1 reply to this topic

[Matt S.]

So here is my question:

 

We have exchangers to cool air coming off the various stages of our air compressors. For simplicity, just assume a single pass exchanger with water on the tube side at 50 psig and air on the shell side at 80 psig.

 

In the past, someone in my department made the statement that since the air is at a higher pressure than the water, it is impossible for the water to leak into the air side.  I'm not sure this is correct.

 

Assume a leak on the bottom of one of the tubes.  Air is at a higher static pressure, so you would think that it would leak into the tube side, but the water is incompressible, so unless the air is completely absorbed into the water it would displace some water locally which ought to go to the air side?

 

I would imgaine the size of the leak would impact the answer to my question as well.  Does anyone have any experience/expertise in this area? Are there some useful equations that I am unaware of?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[PingPong]

but the water is incompressible, so unless the air is completely absorbed into the water it would displace some water locally which ought to go to the air side?

No, during normal operation the cooling water will simply flow away through the water outlet nozzle together with the leaked air.