Project Overview
A sulfuric acid processing unit introduced a set of plate heat exchangers (PHE) for cooling 78% sulfuric acid. The system requires cooling 125,087 kg/h of sulfuric acid from 20°C to 15°C, using cooling water as the cooling medium, with an inlet temperature of 10°C and an outlet temperature of 15°C. This application places high demands on the corrosion resistance, heat exchange efficiency, and operational safety of the equipment.
Process Characteristics and Challenges
1. Highly Corrosive Medium
78% sulfuric acid is extremely corrosive to conventional metal materials, requiring the use of highly corrosion-resistant alloy materials to ensure long-term stable operation.
2. Small Temperature Difference and High Heat Load
The sulfuric acid needs to be cooled with only a 5°C temperature difference, which demands a highly efficient heat exchanger to avoid oversizing the equipment while ensuring energy efficiency and investment cost control.
3. Large Flow, Low Pressure Drop
With a sulfuric acid flow rate of 125,087 kg/h, the system must ensure uniform flow distribution while maintaining a reasonable pressure drop to prevent local overflows or blockages.
4. Safety and Automation Requirements
The equipment must comply with international standards such as ASME and support integration into the process automation control system for improved operational safety and intelligent management.
Equipment Selection and Design Highlights
1. Equipment Model
Model YC15BW-0.8/90-102 plate heat exchanger, single unit designed for 125,087 kg/h, configured with 102 plates.
2. Material Configuration
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Plate Material: HAC-276 (equivalent to C-276), high-nickel alloy with excellent corrosion resistance.
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Gasket Material: FPM (Fluororubber), resistant to strong acids and high temperatures.
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Frame Material: SA516 carbon steel frame with C-276 lined nozzles, ensuring full corrosion resistance at contact points.
3. Performance Parameters
| Parameter | Hot Side (Sulfuric Acid) | Cold Side (Cooling Water) |
| Flow Rate kg/h | 125,087 | 50,000 |
| Inlet/Outlet Temp. °C | 20 / 15 | 10月15日 |
| Design Pressure MPa | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Design Temperature °C | 90 | 90 |
| Heat Transfer Area m² | 62 | – |
| Heat Transfer Coefficient W/m²°C | 938 | – |
| Pressure Drop kPa | 20.3 | 3.3 |
4. Automation and Safety Configuration
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Equipped with temperature and pressure monitoring interfaces.
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Reserved automatic venting and cleaning interfaces.
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Capable of integration into automated control systems for remote monitoring and safety alarms.
Application Effect and Summary
With the application of this set of plate heat exchangers, the client successfully achieved efficient sulfuric acid cooling. The equipment operates stably with high heat transfer efficiency and easy maintenance. By using highly corrosion-resistant materials and optimized process design, the maintenance cost and equipment replacement frequency were significantly reduced.
This case demonstrates that plate heat exchangers still have significant advantages under highly corrosive and high-load conditions, especially in aspects such as energy recovery, compact system design, easy maintenance, and automation integration, providing a valuable reference for similar applications.