Heat exchanger technology can be traced back thousands of years, with ancient heat exchangers embracing simple structures. However, they possessed a limited heat transmission ability because of limitations in production technology and scientific threshold. With the expansion of the manufacturing processes in the early 1900s came the shell and tube heat exchanger. Featuring a larger heat transfer area, these exchangers achieved greater heat transfer performance.
Across the United States, the craft brewing industry is experiencing a boom. As production increases, heat exchangers are increasingly in demand, as they are essential pieces of equipment in any brewery.
Brewery heat exchangers play a key role in quickly cooling wort as it is moved from kettle to fermenter. When properly selected and used, heat exchangers preserve the beer’s taste and increase production speeds.
Why Invest in a Heat Exchanger?
Wort must be cooled quickly to prevent bacteria and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from tainting the initial brew. Brewery heat exchangers accomplish this goal by reducing cooling time to as little as 45 minutes. Proper control of heat is essential to any brewing process for the following reasons:
Temperature control. By cooling wort quickly, heat exchangers in breweries prevent contamination and preserve flavor.
Reusing heat. Brewing heat exchangers can also collect the heat and apply it to other parts of your brewing facility, such as the hot water system.
Growing your brewery business. Speeding the cooling process and recycling heat greatly increases production and cuts costs.
Types of Heat Exchangers for Brewing
Selecting the right brewery heat exchanger requires knowledge of the different types available.
Plate & Frame Heat Exchangers: Several metal plates are placed in direct contact with the brewing tank, transferring heat from one fluid to another. The cooling medium and beer flow through the plates in opposite directions on separate flow paths.
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers: A series of parallel tubes send the wort and the cooling medium past each other in opposite directions. Heat exchange takes place between the tube walls.
Why Shell and Tube is the Better Option
In the brewing industry, both shell and tube heat exchangers and plate and frame heat exchangers can be used for heat transfer, but there are several reasons why shell and tube heat exchangers are often a better option.
Better for viscous fluids: The brewing process often involves fluids with high viscosity such as wort, which can cause fouling or blockages in plate and frame heat exchangers. Shell and tube heat exchangers, on the other hand, can handle such fluids more efficiently, making them a better choice for the brewing industry.
Tolerates high and low temperatures: Shell and tube heat exchangers are designed to operate in a wide range of temperatures, making them suitable for a variety of applications. They can handle both high and low temperatures without compromising the performance of the heat exchanger.
Resistant to thermal shock: Shell and tube heat exchangers are made of durable materials that can withstand thermal shock. This is important because sudden changes in temperature can cause damage to the heat exchanger, leading to leaks or other issues.
Better for higher flow rates: In the brewing industry, there is often a need for high flow rates. Shell and tube heat exchangers are better suited for these higher flow rates, as they can handle more fluid than plate and frame heat exchangers.
Customizable size: Shell and tube heat exchangers are available in a range of sizes and configurations, making them customizable to fit the specific needs of different applications. This allows for greater flexibility in designing a heat exchanger system that can meet the specific requirements of a particular application.
Easy assembly and disassembly: Shell and tube heat exchangers are relatively easy to assemble and disassemble, making them easy to install or remove when necessary. This is particularly important in applications where the heat exchanger may need to be taken apart for cleaning or maintenance.
Easier to clean: Cleaning is an important part of the brewing process, and shell and tube heat exchangers are generally easier to clean than plate and frame heat exchangers. Plate and frame heat exchangers have many small channels that can be difficult to clean thoroughly, while shell and tube heat exchangers have larger tubes that are easier to access for cleaning.
More durable: Shell and tube heat exchangers are generally more durable and have a longer lifespan than plate and frame heat exchangers. This is because plate and frame heat exchangers are made up of many small parts that can wear out or break over time, while shell and tube heat exchangers have fewer components that are less likely to fail.
More cost-effective: Due to their simple, flexible design, shell and tube heat exchangers are the more cost-effective option for most breweries.
