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This is a video on air cooled heat exchangers maintaining optimal temperatures is crucial in industrial operations
What would happen if water is not easily accessible or if environmental regulations restrict its usage
Air coolers are an innovative solution that utilizes the power of ambient air to provide cooling
Join us as we unravel the intricacies of air cooler parts explore the imperative need for their utilization delve into the nuances of piping design
and conduct stress ysis on their connections. Let's get started. Air
cooler units differ from other heat exchanges in that they use circulated air instead of liquid as the cooling agent
These units typically consist of fin tube bundles with a header box attached to each end which are supported horizontally by a steel frame or
structure. In a single pass arrangement
The inlet nozzles are situated at the top of the header box
While the outlet nozzles are located at the opposite end and mounted on the bottom of the header box
On the other hand, in a double pass arrangement, the outlet nozzles are placed at the same end as the inlet nozzles to increase the
surface area. Additional passes can be added or more units can be installed and placed side by side
Air is circulated through the use of multi blade propeller type fans that provide either forced or induced drafts
These fans can be equipped with either adjustable speed or variable pitch blades
The pitch of the fan blades can be altered to modify the air flow rate which in turn compensates for any fluctuations in air temperature
whether it rises or falls, air coolers are typically installed near the equipment
They serve to allow for piping flexibility and easy maintenance. They can be supported at ground level on top of structures or above pipe racks
However, the most common installation is above the pipe rack. The tube bundle bank can be supported by steel legs provided by the air cooler
vendor or by extending the pipe rack or structure columns to the underside of the bank
Air cooler vendors usually provide header boxes and motor access platforms, ladders are also included to ensure safe and easy access to the
coolers. When
designing an air cooler configuration, the plant layout designer needs to consider the source of the supporting column
The animation shows that arrangement a which is developed by the contractor allows for changes to the platform and pipe support loading laid in the
project without affecting the air cooler vendor. Scheduled delivery dates to the job site
However, in arrangement, b any such late changes would require the air cooler vendor to redesign the support legs or platform resulting in delays in
delivery and extra costs. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider the design of the air cooler configuration to minimize any potential disruptions
or delays during the project. Air
is not as effective as water for cooling due to its higher ambient temperature and lower heat transfer coefficient
However, using air can save significant costs compared to water cooling as it requires less containment and infrastructure
air cooled heat exchanges are commonly used for condensing petroleum vapors and cooling natural gas to reduce its volume for easy transmission
Most mediums cooled by air cooled heat exchanges are at low temperatures and some are also at low pressure as a result of its low
temperature and pressure, an air cooled heat exchanger presents unique challenges in connecting piping
The primary concern for piping engineers is the allowable forces and moments that an air cooled heat exchanger can withstand
This table displays the allowable forces and moments for air cooled heat exchanger nozzles as specified by API standard 661
It is important to note that these values are not directly related to the actual piping stress but are instead based on practical and economic
considerations of the heat exchanger. The allowable values have a sudden increase for eight inch nozzles and then remain relatively constant for all larger
nozzles. However, meeting these allowable values can be very challenging, particularly for larger nozzle sizes
special treatments are required to achieve a satisfactory design of the piping system
There are some specific arrangements for the piping used in low pressure applications
Since the pressure is low, even a slight difference in the inlet or outlet pressure can greatly affect the flow distribution throughout the two bundles
to ensure an even distribution of flow through all heater sections. A cascading piping layout or a large header construction is required
This guarantees that the inlet and outlet pressures at all two bundles are the same which results in the same flow and cooling effect at
all bundles. In other words, this type of cascading layout enables all exchanger sections to deliver the full cooling effect
However, achieving the same inlet and outlet pressure at all exchanger sections makes implementing any practical expansion loop very difficult
Any deviation in the piping layout from the ideal configuration will change the inlet and outlet pressure distribution to avoid the expansion loop
The piping yst must explore all possible relief scenarios to come up with a good design that can accommodate the allowable nozzle loads
air cooled heat exchangers usually have a floating header that can move sideways and lift a bit
This is an important factor to consider when yzing the piping system as it affects the piping loads to get an accurate model of the
piping. It is crucial to include the flexibility of both the header and the tube bundle in the ysis
A piping stress engineer should add the air cooler header and bundles into the ysis software by modeling them
The ideal way is to add the air cooler header to bundle inlet piping and outlet piping into the software
This will give us a more realistic output compared to the individual ysis
While doing this, the weight of the tube bundle, the supporting gaps between the air cooler and its structure must be modeled suitably
The header can also be modeled as a pipe with a corresponding moment of inertia
You can get more information about industrial equipments, piping design and stress ysis from Pipings stress.net
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You can find the link in the description. As we conclude, air cooled
heat exchanges are considered the most efficient cooling solutions available. We have explored their essential components
crucial role and meticulous design considerations to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to embrace the future of industrial cooling
We appreciate your presence on this enlightening journey and thank you for joining us