Product brochure spiral_heatexchanger

276461_PCT00081EN:PPM00056EN_QXD 01/10/07 9:37 Side 2

Alfa Laval in brief

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of
specialized products and engineered
solutions.

Our equipment, systems and services
are dedicated to helping customers to
optimize the performance of their
processes. Time and time again.
We help our customers to heat, cool,
separate and transport products such as
oil, water, chemicals, beverages, food-
stuffs, starch and pharmaceuticals. Alfa Laval – spiral heat exchangers
Our worldwide organization works
closely with customers in almost 100
countries to help them stay ahead.
The all-round heat transfer solution
How to contact Alfa Laval
Up-to-date Alfa Laval contact details for
all countries are always available on our
website at www.alfalaval.com

PCT00081EN 0709


Spiral-shaped heat exchangers are not a new idea

– but Alfa Laval has perfected the design.

Exceptional compactness and self-cleaning design

make Alfa Laval spiral heat exchangers extremely

versatile. Ideal for everything from dirty fluids to high

vacuum condensation.


The perfect solution
From dirty fluids to high vacuum condensation
– spiral heat exchangers from Alfa Laval can do it all

The idea of using spiral-shaped fluid Product ranges Customer needs met Strong on customized solutions The design, shape and size of the Heat exchange duties that benefit from
channels for heat transfer arose in We provide fixed-size and customized with customized design The spiral heat exchanger is a very ver- spiral channels can be customized so the strengths of spiral heat exchangers
response to a particular customer’s product ranges to meet the needs of No two customers are alike, and nei- satile product. that they are a perfect match for the include:
process problem. Other technologies our customers. ther are their plants or their processes. demands associated with a wide range G liquid/liquid heating, cooling or heat

had failed, but in this case a spiral To meet all these different needs, Many of the duties performed by heat of process fluids, thermal duties and recovery, where one or both of the
proved to be the perfect solution. Fixed-size ranges engineering solutions and process exchangers require one channel per industrial applications. fluids may cause fouling.
We make small units for general use, equipment must be adaptable. fluid, and this can be a distinct benefit.
That was nearly 70 years ago. and for application-specific purposes G vapour/liquid condensing, particular-
such as the wastewater industry. Each Alfa Laval spiral heat exchanger ly at very low pressure and/or high-
Today, spiral heat exchangers fit per- design can be customized to meet the volume flow.
fectly into Alfa Laval’s extensive prod- precise process and application needs
uct portfolio – still providing customers of individual customers.
with optimum process solutions.
Unique shape has unique properties
Spiral heat exchangers are particularly A spiral heat exchanger is precisely
useful when a process is “dirty” or what it says – a circular heat ex-
“difficult”. In such circumstances, spiral changer with two concentric spiral
heat exchangers have clear advan- channels, one for each fluid.
tages over other products that employ
heat exchange technologies. The curved fluid channels provide opti-
mum heat transfer and flow conditions
Alfa Laval spiral heat exchangers are for a wide variety of fluids, while keep-
designed on the basis of our extensive ing the overall size of the unit to a
thermal and mechanical experience, Customized range minimum.
acquired from both our customers and To meet requirements for a range of
our production sites. sizes and specifications, the majority of The result is a heat exchanger that pro-
the spiral heat exchangers we supply vides maximum heat transfer efficiency,
are individually customized. while only taking up a minimum of
installation space.

4 Alfa Laval – spiral heat exchangers Alfa Laval – spiral heat exchangers 5


Unique performance – the spiral’s high
efficiency and easy access design
make heat recovery possible with two
The self-cleaning heat exchanger for fouling fluids – shown here at a
municipal sludge pasteurization plant.

demanding liquid/liquid duties
Single channel technology makes keeping clean easier

