of ways to reduce the bad effects hypochlorite causes. One of the ways is adding suitable compounds into the H2O to reduce this effect. The effects are far-reaching if the H2O temperature is high.

Low pH means that the corrosion of plugs will happen quickly. The acidic compounds typically have low pH. Nonetheless, use of copper alloys in manufacture of devices can eliminate this problem. Besides strong acids, strong alkalis are corrosive too and they will cause damages to the tubes. The best alternative is ensuring that the pH of the water components is near neutral.

Manganese and also iron are the main elements behind water discoloration while it is being deposited. Stainless steel tube plugs cannot offer protection when the water is fresh. However, copper ones perform very well. The main determinant of the type to go for is the purpose you want the plug to serve.

Sedimentation process and absorption of mass are very crucial aspects in thermal heat transfer. Maximum protection is offered if an inner lining is formed on the tube plug. Thermal transfer is controlled and the flow rate in the section. There is more resistance offered to the product flow. This is known as fouling factor. The formulas put forth to calculate it are not so effective and many times the figure is just an approximate.

When it comes to use and maintenance of these plugs, care should be taken. These are the main factors which will determine how long the devices will last. The product cost is a big influence of the choices made. To remember is that it is better to go for a costly one but spend less on maintenance.




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