Introduction:

coalescence separation filter element  has become an indispensable key component in many industrial fields due to its excellent filtration and separation performance. The following will elaborate on its practical application cases in different industrial scenarios, demonstrating the significant benefits it brings to enterprises.

Case Study of Petrochemical Industry

Crude oil pretreatment project of a large refinery

The refinery processes tens of thousands of tons of crude oil daily, which is extracted and transported from oil fields. The crude oil has a moisture content between 10% and 15% and contains impurities such as sediment and rust. Before the introduction of the coalescence separation filter system, crude oil dehydration mainly relied on the traditional gravity settling method combined with simple filtration devices, which was not only time-consuming and laborious, but also had unsatisfactory dehydration effects. Subsequent processing equipment was frequently shut down for maintenance due to corrosion, scaling, and unstable feed.

After adopting advanced coalescence separation filter technology, customized filter combinations are installed at the front end of crude oil pretreatment. These filter elements are made of modified fiber materials with high strength, oil corrosion resistance, and efficient coalescence performance. Their unique multi-layer structure design can quickly capture small water droplets and cause them to coalesce and grow. Through precise process parameter control, the flow rate, pressure, and other conditions of crude oil are optimized when passing through the filter element, ensuring that oil-water fully contacts the surface of the filter element. After processing, the water content of crude oil is steadily reduced to 0.3% -0.5%, and the removal rate of impurities such as sediment and rust exceeds 98%. This enables the smooth operation of subsequent distillation, catalytic cracking and other processing procedures, reducing equipment failure rates by about 60%. The economic benefits brought by reducing downtime for maintenance exceed tens of millions of yuan per year. At the same time, the efficiency of crude oil processing has increased by 15%, effectively enhancing the market competitiveness of the enterprise.

Optimization of refining process for petrochemical products

A petrochemical enterprise focuses on producing high-quality lubricating base oils, which have extremely high requirements for moisture and impurity content. In the refining stage of finished products, traditional filtration methods cannot completely remove trace amounts of water and tiny catalyst particles mixed in during the processing.

The enterprise has chosen a coalescence separation filter element with ultra-fine filtration accuracy and strong hydrophilicity, which is made of specially treated nanocellulose and inorganic ceramics composite, and can adsorb moisture at the molecular level. In actual operation, lubricating oil passes through the filter element at a stable flow rate, and the gradient pore structure inside the filter element plays a role, first intercepting small particles in the shallow layer, while the deep hydrophilic layer aggregates water and guides it to the drainage channel. After testing, it was found that the moisture content in the lubricating oil product decreased from the original 200 ppm to below 50 ppm, and the particle size of impurities was controlled within 1 micron. The product quality was significantly improved, meeting the strict standards of the high-end market for lubricating base oil. The added value of the product increased, and the enterprise successfully developed more high profit customer groups.

Case studies in the field of natural gas processing

Dehydration and operation maintenance of long-distance natural gas pipelines

A certain natural gas long-distance pipeline company is responsible for transporting natural gas from the western region to coastal cities in the east. The pipeline is thousands of kilometers long, with complex terrain and variable climate along the way. During the low temperature period in winter, saturated water vapor in natural gas is prone to condense into liquid water, and even form natural gas hydrates, causing pipeline ice blockage and seriously threatening gas supply safety.

The company has installed an integrated system of coalescence separation filter cartridges and heating regeneration devices at multiple key compressor stations along the route. The filter element is made of low temperature resistant and high-strength silicone rubber modified material, which maintains good elasticity and hydrophilicity in low temperature environments. When natural gas passes through the filter, tiny water droplets are adsorbed and coalesced, and then the accumulated water is evaporated and discharged using a heating device, while keeping the filter dry to ensure its continuous and efficient operation. Since the system was put into operation, there have been no serious ice blockage accidents for three consecutive winters, and the natural gas dew point has been consistently controlled below -10 ℃, ensuring stable gas supply for residents and industrial users along the line, reducing economic compensation of millions of yuan caused by gas supply interruptions, and maintaining the company's good social reputation.

