Heat exchangers

The gas passing through the pressure reduction stations always has a small amount of water, which can cause hydrate formation in pipelines. Hydrate formation occurs due to a decrease in temperature caused by a drop in pressure in the regulators, also called the Jules Thomson effect. Hydrate formation can cause blockage of pipelines and damage the downstream equipment. For this reason, it is necessary to heat the gas before entering the regulators. Using in-line heat exchangers is an economical and reliable way to preheat natural gas. These heaters are compressed shell and tube heat exchangers, which  are installed on pipelines and do not occupy any other space. The heat is supplied by the hot water that flows through the exchanger. This water is pumped from a boiler into the heat exchanger and returns to the boiler after heating the natural gas in the heat exchanger. Due to the high speed of hot water inside the heat exchanger, the heat transfer rate increases, and thus the required heat transfer area decreases. In addition, it is easier and safer to operate and maintain these heaters.