Large Spiral-Wound Tube Heat Exchanger from Wuhan EPHE Successfully Operates, Assisting Traditional Refining and Petrochemical Enterprises in Energy Transition

       Recently, Wuhan East Petrochemical Heavy Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wuhan EPHE") has announced another achievement in energy transition. Its independently developed large-scale heat-integrated spiral-wound tube heat exchanger has been successfully put into operation at the high-end C4 new materials integrated project of Hebei Kaiyi New Material Technology Co., Ltd. The equipment has not only achieved five months of stable operation under full working conditions but has also laid a solid foundation for the energy transition in traditional refining, petrochemical, and new materials sectors with its outstanding heat exchange efficiency.

       Traditional refining and petrochemical processes, as well as high-end C4 new materials production, commonly face transition challenges such as high energy consumption, difficulty in waste heat recovery, and insufficient equipment stability under complex operating conditions. Particularly in high-end refining processes like isobutane dehydrogenation, there are stringent requirements for the high-temperature resistance, heat exchange efficiency, and operational stability of heat exchange equipment. On one hand, traditional heat exchangers struggle to adapt to long-term operation under high-temperature conditions, often encountering issues like coking and vibration. This not only increases operation and maintenance costs but also hinders production continuity. On the other hand, conventional equipment has limited heat exchange efficiency, failing to achieve efficient recovery of production waste heat, which leads to energy waste and conflicts with enterprises' transition goals of energy conservation and consumption reduction. As a core component for energy cascade utilization and energy consumption reduction, high-efficiency heat exchange equipment will become a key enabler for enterprises to overcome transition bottlenecks.

       Building upon Honeywell UOP's iC4 Oleflex™ dehydrogenation process technology, Wuhan EPHE employed its independently designed high-efficiency spiral-wound tube heat exchanger, achieving a breakthrough by reducing the operating hot-end temperature difference from the original 40°C to 25°C. It is estimated that this will save the unit approximately 8 million in energy costs annually. The equipment utilizes Wuhan EPHE's self-developed internal hole welding technology and anti-vibration anti-coking technology, addressing potential issues of heat exchange tube failure and coking blockage during operation. The entire equipment is designed for a high temperature of up to 600°C, with a diameter exceeding 4 meters, a total height over 20 meters, and a weight of nearly 300 tons. The main material is 304H high-temperature resistant austenitic stainless steel. The entire process from design, manufacturing to delivery took only about 8.5 months, laying a solid foundation for the project's remarkably short timeline of just 420 days from ground-breaking to plant commissioning. For Hebei Kaiyi, this undoubtedly constitutes an engineering marvel.

      In recent years, high-efficiency spiral-wound tube heat exchangers have become core equipment for energy transition in sectors like petroleum refining, petrochemicals, and coal chemical industries, with market demand continuously rising. Wuhan EPHE consistently drives innovation through technological advancement, focusing on the localization and substitution of high-end equipment. It has successively provided customized, high-performance heat exchange equipment solutions for numerous major chemical projects. This successful collaboration with Hebei Kaiyi not only serves as another strong testament to Wuhan EPHE's technical prowess and delivery capability but also highlights the core value of domestically produced high-end chemical equipment in facilitating the energy transition of traditional refining and petrochemical enterprises.

      Looking ahead, Wuhan EPHE will continue to uphold the philosophy of "continuous refinement and pursuit of excellence." It will persistently deepen technological innovation, upgrade the energy-saving and low-carbon performance of its heat exchange equipment, and provide more suitable "EPHE Solutions" for the green upgrading and efficient transition of more traditional refining and petrochemical enterprises. Through robust and intelligent manufacturing, Wuhan EPHE aims to contribute more " EPHE Power" to the green and low-carbon development of the chemical industry.