Overall performance optimization of a spiral pipe type heater by fluid- structure interaction modeling and partitioning screening method

A spiral pipe type heater is applied to the natural gas transportation system to inhibit gas hydrate, but fracture failure often happens at the joint of a coil pipe and a gathering pipe. To understand the mechanical behavior of the spiral pipe heater, a mechanical model of the coil pipe acted by the gas fluid is constructed, and the mechanical characteristics of the fracture point are obtained by numerical calculation. Then, the relation between angle parameters and the axial force, shear force, bending moment as well as stress of the structure is gotten. Comparison calculations of heat exchange before and after structural adjustment are done to get the optimized structure parameters of better mechanical properties and high heating rate. From this study, it is found that although the mechanical properties are improved, when increasing an angle parameter, the heat transfer performance is decreased. A coordination method is used for resolving the contradiction between heat transfer performance and mechanical properties to get an overall performance optimization. The provided partitioning screening method can improve the heating efficiency and mechanical properties of the heater obviously and conveniently.