Heat Exchanger Design Characteristics
When designing your brewery’s heat exchanger, you’ll want to consider these design characteristics.
Flow Configuration
Flow configuration will influence the efficiency of your overall system:
Concurrent flow brewery heat exchangers move fluids parallel to each other and in the same direction, which provides the highest level of thermal uniformity but less efficiency than a countercurrent system.
Countercurrent flow systems move fluids antiparallel to each other (opposite directions through parallel tubes), resulting in greater heat transfer efficiency between the two liquids.
Crossflow heat exchanger tubes are routed perpendicular to each other and are less efficient than countercurrent systems but more efficient than concurrent systems.
Hybrid flow heat exchangers use any combination of the above three flow configurations.
Construction Method
The types of materials used to construct heat exchangers range from various metals to ceramic, graphite, or composite materials, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. There are also different build methods, such as:
Recuperative vs. regenerative: Recuperative heat exchangers house each liquid in its own tube, while regenerative heat exchangers use one tube to transfer cool and warm fluids at alternating times.
Direct vs. indirect: Recuperative heat exchangers can transfer heat either directly or indirectly. Direct contact heat exchangers do not separate fluids within the device, so heat transfers through direct contact. Indirect contact heat exchangers separate and transfer heat between fluids using thermally conductive materials, such as tubes or plates.
Static vs. dynamic: Regenerative heat exchangers can either be static or dynamic. Static regenerators feature materials and components that stay in place while fluids flow through them. Dynamic regenerators have components and materials that move during heat transfer.
Heat Transfer Mechanism
Heat exchangers use either a single-phase or two-phase heat transfer mechanism. Single-phase heat exchangers process fluids that remain the same state of matter throughout the heat transfer process. Two-phase heat exchangers change either one or both liquids to a gas, or vice versa.
Design Considerations
Before investing in a heat exchanger for your operation, consider these factors as you plan your design:
Cost
Energy consumption
Space consumption
Maintenance needs and costs
Scalability
Sanitary Heat Exchangers from Enerquip
Since 1985, Enerquip has been an industry leader in fabricating industrial heating and cooling equipment. Our engineers are standing by to help you design the optimal shell and tube heat exchanger for your brewery needs. Contact us with questions or request a quote today.
A heat exchanger is a system that transfers heat between two media of different starting temperatures. Used in both heating and cooling processes, they have a broad range of industrial applications, such as refrigeration, space heating, and air conditioning.
Shell and tube heat exchangers are the most typical type of heat exchangers used in oil processing facilities, large-scale chemical operations, and high-pressure applications. Here you’ll learn about the different types of shell and tube heat exchangers, as well as their individual components and benefits.
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Design
Every type of shell and tube heat exchanger is made of a large cylindrical enclosure called a shell, which contains bundles of precisely spaced tubing. The shell is made of corrosion-resistant metal plates or pipes that can withstand extreme temperatures. The tubes are made of extruded or welded stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium, copper, or Inconel.
Other components include:
Tube sheet: The tube sheet is a plate containing holes for inserting the pipes. Its design supports the tubes on both ends of the shell.
Channels: Also called heads, channels contain fluid in the tubes and can have either bonnet-type heads for infrequent removal or removable covers for frequent removal. Channel covers are removed for inspection and maintenance purposes.
Baffles: Baffles guide the flow within the shell to boost fluid velocity, increasing the heat transfer coefficient and reducing fouling—the accumulation of materials on the heat transfer surface. Fouling can increase heat transfer resistance, thus decreasing heat exchange efficiency.
Tie rods and spacers: Tie rods and spacers maintain space between baffles while holding them in place. The appropriate number of tie rods and spacers to use depends on the shell’s diameter and the number of baffles.
Expansion joint: When transferring heat from one side of the exchanger to the other, heat exchangers are exposed to a wide range of temperatures. Expansion joints are necessary because heat exchanger materials expand when heated and contract when cooled. They prevent buckling of the tubes or shell and distortion of the nozzle connections.
