Cutting maintenance in ammonia plant in Asia
An Asian ammonia producer had severe problems with fouling in the lean/rich interchanger in its acid gas removal process. Problems disappeared when the existing coil-wound heat exchanger was exchanged for four Alfa Laval Compablocs. The new heat exchangers deliver stable performance and require minimal maintenance.
DATE 2023-11-28The coil-wound heat exchanger could not be cleaned mechanically so the company had to replace the unit and the company’s engineers were searching for a solution that would require minimum maintenance and high efficiency. Alfa Laval proposed complementing the shell-and-tube with four Compablocs to boost capacity. A Compabloc is also less susceptible to fouling than a shell-and-tube thanks to its highly turbulent flow.
The four installed Compablocs have performed according to specification, and after three years’ operation there was still no need for cleaning.
Product
The Compabloc welded heat exchanger is probably the most compact and efficient heavy-duty heat exchanger in the world.
Benefits
- High reliability
- Superior performance
- Minimal maintenance
- Designed and built for rough conditions