Thermoregulation in the pharma and chemical industries presents unique challenges, particularly regarding the standard rules used to size heating and cooling systems. Operations in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical sectors are typically batch-based, involving short periods of intense production followed by cleaning, recipe changes, and line restarts.
For a TCU (Temperature Control Unit), this entails rapid temperature ramps, continuous thermal shocks, and fluctuations in heat transfer fluid volume. In such cases, sizing based on standard rules is no more effective. A practical example is the design of the expansion vessel: in these chemical and pharmaceutical applications, the fluid undergoes massive expansion as temperatures shift from -15°C to over 140°C.
For instance, a theoretical calculation based on standard parameters suggested a 1.800-liter tank for a particular customer application; however, by analyzing the fluid’s actual transient dynamics, we optimized the size it to just 1.000 liters.
The result was impressive: a 44% space saving on the skid while maintaining maximum safety, even during the most extreme thermal peaks.