Some customers choose spiral heat Single channel technology – what performs for much longer periods, and Easy access Two covers enable one or two
exchangers to boost the performance goes in must come out only requires maintenance during When processes involve fluids that are fouling fluids
of their existing processes. Others use As the name indicates, single channel routine plant shutdowns. capable of causing a high degree of Both hot and cold channels are
them for thermal duties in processes technology means that both fluids fouling, it is important to have easy designed to perfectly match the special
that would otherwise simply be occupy a single channel, which allows Fewer units access to the inside of the heat needs of the fluids being used and the
impossible. fully counter-current flow. One fluid The increased thermal efficiency result- exchanger for cleaning and inspection. thermal duty being performed. This
enters the centre of the unit and flows ing from the fully counter-current flow provides total operational security
Whether replacing existing “inefficient” towards the periphery. The other fluid very often means that a particular Compared with other types of heat when using either one or two fluids that
technology or being used in revolution- enters the unit at the periphery and assignment requires fewer spiral heat exchanger, spiral units provide the best cause high fouling.
ary new applications, spiral heat moves towards the centre. exchangers than the straight-tube access to their heat transfer area –
exchangers are the first choice for alternative. with no special tools or lifting equip- This is a major advantage for cus-
processes that involve demanding The channels are curved and have a ment required. tomers that want to recover heat from
liquid/liquid duties. uniform cross section, which creates a Lower installation costs one dirty fluid to another.
“spiralling” motion within the fluid. Spiral heat exchangers only require a Each fluid channel is easily accessed
very small area for mounting and via its cover, exposing the whole of the Spiral units are the only type of heat Full draining for batch operation
The fluid is fully turbulent at a much access, resulting in lower unit installa- heat transfer surface. exchangers capable of direct heat All spiral heat exchangers can be
lower velocity than in straight tube heat tion costs compared with other heat interchange between two fluids that drained in position, without any need to
exchangers, and each fluid travels at exchangers. cause high fouling. disconnect pipework or to open
constant velocity throughout the whole the units.
unit. This removes any likelihood of
dead spots and stagnation. For applications where complete drain-
ing of the process fluid is required on a
Solids are thus kept in suspension, and regular basis, the spiral heat exchanger
the heat transfer surfaces are kept can be installed in an upright position.
clean by the scrubbing action of the
spiralling flow. This is particularly useful for batch pro-
duction processes as it makes it pos-
Self-cleaning keeps costs down sible to empty all fluid from the unit
The self-cleaning properties of spiral between batches.
heat exchangers ensure that the reli-
able performance of efficient heat
transfer is guaranteed, with minimum Fewer units, less down time
down time for maintenance. In a coke oven plant, four shell-and-
tube units were replaced by just one
In some duties where alternative heat spiral heat exchanger. This saved
exchangers would need regular clean- space and cost, while increasing
ing, disassembly, repair and performance at the same time.
maintenance, a spiral heat exchanger



Working closely with our customers

The customized condenser helps them to optimize their processes
and introduce new forms of heat
exchange – such as this fully built
The versatility of spiral heat exchangers makes them ideal condensing tower with three spiral
bodies.
for customized solutions

One of the best examples of the flexi- Maximum product recovery with Cross-flow condensing with the Two units in one – cross-flow and Installation costs reduced still Condensers can also separate
bility of a spiral heat exchanger is its counter-current condensing lowest possible pressure drop counter-current paths in the further Separation of the condensate pro-
capability as a condenser. To condense a mixture of vapours Condensing large volumes of pure same unit Because of their function, condensers duced from the inert gases takes place
and inert gases, a heat exchanger vapour needs a unit with a large The flexible flow-path arrangement and are often mounted high up at the top inside the spiral. Condensate can
Different condensing duties place dif- needs a long flow path. In a spiral cross-sectional area and a short installation possibilities provided by of distillation columns. therefore easily be fed back into the
ferent demands on a heat exchanger. heat exchanger this is easily achieved, flow path. To achieve this, the spiral heat exchangers give them column for reflux, or removed for fur-
The desired condensing performance as the vapour flows in a direction that vapour passes through the con- important advantages compared with Due to this high placing, all the ancillary ther processing, without the need for
is achieved by determining the flow is counter-current to the cooling liquid. densing channel in cross flow. other condensing solutions. equipment must be supported on a external separation equipment.
path of the vapour. separate structure. This greatly in-
This results in a very compact con- When the vapour/condensate operate Two heat exchange duties can be per- creases the costs of installation, Fitting a spiral condenser to a tower
Alfa Laval spiral condensers perfectly denser with the best heat transfer in cross flow, the pressure drop is virtu- formed within a single spiral to further running and maintenance. thus not only increases condensing
complement Alfa Laval’s other process efficiency for maximum product ally undetectable. This makes the spiral reduce capital equipment costs, and to performance, but also reduces ancillary
condensers – the AlfaCond and the recovery. The counter-current spiral condenser ideal for systems that oper- maximize operating efficiency. Spiral condensers, however, are avail- equipment costs and removes the
Compabloc – to provide customers condenser can also be designed to ate at very low pressure. able as self-contained units or, more need for support structures.
with a full range of condensers for the sub-cool the condensate and/or the For example, a spiral heat exchanger importantly for many customers, as a
entire range of their processes and inert gases. can act as a condenser and sub-cooler column-mount to fit directly onto or

Coolant
applications. for condensate and/or inert gases, or within an existing distillation column or
as a pre-heater to remove sub-cooling stripper tower.
Vapour
for vaporizer and reboiling duties.

