is pumped from the
condensate tank to a 300 kW electrically operated pre-heater.
Depending on the inlet process conditions, the electric power and
flow rate can be adjusted on the pre-heater to partially or totally
vaporizing the test fluid. The saturated kerosene flows into the
flush reservoir. The air used as a non-condensable gas from the air
compressor system is injected into the upper portion of the flush
reservoir (vapor space). The air is heated and mixed with kerosene
vapor with an equilibrium temperature in the flush reservoir, then
flows through the demister pad into the test section. The vapor
condenses as it travels across the test section. The vapor/air mixture
and condensate are separated in the first separator and the vapor/
air mixture then flows into a backup condenser. Vapor fully condenses
in the backup condenser, and the air flows through the
second separator to the venting line. Condensate from the separators
flows through two coolers followed by flow meters before
draining into the reservoir. The cooling water flows through the
annulus of the outside tube, countercurrent to the flow of the test
fluid.
A 2.27 m long horizontal double-pipe heat exchanger is used
as the tubeside condenser. The inner tube is made of carbon steel
and has an inside diameter of 15 mm. The inside tube diameter of
the shell is 38 mm and is made of SS304. The annulus gap is
9.5 mm. The shellside test condenser has 4 tubes with the
outside tube diameter of 19 mm. The 90-degree tube layout was
arranged with the tube pitch of 30 mm. The tube length is
2.27 m, and the inside diameter of the shell is 72 mm. The
segmental baffle with a center space of 150 mm was installed on
the tube bundle.