How Do Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers Work?
All types of shell and tube heat exchangers work via the same basic mechanism. A hot fluid flows in the shell and transfers heat to a cold fluid contained in the tubes. The two fluids exchange or transfer heat based on the direction of flow and thermal contact through the heat exchanger’s conductive materials.
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Configurations
The classification of a shell and tube heat exchanger is determined by the construction and structure of the shell as well as the type of service the unit provides.
Fixed Tube Sheet Exchanger:Two stationary tube sheets are welded directly to the shell. It is easy to clean and maintain but cannot withstand extreme temperature fluctuations without the addition of an expansion joint.
Enerquip Thermal Solutions carries Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association (TEMA) Type L, M, and N fixed tube sheet exchangers.
U-Tube Heat Exchanger:The U-tube heat exchanger is the most cost-effective version of the shell and tube design. U-tube shell and tube heat exchangers feature a tube bundle made of continuous tubes that bend into a U shape. The bundle is secured to the shell using a tube plate. The bends enable thermal expansion without the use of expansion joints, making these excellent for high-temperature fluctuations. The bent tube bundle is removable but difficult to clean mechanically.
Floating Head Heat Exchanger:The tube sheet in the floating head heat exchanger is permitted to move or float rather than being welded to the shell at the rear header end. This allows for thermal expansion and removal of the tube bundle for cleaning. This type of shell and tube heat exchanger is suitable for processes involving high temperatures and pressures, but it is more expensive than fixed tube sheet heat exchangers.
Enerquip carries TEMA Type W, P, S, and T floating head heat exchangers.
Advantages of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers
Used in a variety of industries and applications, shell and tube heat exchangers are highly versatile pieces of equipment. Benefits include:
Cost-effective
Handles a wide range of temperatures and pressures
Adjustable design allows for thermal expansion
Minimal pressure loss
Handles flammable or toxic fluids
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers from Enerquip
Given the wide range of applications and types of shell and tube heat exchangers, selecting the right model for your application is key to reaping every possible benefit. Your specific technical requirements determine the ideal type of shell and tube heat exchanger for your application. Enerquip is a leading shell and tube heat exchanger manufacturer with over 35 years of extensive industry experience.
Asphalt plants can consume a ton of energy through their everyday operations. With energy costs on the rise, many facilities are looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption in order to reduce costs and increase overall efficiency.
Fortunately for plant managers, there are a number of strategies that can be implemented in order to accomplish this.
Here, we’ll review a number of tips for increasing asphalt plant efficiency, both in terms of reducing energy usage and otherwise, to keep your plant functioning at maximum capacity.
9 Strategies for Improving Asphalt Plant Efficiency
While some of these tips may be more feasible than others for your specific plant to implement, all will contribute to improving your facility’s level of efficiency.
1. Perform an Audit
A good first step to take if you’re looking to improve the efficiency of your plant’s systems and processes is to invest in an audit. Audits can be really valuable, and will review systems, processes, and system components to look for any areas where efficiency could be improved.
Hiring a professional outside agency to perform the audit (with the help of your internal staff) can be really valuable, as it will give you a new and unbiased perspective about what’s going in within your facility. It can also help you to identify areas of weakness that may have otherwise been overlooked, and point you in the right direction in terms of what you can feasibly upgrade to increase efficiency.
2. Talk to Staff Members
The people working with the equipment and in the midst of the processes on a daily basis are a great resource for insider information about how things are going in your plant. They can offer first hand feedback on processes that aren’t working, communication lines that could be cleared up, systems that break down frequently, and so on.
Taking their feedback into earnest consideration could ultimately save your facility thousands. One of your most valuable resources and sources of information about increasing efficiency could be right under your nose.
3. Invest in Equipment Maintenance
Believe it or not, regular maintenance is actually a great way to increase plant efficiency. Though it may seem like consistently dedicating resources to maintenance might reduce efficiency, in the long run it can save you from equipment breakdowns, plant shutdowns and more, which can ultimately be more devastating in terms of efficiency.
