Heat exchanger recalculated for a new site: from custom made to custom adapted
A 13-metre heat exchanger got a second life at a new location, with an adapted design.
The war in Ukraine forced one of our clients to rethink its investment plans entirely. The original plan was a new production site in Russia. That plan fell through. Instead, the client chose to expand further within the Benelux.
That decision brought Proceq an unusual assignment. For the original site in Russia, Proceq had fully designed, calculated and built a heat exchanger: 13 metres tall, built for that one installation. With the new site came a new question:
Could this unit be repurposed, or was something new required?
Recalculating instead of rebuilding
Rather than writing the unit off, the client chose to have it recalculated. Working with the client's engineering team, Proceq ran new thermal simulations and recalculated the mechanical strength for the process conditions of the new site. The design was adjusted accordingly.
The unit grew from 13 to 15 metres. That extra height was needed to reach the required thermal output at the new location. At the same time, the design was aligned with the piping and ducting of the new installation, so everything connects seamlessly.
Technical data of the heat exchanger
What was once custom made for the site in Russia became, through recalculation, custom adapted for the new site in the Benelux. That's where the real value of engineering shows: not in the design phase alone, but later, when a capacity expansion, a change in production location or new process conditions call for an existing installation to grow with the client.
- Total weight: around 20 tonnes
- Bundle: more than 1,500 tubes
- Heat exchange surface: 1,085 m²
- Recovered low-grade thermal energy: 5 MW(th)
Facing a similar challenge?
Do you have an installation that needs to be adapted to new process conditions? Looking to upgrade, reuse or optimise existing equipment instead of replacing it?
Proceq supports you with:
- Thermal simulations and process optimisation
- Mechanical recalculations according to current standards
- Retrofit, debottlenecking and capacity increases
- Adaptation, production, installation and commissioning
Get in touch with our engineering team to discuss what's possible with your existing installation.
