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Ethylene oxide PCHE proven at Geismar
Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHEs) have been used to enhance the operational availability of BASF's Geismar ethylene oxide facility in Louisiana, USA. The ethylene oxide stripper exchanger represents a new application for the innovative diffusion-bonding technology, most commonly used in upstream hydrocarbon processing.
UK-based Heatric - exclusive manufacturers of diffusion-bonded heat exchangers worldwide - worked in close partnership with BASF to replace the two original plate and frame heat exchangers with a single unit.
Nick Johnston, Managing Director at Heatric said:
"The unique processes employed by Heatric in designing and manufacturing PCHEs make them ideal for applications incorporating hazardous fluids, as the diffusion-bonded design eliminates the possibility of gasket leaks with can occur in conventional plate type exchangers."
He added: "Due to tight limitations on space and a 42MW operating duty, the diffusion-bonded exchanger was the obvious replacement. As well as being up to six times smaller than conventional shell and tube exchangers, they are capable of thermal effectiveness of more than 97 per cent."
Heatric and the BASF team at Geismar collaborated to provide the best solution for the plant, expediting the complete design, procurement, import, installation and commissioning of the EO stripper heat exchanger in just eight months.
Doug Webster, Senior Project Engineer with the BASF Geismar team commented:
"At each phase of the procurement process, the Heatric team hit the mark. The exchanger design and technical specification were completed with correspondence between the US, UK and Germany. Our experts from Germany visited the Heatric facilities and were impressed with the company's quality assurance process and capabilities. Heatric kept us informed on progress throughout the manufacturing cycle and co-ordinated with BASF logistics to beat the original delievery schedule by four weeks."