Don’t have a maintenance program in place? There’s no better time than now to implement one.
4. Invest in Regular Training for Employees
Having all hands on deck at all times may seem like the way to get work done efficiently, but the truth is that regularly setting aside time for routine training for your team members is a great way to both invest in your employees and increase efficiency.
Scheduling time for employees to engage in ongoing education, whether to review common best practices or to learn about new strategies, can help, in turn, to enhance efficiency in a few ways. Your team will be able to improve processes and identify areas for improvement on a more regular basis when provided with the knowledge and information necessary to do so. In addition to keeping your facility on the cutting edge, dedication to employee training initiatives can help to improve employee morale, which in itself can have a positive impact on the overall effectiveness of your team and the efficiency of the work they do.
5. Keep Your Facility Clean
Systems that have grime, dust, dirt, and oil buildup plaguing them can run less efficiently even if their components still seem to be in good working order. As a result, it’s important to make an effort to perform routine maintenance and cleaning on a regular basis – even if that means shutting your systems down periodically.
Your systems and equipment may be up to date, but if they’re not running clean, they’re probably not operating as efficiently as they could be – which is likely taking a toll on your asphalt plant’s overall efficiency.
6. Invest in New Equipment to Decrease Energy Consumption
Try to keep a finger on the pulse of your systems and processes and determine where excess energy is being consumed and where energy use can be reduced, if possible. An audit can be helpful with this.
It may also be well worth it to actively seek out system components or an entirely new system that offers higher efficiency and more longevity. Outdated systems tend to operate less efficiently.
While adapting to alternative forms of energy or investing in systems that operate more efficiently may be costly up front, it can save you thousands in the long term.
Ensuring that your facility and its equipment is properly insulated is key, especially for asphalt plants where the process of drying materials tends to drive efficiency down and energy costs up. You’ll want to be sure you’re capitalizing on the heat and energy that your systems are producing.
If you haven’t reviewed the state of your facility’s insulation in a while and you’re concerned about increasing energy costs, this may be a good place to start.
8. Make Safety a Priority
Keeping your employees safe and your equipment in good working order can do wonders for increasing efficiency. It may seem obvious but taking the time and investing the necessary resources in safety measures can keep your plant running smoothly and efficiently.
9. Schedule Strategically and Communicate Effectively
Depending on how your asphalt plant operates, you may be working with various crews on various mixes and projects at one time. Be sure that the lines of communication with each of the groups you are working with remain open so you are sure to produce the right mix on the right day.
This is something that must be focused on day in and day out, but it can go a long way when it comes to increasing productivity both in your plant and in the field where your asphalt is being used.
Strategic scheduling and effectively communicating can help to reduce wasted materials and time, and will help to keep projects on schedule while earning you a reputation as a reliable and trusted asphalt producer.
Take Your Asphalt Plant to the Next Level by Increasing Efficiency
Putting some or all of these strategies into action can make a significant impact when it comes to improving your plant’s overall efficiency.
Additionally, increasing efficiency can in turn increase profitability, so if you’re looking to improve your bottom line investing in efficiency is a great option.
Ready to take your asphalt plant to the next level? At Enerquip, formerly American Heating Company, we specialize in designing and manufacturing highly efficient industrial heating equipment. Made right here in the USA, our industrial heating systems are durable, reliable, and energy efficient options that have helped organizations in various industries – including asphalt plants – take their business to the next level.
Our team of designers and engineers can devise a custom solution for your plant, and our industry-leading serpentine coil technology can help you enhance your efficiency on numerous levels, from operation to maintenance and beyond.
Interested in learning more about how we can help your facility improve its efficiency? Give us a call today at (715) 748-5888 or contact us online to get the conversation started.
Editor’s note: This content was originally published in 2018 but was updated in May 2021 and October of 2022.
Enerquip has proudly donated $500 to the P-Town Cancer Battle benefit. In its second year, the P-Town Cancer Battle raises funds that support those locally undergoing cancer treatment.
