Cover Sheet

Functional Description

Tempered Water TDA-Cooler

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02 June 2008 – Rev. 0 GEA Luftkühler – Chapter 0 Service and Support Page 1 of 8
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 Overview

Table of Contents

1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Operating Principle ................................................................................................. 3
1.2 Overview of Air Cooler Components ..................................................................... 4

2 Commissioning ................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Liquid or Gas Coolers............................................................................................... 5

3 Taking the Plant out of Service ........................................................................................ 7

3.1 Liquid or Gas Coolers............................................................................................... 7
Empty the Tube Bundle........................................................................................... 7
Drying ....................................................................................................................... 7
Nitrogen Filling ........................................................................................................ 8

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 Function and Design

1 Introduction

1.1 Operating Principle

The product to be cooled or condensed passes through the tubes of the tube
bundle. To improve the transfer of heat to the air the tubes are as a rule
equipped with fins. At both ends of the tube bundles headers are arranged
which serve to distribute the product to the tubes and collect it at the opposite
end. The fin tubes are welded into the tubesheet or expanded into it or both.

By means of motor driven fans of forced- or induced-draft type the air is

passed around the tubes’ outer surfaces. Fan rings are arranged to pass the
air into the plenum chambers via which it is distributed over the tube bundle.

Air discharged (hot air)

Product IN Product OUT

(hot) (cold)

Air intake (air at ambient temperature)

The tube bundle is usually of stilted design using a supporting steel structure
which enables the air to be drawn in from below via the fan. For maintenance
purposes the steel structure is often provided with walkways, handrails and
access ladders. To improve its capacity the air cooler may optionally be
equipped with an intake air humidification system. To prevent the cooler from
freezing up when the flow of product has been stopped and the fans switched
off heating bundles may optionally be arranged below the tube bundle and
louvers mounted above the tube bundle. The heating bundles serve to heat
the product inside the tube bundles. Louvers are provided to cover the tube
bundles and thus shall prevent free or natural convection.

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 Function and Design

1.2 Overview of Air Cooler Components Platform

Handrail
Air cooler (all figures to be regarded analogous)
Header Louver Header Guard cage

Tube bundle Access ladder

Heating bundle
Plenum chamber
Protective guard

Bracing

Support

Fan impeller ring Fan bridge Fan blade Motor bracket

Fan hub

V-belt pulleys V-belt Fan support Motor

Tube bundle (entire unit) Tubesheet Venting flange

Draining flange Inlet flange Header Outlet flange

Fin tube (entire unit) Fin Tube

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 Start-up of Air Cooler

2 Commissioning

2.1 Liquid or Gas Coolers

 Fill the pipework and tube bundles with the medium, at ambient tempera-
ture, intended for the operation.

Attention!
When filling in medium no dirt from feed pipework must enter the
tube bundles. – Otherwise, capacity losses, tube clogging and tube
distortion may be caused which may lead to inadmissible tempera-
ture differences and, during cold periods, freeze-up hazards.

Note:
The temperature of the medium to be filled in must at least be 10 °C
above the pour point. It must be made sure that tubes or tube sec-
tions cannot freeze up. Vent the tube bundles without delay and cir-
culate the product because flowing product freezes not as easily as
stationary product does.

Nur bei Flüssigkeitskühlern:

 Carefully vent the tube bundle. – The venting nozzles of the tube bundles
must be reclosed only after filling has been completed.

Attention!
After venting no gas cushions must remain. – Otherwise, capacity
losses, risk of inadmissible temperature differences and, during cold
periods, freeze-up hazards.

 Check the entire tube bundle for leakages.

 The temperature of the tube bundle must be slowly raised until operating
temperature is reached. – At no point must the temperature increase ex-
ceed 50°C per minute.

 Decelerate reversely rotating fans down to standstill by briefly switching

the motors on.

Note:
When switching on fan drives not provided with return stops the re-
spective motor protection switch may trip if the fans have reversely
rotated before the drives are switched on.

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 Start-up of Air Cooler

When the product temperature approaches the operating conditions proceed

as follows:

 Switch the fans on, if possible at increasing speed, otherwise one after
the other. – Make sure they run up to speed smoothly and check for un-
usual noise.

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3 Taking the Plant out of Service

Note:
After the system has been shut down the fan drives must be run for
approx. 2 hours once a month to make sure moisture that may have
ingressed can evaporate and the bearings are adequately lubricated
(motor, fan bearing system etc.). This operation has to be docu-
mented. – If louvers are mounted they may remain closed during
this period.

3.1 Liquid or Gas Coolers

 Switch off the fans.

 Close off the inlet and outlet point at the tube bundles.

 Mark the air cooler as having been taken out of service.

At the latest when the ambient air temperature is below/equal to 5 °C or if

there is danger of frost:

 Empty the tube bundle if the product contains water.

Empty the Tube Bundle

 Depressurize the tube bundles.

 Carefully empty all tube bundles. – For this purpose open all inlet and
discharge pipe connections and all draining and venting nozzles. Also
empty all other parts of the tubing system.

 Collect or properly dispose of the product.

Note:
If the air cooler shall be shut down for a longer period of time or
permanently the tube bundles have to be either dried or filled with
nitrogen.

Drying

In case of multi-pass tube bundles:

 Blow the residual liquid out of the return sections by means of com-
pressed air or extract it by suction.

 Close the venting and draining lugs.

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  Connect a drier (e.g. a Munters drier) to the inlet or outlet flange(s). Close
off all other connections save for one flange on the opposite side (where
the hot air will exit). Rule out to the extent possible unnecessary heat
losses by covering the fin tubes and dry the tube bundles.

 After a drying period of one day ascertain - for instance by means of an

endoscope - that there is no residual water left in the tube bundles.

If it has been determined that no residual water is inside the tube bundles:

 Close off the inlet and outlet nozzles.

Nitrogen Filling

 Close off the flanges and lug closures by means of blank flanges.

 Attach a pressure gauge as well as a hose connecting cock to one of the

blank flanges. – Connecting cock and pressure gauge may also be
mounted on different blank flanges.

 Make sure these items do not suffer physical damage.

 Fill the tube bundle with nitrogen (0.5 bar).

 Check the pressure gauge monthly and adjust the pressure if necessary.

Note:
In the event of temperature changes the nitrogen pressure will also
vary.

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