Alfa Laval launches new version of double-wall heat exchangers with more compact and enhanced design

Alfa Laval launches new version of double-wall heat exchangers with more compact and enhanced design

(PRESS RELEASE) LUND, Sweden, 4-Feb-2020 — /EuropaWire/ — A lot of people have been depending on double-wall heat exchangers to use for heating and cooling needs. Alfa Laval has improved this technology and launches new double-wall brazed plate heat exchanger models with much compact design with the same safety measure and high thermal performance.

Alfa Laval has incorporated the “three-barrier” technique as one of the key features of the new brazed heat exchangers. An additional barrier or “vent” formed by an air gap between two channel plates has been added in a traditional double-plate barrier. In some extremely rare cases where a leak could arise, this design can quickly detect leaks from the outside of the unit which lessens the possibility of media mixing.

“Many manufacturers of double-wall heat exchangers promise so-called ‘leak proof’ technology that relies solely on brazing together two plates to form a double-thick wall. In some places, for example certain U.S. states, labelling such heat exchangers as double walled is even enough to meet legal requirements. However, when a crack does occur on these plates, there is no way to detect it, and this can ultimately lead to cross-contamination of the media. Our design eliminates that risk,” commented Enrico Dall’Armellina, Head of Marketing & Product Management for Brazed & Fusion Bonded Heat Exchangers at Alfa Laval.

The double-wall plate heat exchangers have been used as a dependable solution for domestic hot water and a preventive device for the cross-contamination of media. Some European countries and a number of regions in the United States require double-wall technology for household use for hygienic purposes. Today, however, the market is perceiving the demand for brazed double-wall designs with much compact designs and safety features.

“Double-wall gasketed heat exchangers make a lot of sense for larger hygienic systems. But today, a growing number of customers are turning to brazed heat exchangers especially for residential systems, due to the reduced CAPEX and the much more compact design. Alfa Laval developed our new generation of double-wall brazed technology to help them meet these demands with increased security as well as improved thermal efficiency,” explained Fredrik Ekstrom, President of the Brazed & Fusion Bonded Heat Exchangers Business Unit at Alfa Laval.

The integration of the air vent between the double-wall plates has greatly reduced its efficiency on the heat exchanger. In order to maintain its efficiency, suppliers need to increase the size of the unit by 30 percent.

“People choose brazed plate technology specifically because it offers a compact, highly efficient solution for heat transfer. With the experience Alfa Laval has from more than 80 years of working with heat exchangers, we set out to solve this challenge with a double-wall design that ensured ultimate security without sacrificing on thermal performance,” said Paul Kellet, Senior OEM Manager at Alfa Laval.

The unique design of Alfa Laval for its double-wall brazed heat exchangers allows itself to produce nearly the same performance with minimal loss to overall efficiency of the unit. It also has low possibility of media mixing and a low pressure drop.

“This means, for example, that our double-wall CB18 model is similar in size and footprint to our single-wall CB18 units and has the same port configurations. System builders therefore get increased flexibility to adapt to different customer application needs without altering the surrounding system configuration,” continued Kellet.

For more information, please contact:

Richard Torssell
Product Manager
Alfa Laval Energy Division
Phone: + 46 46 289 15 68
E-mail: richard.tossell@alfalaval.com

SOURCE: ALFA LAVAL