This year’s event, held on Saturday, August 20, included a mini-triathlon, fish boil, and smokin’ BBQ cook-off. Raising nearly $16,000, the funds will be used to purchase gas cards, gift cards, and cover other expenses for the benefit of local patients.
Enerquip is committed to supporting and encouraging its employees to lift others through giving and service. Therefore, Enerquip provides gifts to organizations at 100% of the employee’s contribution up to $500 per employee per calendar year, including volunteer hours.
This employee match from Enerquip’s Director of Business Development Ron Herman includes his own contributions to the benefit.
As part of its employee match program, Enerquip has proudly donated $500 to Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Gilman. The donation was presented at the church’s annual Bazaar and will be used for ongoing outreach and service expenses related to the dedicated work of the church.
Enerquip is committed to supporting and encouraging its employees to lift others through giving and servicing. Therefore, Enerquip provides gifts to organizations at 100% of the employee’s contribution up to $500 per employee per calendar year, including volunteer hours.
This employee match from Enerquip Design Engineer Linda Olejnichak includes her volunteer hours as the church’s Bazaar Chairperson, along with other volunteer activities.
Enerquip has proudly donated $500 to Rhino’s Foundation in River Falls, WI, as part of its employee match program. The funds will help support patients in western Wisconsin currently undergoing cancer treatments.
Rhino’s Foundation was established in 1991 to support the fight against cancer and those affected by the disease. They provide patients with direct cash donations, grocery and gas gift cards, and other support.
Enerquip is committed to supporting and encouraging its employees to lift others through giving and service. Therefore, Enerquip provides gifts to organizations at 100% of the employee’s contribution up to $500 per employee per calendar year, including volunteer hours.
This employee match from Enerquip Welder Ivan Hubbard includes his own contributions to the Foundation. A supporter for many years, he’s provided handcrafted stainless steel artwork and fire rings for raffle, along with monetary support and fundraising event participation.
If you’re in the market for a thermal fluid heater, there are many important factors to consider before deciding on a product and making the purchase.
From shopping industrial heating system providers to find a partner you can truly rely on to considering your heater options and selecting the one best suited for your applications and facility, there’s a lot to contemplate throughout the purchase process.
Enerquip is excited to announce the promotion of Cameron Diedrich to Design Engineering Manager. In this role, Diedrich will oversee Enerquip’s talented Design team, push the limits of innovation, create direction for the department’s future, and be a valuable technical resource for customers.
Diedrich’s management responsibilities were previously split between Operations & Facilities Manager Tim Strebig and Process Manager Tom Steen. “Enerquip is seeing rapid growth,” says Steen. “Cam’s promotion gives us a talented designer to lead the team while also allowing the Enerquip team to continue its focus on what’s next in the industry.”
“With the purchase of American Heating Company last year, our products, designs, and fabrication have greatly expanded,” says Strebig. “Cam’s skills and passion for innovation will help drive our designs forward.”
Diedrich earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UW-Platteville and is currently working toward his Professional Engineering (PE) license. Before coming to Enerquip in 2018, he worked as a designer and project manager for a local contracting firm.
“I enjoy seeing projects come to life,” says Diedrich. “From the digital design to steel fabrication, I just love the process.”
Natives of Athens, WI, Diedrich and his wife volunteer as first responders in the Athens community. They have one child and two more on the way, along with a house full of animals. Outside of work, Diedrich enjoys coaching football, hunting, fishing, camping, and just about anything else outdoors.
The Enerquip helical coil skid is a complete system, which includes a high-efficiency burner, recirculating pump, control panel, safety alarms, burner shell, range fly, and exhaust stack. Low NOx burners are also available for required applications.
With some simple wiring and attachment of the gas supply, it’s ready for production.
Made in the USA
Made right here in the USA, our ASME code stamped systems are fabricated by our team of ASME code welders. Our high-quality heaters are made to run for 20-30 years, and even longer.
