China Chemical Industry News
On October 30, the titanium alloy spiral tube heat exchanger jointly developed by Wuhan East Petrochemical Heavy Equipment Co., Ltd., CNOOC Gas & Power Group, and CNOOC (China) Co., Ltd. Shanghai Branch passed acceptance in Wuhan. The acceptance expert group unanimously agreed that the device is the first titanium alloy spiral tube heat exchanger applied in offshore platform installations in China, reaching a domestically leading technical level and worthy of promotion.

The expert group believes that the device can achieve lightweight offshore platform equipment while meeting high-efficiency heat exchange requirements, effectively solving the corrosion problem of heat exchange equipment using seawater. The manufacturing and quality control processes ensure the product's safety and performance. It is recommended to further monitor and analyze operational data and accelerate the development of large-scale engineering application products and manufacturing processes to lay a solid foundation for the widespread use of spiral tube heat exchangers in large offshore platforms.

According to Zhao Yong, head of the acceptance expert group, the titanium alloy spiral tube heat exchanger prototype, developed based on mixed wet hydrocarbon property data provided by CNOOC Gas & Power Group, reduces weight by nearly 60% and increases heat exchange efficiency by 35.27% compared to existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers on platforms. It is estimated that in large-scale engineering applications of 100 tons/hour, a single device can reduce weight by at least 30%. Additionally, the prototype has undergone vibration analysis and is designed with an anti-seismic structure, making a beneficial attempt to expand the application scenarios of spiral tube heat exchangers and hoping to obtain operational data verification as soon as possible.

Li Junsong, Chairman of Wuhan East Petrochemical Heavy Equipment Co., Ltd., stated that compared to ordinary shell-and-tube heat exchangers, spiral tube heat exchangers have a larger surface area, higher heat transfer efficiency, and stronger high-pressure resistance. Under the same heat transfer load, the equipment weight is at least one-third lighter, and the compact size significantly reduces platform load and project investment costs. It is suitable for most heat exchanger application scenarios on offshore platforms, offering strong economic and technical advantages.

"The titanium alloy spiral tube heat exchanger has achieved three breakthroughs: first, it is the first engineering application of CNOOC's self-developed spiral tube heat exchanger technology; second, it is the first spiral tube heat exchanger applied in seawater condensation processes on offshore platforms; third, it has established design, manufacturing, and inspection technical specifications for spiral tube heat exchangers suitable for offshore platforms," said Li Junsong. During the manufacturing process, several technical challenges were addressed, such as stricter material and structural design requirements to adapt to the highly corrosive seawater medium in offshore platform wet gas cooling processes, and the development of comprehensive manufacturing inspection standards and performance testing plans to ensure the mechanical strength and reliability of the heat exchanger in high-salt and high-humidity environments.

It is reported that the prototype has also undergone vibration analysis to adapt to large-scale, high-flow phase-change conditions, with an overall anti-seismic structure, making a beneficial attempt to expand the application scenarios of spiral tube heat exchangers and striving to obtain operational data verification as soon as possible.

Mi Xiaoguang, an expert from CNOOC Gas & Power Group, stated that the successful development of this heat exchanger will help accelerate the engineering application of CNOOC's self-developed spiral tube heat exchanger technology, reducing investment and operating costs for offshore oil and gas projects. At the same time, relevant industrial operational data can effectively verify the accuracy and reliability of CNOOC's self-designed natural gas liquefaction technology's heat exchange system, providing technical support for promoting the engineering application of CNOOC's self-developed large-scale LNG/FLNG spiral tube heat exchangers.