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To be able to select a heat exchanger, we need to know;
The fields above are only the basics. When putting an enquiry together you should also make Thermex aware of any pressure loss limitations and any other special requirements.
Please click here to download the Thermex data sheet template which highlights the required fields for heat exchanger selection. The data sheet should also be saved and sent to us if you require a quotation for a heat exchanger.
Marine Heat Exchangers
The operating principles of a marine heat exchanger are the same as a cooler designed for fresh water use, the main consideration for the designer however is that the marine heat exchanger must be resilient to erosion or corrosion caused by sea water. This means that materials that come in to contact with the sea water must be suitable, such as 90/10 Cupro-Nickel, 70/30 Cupro-Nickel, Bronze and Titanium.
There are other factors which need to be taken in to consideration when a marine heat exchanger is being designed. One is the velocity, if it is too low then there is a risk that sand and other particles will block the tubes. If it is too fast on the other hand then those same particles can rapidly erode the tube plate and tubes.
Additional protection can be provided by installing a sacrificial anode which Thermex can include upon request. This will be installed in to the threaded hole normally used for a drain plug and is in direct contact with the sea water flow.
The suitability of a fluid with a heat exchanger will depend on the type of heat exchanger being used and the materials which are available. Standard Thermex Heat Exchangers are suitable for most fluids including Oil, Water, Water Glycol and Sea Water. For more corrosive fluids such as chlorinated salt water, refrigerants and acids other materials such as Stainless Steel and Titanium will need to be used instead.
Heat exchanger efficiency can be defined in many ways, in terms of thermal performance there are several key factors to consider;
Temperature differential - As discussed in point 3 (temperature cross-over) the difference between the hot fluid and coolant is very important when designing a heat exchanger. The coolant always needs to be at a lower temperature than the hot fluid. Lower coolant temperatures will take more heat out of the hot fluid than warmer coolant temperatures. If you had a glass of drinking water at room temperature for example, it is much more effective to cool it down using ice rather than just cool water, the same principle applies to heat exchangers.
Flow rate - Another important factor is the flows of the fluids in both the primary and the secondary side of the heat exchanger. A greater flow rate will increase the capability of the exchanger to transfer the heat, but a greater flow rate also means greater mass, which can make it more difficult for the energy to be removed as well as increasing velocity and pressure loss.
Installation - The heat exchanger should always be installed based on a manufacturers' guidelines. Generally speaking the most efficient way to install a heat exchanger is with the fluids flowing in a counter-current arrangement (so if the coolant is travelling left to right, the hot fluid travels right to left) and for shell and tube heat exchangers the coolant should enter at the lowest inlet position (as shown in the diagrams above) to ensure that the heat exchanger is always full of water.
lifetime of a Heat Exchanger
Heat exchangers are manufactured from robust materials, have no moving parts and operate at a variety of different pressures and temperatures, therefore if a heat exchanger is used in the correct way then there is no reason why it shouldn't be able to remain operational for many years. To help increase the operational lifetime of a heat exchanger there are several steps that should be taken;
Make sure the design data is accurate - If you are sending data to our engineers for heat exchanger selection, then it is best to make sure that it is as accurate as possible. Not only will this ensure that your heat exchanger is thermally efficient but also that it will be able to operate for a long period of time. If the flow rates are too high then erosion could be a problem, if the pressures are too high then leaks could occur and if there are any unusual chemicals in the fluids (such as acids in coolant water) then please contact us to check the compatibility. If our standard materials aren't suitable then we can usually supply an alternative which is.
4 Types of Heat Exchangers and Applications
A heat exchanger allows the heat from a fluid (liquid or gas) to pass through a second fluid without the two ever coming into direct contact with each other. For example, a heating furnace burns natural gas that is carried over water by pipes. If the gas and the water came into direct contact, the heat exchange would stop and the water would never warm up.Even though all heat exchangers perform the same function, there are different types that have varied applications. Learning about these different heat exchangers will help you determine what the right equipment is for your business. Let's take a look at the 4 types of heat exchangers and their applications below:
Out of all the types of heat exchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers are the most versatile. A shell and tube heat exchanger is designed with a number of tubes placed inside a cylindrical shell. The popular design of this type of heat exchanger allows for a wide range of pressures and temperatures. If you need to cool or heat a large amount of fluids or gases, the application of the shell and tube heat exchanger is an option to consider. While smaller in size compared to some of the other types, a shell and tube heat exchanger can be easily broken-down, making cleaning and repairs easy.
While all of the types of heat exchangers discussed so far have a similar design, the plate heat exchanger is the exception. Metal plates are used to transfer heat between two fluids. The plate is a metal shell, with spaces inside each plate that act as hallways for fluids to travel through. With a plate heat exchanger, there is a greater surface area in contact with the fluids, so it has better rates of heat transfer compared to all other types. Although plate heat exchangers can be more expensive, the efficiency gained by the design is a big plus. This type of heat exchanger is best used in places like power plants because of its durability and low repair rates.