Coolant
It is also possible to build more than
Vapour

Inert gas
Coolant
Inert gas

one spiral heat exchanger unit into a
complete condensing tower to accom-

Coolant

Inert gas
Coolant

modate multiple condensing stages,

Condensate
such as cooling water, chilled water
Condensate

and refrigerant. Vapour from column

Coolant
Coolant

Condensate
Coolant
Inert gas

Vapour from column

Condensate

Direct mounting of a spiral condenser
at a stripper tower reduces installation
costs, increases product recovery and
reduces pollutant escape.


History, experience and expertise
It takes experience to build the kind of expertise
that provides answers

The largest manufacturer of heat Inspiration from our customers
transfer equipment in the world Our best source of information and
Our worldwide sales and service repre- inspiration is our customers.
sentatives ensure that we can provide
excellent local service to all prospective Spiral heat exchangers are customized
and existing customers, while also products, engineered to meet the
drawing on the wider experience and needs of each new installation. After
expertise accumulated within our all, no two customers are alike, and
global organization. neither are their plants or their pro-
cesses.
This wealth of knowledge and experi-
ence is especially relevant to the spiral Over time, spiral heat exchangers have
heat exchanger. become standard equipment for a
Continual development great many processes in many
Alfa Laval has been making spiral heat Spiral heat exchangers are a well- industries.
exchangers for more than forty years. established product, and have been
During this period, Alfa Laval has pro- around for a long time. Nevertheless, We enjoy working closely with our cus-
duced more than 30,000 spiral units Alfa Laval heat exchangers are tomers to meet the challenge of
for a wide variety of industries and cus- designed using the very latest tech- improving their processes. Selecting
tomers all over the world. niques and testing methods. spiral heat exchangers can help cus-
tomers in the following ways:
Today, Alfa Laval has three production Our sales staff are equipped with G by improving an existing thermal duty

sites that provide worldwide supply sophisticated, state-of-the-art calcula- G by helping to develop alternative

and service to its spiral heat exchanger tion and quotation tools. solutions and new processes
customers.
Our manufacturing and R&D depart- Whatever the duty, Alfa Laval has an
They are situated in: ments are constantly working to make extensive catalogue of references, the
G France improvements on production tech- necessary experience, and a complete
G The United States niques and component design – again heat exchanger product portfolio. We
G India drawing on the vast pool of skills and are confident of being able to recom-
know-how available within Alfa Laval. mend the best heat exchange solution
Please contact your local Alfa Laval for your process.
representative to arrange a visit and
request a tour of our facilities.

10 Alfa Laval – spiral heat exchangers
Corporate Brochure 12 Alfa Laval – spiral heat exchangers 11


Performance and applications

Performance range Typical applications

Minimum Maximum
Type of fluids and gases Fouling liquids – containing solids, fibres, liquors, slurries and sludges.
Area range per body 1m 2
700 m 2
Gases – pure vapour and mixtures with inert gases.
10 ft 2 7000 ft 2
Type of duty Liquid/liquid – preheating, heating, cooling, interchanging, heat recovery.
Design temperature -100 0C 400 0C Vapour/liquid – top condensers, reflux condensers, vacuum condensers,
-150 0F 750 0F vent condensers, reboilers, gas coolers.

Design pressure Full vacuum 40 barg and above Type of industry
580 psig and above G Petrochemical
G Refinery
Pressure vessel codes PED, ASME, AS1210 and others G Steel making
G Pulp and paper
Standard construction materials Stainless steel, carbon steel G Metal/ore processing
G Wastewater treatment
G Pharmaceutical
Other construction materials Any metal that can be cold formed and welded – including G Vegetable oil processing
Duplex, titanium, Hastelloy, 904L G Distillery



Nonstop Performance

A lifetime commitment In terms of service, we speak your
For us at Alfa Laval, our obligation to language. Alfa Laval service is based
you as a customer does not stop on a profound insight into the needs
short at delivery. Our Parts & Service of the process industry. We see every
organization is there to ensure that product as part of a process and
your process always runs at peak understand the role it plays within
performance. This is a commitment that process. We can therefore work
that extends throughout the lifetime in close collaboration with you to tailor
of the system. We call it Nonstop an individual service package that
Performance. matches your requirements perfectly.

Nonstop Performance is based on our Service must result in bottom-line
global network of experts, who are benefits. We therefore help you to
always on standby to provide you with calculate the savings that will result
genuine spare parts on site, in more from any proposed service package,
than 50 countries, 365 days a year, and the real-term benefits it will
right around the clock. provide.

Challenge us to show you!

14 Alfa Laval – spiral heat exchangers

Product brochure spiral_heatexchanger

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Product brochure spiral_heatexchanger

Similar to Product brochure spiral_heatexchanger (20)

Product brochure spiral_heatexchanger