In industrial production, heat exchangers play a crucial role. They can efficiently achieve heat transfer, ensuring the smooth progress of production processes. However, the installation of heat exchangers is not easy; it requires rigorous planning and meticulous execution. Adequate preparation before installation not only ensures that the installation proceeds smoothly but also guarantees installation quality and meets all technical specifications. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the entire heat exchanger installation process, helping you easily grasp the key points of installation.
Before formally entering the installation phase, thorough preparation is key to ensuring a smooth installation process. This step not only helps identify and resolve potential problems in advance but also lays a solid foundation for subsequent installation work.
Before installing a heat exchanger, a comprehensive survey of the construction site must be conducted. Based on the site layout plan, carefully check all other aspects of the site, including transportation routes, parking locations, unloading areas, and whether the surrounding environment may affect the transport and installation of the equipment. Ensure that transport roads are flat and solid, capable of supporting vehicle passage, so the heat exchanger can be safely delivered to the site. In addition, the width of the installation area should meet installation requirements, providing enough space for subsequent work.
The installation quality of a heat exchanger largely depends on the quality of the equipment itself. Therefore, before installation, the equipment must be carefully inspected. This includes verifying the model, quality, geometric dimensions, nozzle orientation, and technical characteristics. At the same time, review factory certificates, manuals, quality guarantee documents, and other technical files to ensure the equipment complies with relevant standards and requirements. Inspect the equipment for damage or missing parts, such as base plates, bolts, gaskets, and accessories. Any issues should be promptly resolved with the supplier. After inspection, maintain detailed records of checks and acceptance for future reference.
The foundation of a heat exchanger is an important guarantee for its stable operation. Before installation, the foundation must be thoroughly checked and handed over. The foundation construction unit should provide quality certificates, measurement records, and relevant construction technical documents. Check whether there are clear elevation lines and transverse and longitudinal centerlines on the foundation. The foundation surface should be clean, and any defects should be addressed promptly. The quality of the foundation directly affects the installation and operation of the heat exchanger, so strict control is necessary.
Lifting is a critical part of the heat exchanger installation process. The lifting department should prepare all rigging equipment, including cranes, spreader bars, wire ropes, pulley sets, chain hoists, and shackles, and conduct inspections in accordance with safety regulations. For large heat exchangers, due to their large diameter, numerous heating tubes, and heavy lifting weight, lifting points should be selected at shell support locations with reinforced base plates. Wooden blocks should be placed on both sides of the shell to protect it from deformation caused by wire rope compression during lifting. Ensuring the safety and reliability of lifting equipment is an important guarantee to prevent accidents during installation.
To ensure orderly installation work, a detailed construction plan should be prepared before installation. The plan should include preparation notes, compilation basis, project overview, construction preparation, construction methods and measures, technical measures and requirements, construction tools, construction materials, personnel allocation, and project schedule charts. A complete construction plan can help the construction team clarify task assignments, arrange the construction schedule reasonably, and ensure smooth installation work.
After completing thorough pre-installation preparation, the next step is the heat exchanger installation phase. Every detail during installation can affect the final performance and service life of the equipment. Therefore, during installation, it is necessary to strictly follow relevant technical specifications and operating procedures to ensure that each step is executed accurately.
During installation, first check whether the dimensional deviations of each part of the heat exchanger meet standard requirements. Excessive dimensional deviation may result in improper installation and affect normal operation. Therefore, it is essential to check strictly according to standards to ensure dimensional accuracy.
Sliding supports are an important component of the heat exchanger, allowing free expansion during thermal expansion. During installation, sliding plates should be embedded on the foundation side of the sliding support, with leveling shims on both sides of the anchor bolts. After leveling the equipment, inclined shims can be welded to the base plate, but they must not be welded to the flat shims or sliding plates underneath. The shims must be smooth and even to ensure the free movement of the sliding support. The anchor bolts of the sliding support should be installed with two tightened nuts, leaving a 1–3 mm gap between the nuts and the base plate to allow free sliding. Proper handling of these details can effectively prevent thermal stress during operation and extend the equipment's service life.
Permissible deviations after installation should meet the following requirements: elevation ≤ 3 mm, verticality (vertical units) ≤ 1/1000 and ≤ 5 mm, horizontality (horizontal units) ≤ 1/1000 and ≤ 5 mm, center displacement ≤ 5 mm. These strict deviation control standards ensure stable operation after installation and prevent abnormal operation due to excessive installation deviation.
