When the outlet temperature gradually rises and the pressure drop increases in the compressor interstage cooling section, it is often not a single fault but a deviation between the actual operating parameters of the heat exchanger and the design conditions. At this point, merely adjusting the cooling water flow rate or cleaning the core will have limited effect; it is necessary to return to the engineering parameter level to verify the matching relationship between the design margin and the current load.
In compressor interstage cooling scenarios, the differences between plate-fin heat exchangers and shell-and-tube heat exchangers are mainly reflected in the heat transfer area per unit volume and the pressure drop characteristics. The plate-fin structure extends the secondary surface through fins, providing a larger single-plate heat transfer area under the same overall dimensions, which helps complete heat exchange within a limited installation space. For medium- and high-pressure interstage cooling, the plate-fin core is usually vacuum brazed, and the design pressure must be confirmed separately according to actual operating conditions, with specific values subject to the accompanying technical documents. Compared with shell-and-tube types, plate-fin types have advantages in compactness, but their flow channels are narrower and require higher medium cleanliness, so the selection must be comprehensively judged in combination with water quality and filtration conditions.
During operation and maintenance, a rise in outlet temperature is often accompanied by an increase in pressure drop. When both occur simultaneously, priority should be given to checking whether the single-plate heat transfer area still meets the current gas volume. If the gas volume increases after compressor modification and the original heat transfer area margin is insufficient, the outlet temperature will gradually climb; an increase in pressure drop may be related to fouling in the fin channels or uneven distribution on the medium side. The HX-52 plate-fin heat exchanger adopts a removable side plate design in structure, facilitating core extraction and inspection, but the fin spacing and flow channel arrangement must be determined according to medium characteristics. During the selection stage, technical engineers should provide the actual gas volume, inlet temperature, allowable pressure drop, and cooling medium parameters so as to verify the consistency between design conditions and operating conditions.
