Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer — PE (2018) — Brine Chiller for Polyethylene Production
By Qiangbin Chu · Sales Manager & Operations Lead
Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited is a polyethylene producer located in the Ningbo petrochemical industrial zone, Zhejiang Province. The company produces PE resins for packaging film, pipe extrusion, and injection molding applications. Polyethylene production requires precise reactor temperature control — the brine chiller provides low-temperature ethylene glycol to heat exchangers that remove exothermic reaction heat from the polymerization loop.
| Client | Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited |
| Plant / Unit | PE — Polyethylene |
| Equipment | Brine Chiller × 1 |
| Design Code | GB |
| Cooling Capacity | 400 kW |
| Motor Power | 250 kW |
| Refrigerant | Propylene (R1270) |
| Coolant | Ethylene glycol |
| Design Institute | Sinopec Ningbo Engineering Co., Ltd. |
| Year | 2018 |
Customer Background
Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited is a polyethylene producer located in the Ningbo petrochemical industrial zone, Zhejiang Province. The company produces PE resins for packaging film, pipe extrusion, and injection molding applications. Polyethylene production requires precise reactor temperature control — the brine chiller provides low-temperature ethylene glycol to heat exchangers that remove exothermic reaction heat from the polymerization loop.
The project was engineered by Sinopec Ningbo Engineering, a design institute with extensive experience in petrochemical facility design across East China. Sinopec Ningbo Engineering specified propylene (R1270) refrigerant for its thermodynamic suitability at the target evaporating temperature and its compatibility with the hydrocarbon processing environment.
Located in the Ningbo Daxie petrochemical zone, Huatai’s facility benefits from proximity to LPG import terminals and established petrochemical infrastructure, enabling efficient feedstock supply and product logistics for the PE production line.
Challenges and Engineering Requirements
Process Temperature Control in petrochemical processing
Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited required precise low-temperature cooling for Brine Chiller × 1 service in the petrochemical processing sector. The brine chiller system must maintain stable outlet temperatures within narrow tolerances despite variable process heat loads. Fluctuations in feed composition, ambient temperature swings, and seasonal load variations all affect the refrigeration duty — the system must respond to these changes while protecting compressor operation from surge and liquid carryover.
Refrigerant Selection and Safety
The choice of Propylene (R1270) reflects the balance between thermodynamic efficiency at the target evaporating temperature, compatibility with the plant’s existing refrigerant infrastructure, and safety classification under the applicable code. Each refrigerant brings specific considerations: flammability limits for hydrocarbon refrigerants, operating pressure ranges that affect component sizing, and oil miscibility that influences compressor lubrication system design.
Integration with EPC Engineering
The chiller packages were specified and documented by Sinopec Ningbo Engineering Co., Ltd. as part of a larger process unit. This means every interface — brine supply/return connections, electrical load requirements, control signal protocols, and physical footprint — must match the EPC’s plot plan and P&ID exactly. Any deviation requires formal design change management, adding time and cost to the project.
Why Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited Selected Lmart
Integrated refrigeration package capability. Lmart designs and manufactures complete refrigeration systems — compressor selection, heat exchanger sizing, piping layout, control logic, and skid-frame engineering — as a single-source supplier. This eliminates the interface risks that arise when the chiller vendor, vessel fabricator, and system integrator are separate companies.
Process refrigerant experience. Lmart has delivered refrigeration packages using propylene, propane, ammonia, R134a, and other process refrigerants across petrochemical, chemical, and marine applications. This experience base means the engineering team understands the specific requirements of each refrigerant — safety classifications, oil management, capacity control methods — without a learning curve.
Repeat performance. Lmart has delivered equipment to Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited and similar clients in the petrochemical processing sector, demonstrating consistent quality and on-time delivery performance across multiple projects.
Technical Scope and Specifications
The brine chiller provides 400 kW of cooling capacity using a propylene (R1270) refrigerant circuit with a 250 kW screw compressor. Chilled ethylene glycol brine is circulated to the PE process heat exchangers for reactor temperature control.
Key design features:
- Single-unit configuration: Sized for the plant’s base-load cooling requirement, with the propylene refrigerant circuit optimized for stable operation at the design evaporating temperature
- Propylene refrigerant (R1270): Provides efficient refrigeration at sub-ambient temperatures required for PE reactor cooling, while being compatible with the petrochemical plant’s safety and maintenance infrastructure
- Ethylene glycol coolant: Secondary loop with glycol concentration matched to the minimum operating temperature, providing freeze protection and corrosion inhibition
- Compact package: Factory-assembled and tested unit reduces on-site installation time and commissioning effort
Ningbo Huatai also ordered three compression packages for their Fuel Gas unit in the same procurement cycle, demonstrating confidence in Lmart’s capability across both refrigeration and compression product lines.
Delivery and Quality Assurance
The brine chiller underwent complete factory acceptance testing at Lmart’s Zhangjiagang facility, including hydrostatic pressure testing of the evaporator and condenser, compressor run testing with vibration and noise measurements, and electrical system verification. Documentation was prepared to Sinopec Ningbo Engineering’s requirements, including material test reports, weld inspection records, and equipment data sheets.
The unit was delivered as a factory-assembled skid to the Ningbo petrochemical zone, where it was integrated into the PE plant’s cooling water and process control systems. The concurrent delivery of the PE brine chiller and Fuel Gas compression packages enabled coordinated commissioning of both utility systems.
Results and Business Impact
Lmart successfully delivered 1 units of Brine Chiller × 1 to Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited, meeting the project’s quality, schedule, and documentation requirements. The equipment was manufactured to GB standards, with full documentation packages accepted by the client and applicable inspection authorities.
This project reinforces Lmart’s position as a qualified manufacturer for petrochemical processing applications, demonstrating the company’s ability to deliver equipment that meets international quality and certification standards.
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Customer Voice
“The equipment was delivered on schedule and the documentation package was complete. The quality of fabrication met our inspection requirements.”
— Ningbo Huatai Wealthy Polymer Material Limited project team (paraphrased from project review)
Note: Lmart respects client confidentiality. Specific contact references are available upon request during the qualification process.