Heat Transfer
Unlocking the Secrets of Plate-and-Frame Heat Exchangers
Plate-and-frame heat exchangers, or plate heat exchangers (PHEs), are a type of compact heat exchanger. PHEs have been widely used in the food industries, mainly because they easily meet health and sanitation requirements due to their simple disassembly for cleaning.…
A new tantalum line of heat exchangers for corrosive service
Last month, Alfa Laval AB (Lund, Sweden; www.alfalaval.com) introduced a new range of tantalum heat exchangers that offer the corrosion resistance of a solid-tantalum heat exchanger, but at a much lower investment cost. The heat exchangers are made of stainless…
A portable low-pressure steam generator with high throughput
The Steam-Flo SF-50 steam generator provides a portable source for low-pressure steam. The SF-50 features a 50 horsepower boiler unit and is capable of producing up to 1,725 lb/h (782 kg/h) of saturated steam vapor, operating at 15 psi. Available…
Pressurized Piping: Sampling Steam and Water
Corrosion and deposition in boilers, steam turbines and many types of process equipment are among the most expensive causes of outages in utility and industrial steam plants. Deposits and scale buildup on heat-transfer surfaces reduce efficiency, and when allowed to…
Optimization of a Steam Network
Petroleum refineries generate power from a number of sources, including cogeneration plants and steam networks. Generally, steam networks use turbines to improve operational reliability, specifically as drivers for rotating equipment. Due to increasing energy costs, it is essential to maximize…
The New Face of Heat Exchangers
When it comes to heat exchangers, chemical processors have a lot to consider. The most common concerns include fouling, heat-transfer efficiency, and the ability of the equipment to handle the high temperatures, high pressures and corrosive materials associated with the…
A furnace for heat-treating larger components
Anticipating growing demand for producing larger gears, shafts and other components, this sub-contract heat-treatment specialist has enlarged the size of one of its largest pit furnaces (photo). The company increased the dimensions to 1,100 mm working diameter and almost 1,800…
Heat Transfer for Huge-Scale Fermentation
Industrial microbiology continues to hold the promise of producing an increasingly large array of commercially important chemicals because an ever-wider number of useful microbes is being developed and successfully deployed at commercially viable scales. Today, many of these bio-based chemicals…
Understanding Boiler Circulation
Boilers generate steam using different methods to circulate the steam-water mixture through the evaporator tubes. These methods include natural circulation (Figures 1, 2a–2c), forced circulation (Figure 3a), and a once-through design. Figures 3b, 4 and 5 show examples of a…
Use this compact heat exchanger for high-pressure dry-gas seals
The new Hydrosafe indirect electric heat exchanger is a complete thermal system designed for use in the harsh environments found in oil exploration and extraction, petroleum refining and petrochemicals. Minimizing potential leaks, the Hydrosafe’s one-piece, non-welded design makes this exchanger…