Efficiency increase in natural gas liquid hydrocarbon recovery

A natural gas purification plant discovered during the production process that a large amount of light hydrocarbons were carried out with the natural gas flow, resulting in resource waste. The factory has decided to adopt coalescence separation filter technology for liquid hydrocarbon recovery renovation.

The selected coalescence separation filter element has special oleophilic and hydrophobic properties. Its material is a composite of high-performance fluororubber and stainless steel fibers, which can withstand trace corrosive components in natural gas and efficiently capture liquid hydrocarbon droplets. When natural gas flows through the filter element, liquid hydrocarbons aggregate and grow on the surface of the filter element, and are collected by gravity settling to the bottom recovery device. After the transformation, the recovery rate of liquid hydrocarbons has increased from less than 30% to over 70%, with thousands of tons of new liquid hydrocarbon products added each year. Calculated at market prices, the new economic benefits are tens of millions of yuan. At the same time, natural gas has been purified to higher purity and stable combustion heat value, providing higher quality fuel for downstream gas power generation enterprises and achieving a win-win situation in the industrial chain.

Industrial equipment lubrication system case

Lubrication guarantee for rolling mills in steel plants

In the rolling mill workshop of a large steel complex, the rolling mill is the core production equipment, and the stable operation of its lubrication system is crucial. Due to the harsh workshop environment, widespread dust, and the lubrication system operating under high temperature and heavy load conditions, the lubricating oil is highly susceptible to contamination.

The enterprise has equipped the rolling mill lubrication system with a coalescing separation filter element. The main body of the filter element is made of a composite material of metal fiber sintered felt and high-temperature resistant fiberglass. The outer layer of metal fiber sintered felt resists the invasion of dust particles, while the inner layer of fiberglass plays a role in coalescing and separating moisture. In daily operation, even if a large amount of iron powder, dust, and condensed water are mixed into the lubricating oil due to high temperature, after circulating and filtering through the coalescence separation filter element, the impurity content in the lubricating oil is reduced by more than 90%, and the moisture content is controlled within 0.1%, effectively avoiding the emulsification and deterioration of the lubricating oil, ensuring good lubrication of key components such as rolling mill bearings, extending the service life of the equipment by about 30%, reducing the number of shutdowns caused by equipment failures, ensuring the continuity of steel production, and saving millions of yuan in equipment maintenance and replacement costs every year.

Lubrication and maintenance of wind turbine gearbox

Wind farms are usually located in remote areas, and the maintenance of the gearbox of wind turbines is difficult. The lubricating oil inside the gearbox is susceptible to factors such as sandstorms, temperature changes, and gear wear, which can lead to increased impurities and excessive moisture content.

A wind farm has adopted a specially designed coalescing separation filter element for wind power generation. The filter element is made of a weather resistant engineering plastic shell and filled with modified polyester fibers that are both hydrophilic and oleophilic. When the lubricating oil circulates in the gearbox, the filter element continuously purifies the lubricating oil, removes small metal particles, prevents them from exacerbating gear wear, and separates moisture to maintain the viscosity and antioxidant properties of the lubricating oil. Through actual monitoring, the use of coalescence separation filters has reduced the failure rate of gearboxes by 40%, and the lubricant replacement cycle has been extended from the original 1-2 years to 3-4 years, greatly reducing the operating costs of wind farms and improving the reliability and power generation efficiency of wind power equipment.

Conclusion:

In summary, the coalescence separation filter has demonstrated its key role in many industrial fields such as petrochemicals, natural gas processing, and industrial equipment lubrication through successful cases. Whether it is ensuring stable production processes, improving product quality, or achieving resource recycling and reducing operating costs, it provides solid support for the sustainable development of industrial enterprises. With continuous technological innovation, it will surely create greater value in more fields in the future.

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