The application of titanium alloy materials in marine engineering

In marine engineering, titanium alloy materials are used in areas such as seawater desalination, offshore oil drilling, and marine thermal energy conversion power plants.

(1) Desalination of seawater

There are many methods for seawater desalination, and currently, evaporation is the most commonly used method in the world (accounting for 82%), with multi-stage rapid evaporation (MSF) accounting for 67%. Due to the high corrosion of seawater on pipe materials under high temperature and high flow rate conditions, many pipes, especially those in the heating section, are mostly made of titanium material.

(2) Offshore oil drilling

On offshore platforms, titanium is used to make condensing and heat exchange tubes, pumps, valves, and fittings for closed cycle engines; Used as lifting pipes, prestressed pipe joints, fixtures, and accessories in deep-sea oil drilling and extraction.

(3) Ocean thermal energy conversion engineering

On an ocean thermal energy conversion power plant, the power system, especially the heat exchanger, is the equipment with the highest metal utilization rate. Due to the low overall cycle efficiency, the heat exchanger must be large. The design principle of power plant systems should be long lifespan (up to 30 years) and minimal maintenance. Therefore, when selecting materials, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the material and manufacturing costs, as well as the corrosion and wear performance of the materials. Titanium is undoubtedly a competitive material.