Pipelines connected to the heat exchanger should be installed without applying force, allowing for thermal expansion. Connections must ensure firmness and sealing while accommodating potential thermal expansion and contraction during operation to avoid damage to the heat exchanger.
Pressure testing of the heat exchanger is a critical step to verify sealing and strength. For example, in fixed-tube-sheet heat exchangers, test methods vary slightly depending on the type. First, remove the end covers and conduct a hydraulic test (typically using water) of the shell side. During testing, in addition to checking the shell, focus on the tube-to-tube-sheet joints, checking for leakage at expanded or welded connections. If a few joints leak, mark them, release pressure, and re-expand or weld before retesting until passing. After passing the tube-side test, install gaskets and end covers for the tube-side pressure test. Strict pressure testing can promptly identify potential issues, ensuring safe operation.
The foundation of a heat exchanger is an important support for stable operation. Choosing the appropriate foundation type and proper installation is crucial for long-term stability and performance. Different heat exchangers and installation environments may require different foundation types; therefore, selection and adjustment should be made according to specific conditions.
The foundation must prevent the heat exchanger from sinking or transferring excessive pipe deformation to the exchanger nozzles. Foundations are generally divided into two types:
Brick Saddle Foundation: The heat exchanger rests directly on a saddle-shaped brick foundation without saddle supports and is not fixed, allowing free movement for thermal expansion.
Concrete Foundation: The heat exchanger is firmly connected to the foundation through saddle supports and anchor bolts.
Different foundation types are suitable for different heat exchangers and installation environments. Selecting the appropriate foundation type provides strong support for stable operation.
Before installing the heat exchanger, strict inspection and acceptance of foundation quality should be conducted. Major inspection items include foundation surface conditions, elevation, planar position, shape and main dimensions, and whether reserved holes meet actual requirements; the position of anchor bolts, thread condition, and completeness of nuts and washers; and whether the foundation surface for placing shims is flat. After foundation acceptance, before installing brazed plate heat exchangers, shims should be placed on the foundation, ensuring flat contact. Shim thickness can be adjusted to achieve the design level. Shims increase stability and evenly transfer weight to the foundation. Shims include flat, inclined, and open types, with inclined shims used in pairs. Anchor bolts should have shims on both sides, and shim installation must not hinder thermal expansion.
After positioning, the heat exchanger should be leveled with a spirit level so that all nozzles can connect to pipelines without stress. Inclined shims may be welded to the base plate after leveling but must not be welded to flat shims or sliding plates underneath. When installing multiple stacked heat exchangers, complete leveling and bolt fixation of the lower unit before installing the upper unit. For pull-out tube bundle heat exchangers, check, clean, and protect sealing surfaces and baffles during bundle removal. When moving or lifting bundles, place them on dedicated supports to prevent tube damage.
After installation, maintenance and routine precautions are equally important. Proper maintenance measures effectively extend equipment service life, ensure long-term stable operation, and help detect potential problems in time to prevent failures.
Adequate space should be reserved at both ends of shell-and-tube or plate heat exchangers for operation, cleaning, and maintenance. For floating head heat exchangers, leave sufficient space at the fixed head end to remove the tube bundle from the shell. The outer head end should also leave more than one meter of space for installation and removal. For fixed-tube-sheet heat exchangers, space should allow tube removal and replacement and enable mechanical cleaning from both ends. For U-tube heat exchangers, leave enough space at the fixed head end to remove the tube bundle, and adequate space on the opposite end for shell removal. Proper space reservation facilitates daily maintenance and improves operational efficiency.
Heat exchangers must not operate beyond nameplate specifications. Regularly monitor tube and shell side medium temperature and pressure drop, and analyze tube leakage and fouling. Strict adherence to operating conditions prevents failures due to overload and prolongs equipment life. Regular maintenance and inspection allow timely detection and resolution of potential issues, ensuring stable operation.
Installing a heat exchanger is a complex and meticulous task requiring thorough preparation and rigorous execution. Proper pre-installation preparation, including site survey, equipment inspection, foundation inspection, lifting equipment preparation, and construction plan development, lays a solid foundation for smooth installation. During installation, attention must be paid to dimensional deviation checks, sliding support installation, post-installation deviation control, pipeline connection, and pressure testing to ensure quality. Choosing the appropriate foundation type, conducting strict foundation inspection, and proper positioning and leveling provide strong support for stable operation. After installation, reserving space, adhering to operating conditions, and performing regular maintenance and inspections effectively extend service life and improve operational efficiency. Comprehensive mastery of each step and key point in heat exchanger installation ensures efficient and stable operation in industrial production, providing strong support for enterprise production and development.
