In this specific case, the immersion plate heat exchanger arrays have been installed in the equalization tank, which receives the wastewater generated by the parboiling process—consisting primarily of water used to soak the paddy rice. The purpose of the custom immersion plate heat exchanger is to recover heat from the wastewater, yielding a dual benefit: first, the recovered heat preheats well water circulating within the plates to the highest possible temperature, resulting in significant energy savings by reducing steam consumption. Second, the heat transfer process cools the wastewater before it is sent to the purification plant, providing a substantial advantage for the biological treatment processes taking place there.

The system was implemented as custom and in retrofit, utilizing existing structures within the client’s equalization tank. Specifically, the existing agitators were leveraged to maintain a fluid velocity of ≥0.1 m/s, generating turbulence that enhances heat transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the immersion heat exchanger arrays were installed by anchoring them to decommissioned aeration pipes (2.0 x 2.6 m).

Overall, the system will enable significant energy savings for the client, recovering approximately 174 kW of heat (150,000 kcal/h) and saving 1,500–1,700 tonnes of steam per year. Material selection for the heat exchanger plates was also critical; AISI 316L stainless steel was chosen to ensure corrosion resistance (handling wastewater with a pH of 3.7–3.9 with no critical chloride levels). Fouling caused by starches in the wastewater was accounted for using a conservative fouling factor (4E-4 m²K/W). Finally, given the intermittent nature of the wastewater flow—process wastewater is discharged every two hours, though a minimum volume is always maintained in the tank—performance was calculated at 70% of the theoretical maximum to determine the system’s ROI.

L'articolo Wastewater heat recovery with custom immersion plate heat exchangers proviene da Tempco Blog.

This is another important step towards the realization of Baglietto’s Bzero project, a true ‘promise made to the sea’ from the shipbuilder, aimed at implementing a green hydrogen production module on its yachts for zero-emission navigation. Using filtered and deionized seawater, Bzero will be able to produce hydrogen with a purity of grade 5.0 at a maximum pressure of 35 bar, using a system of AEM electrolyzers (for a total power of approximately 55 kW), powered mainly by energy from renewable sources.

Baglietto’s zero-emission yacht for sustainable navigation uses photovoltaics to power electrolyzers, which produce green hydrogen directly from seawater. These in turn power an onboard PEM fuel cell system, enabling navigation in full-electric or hybrid mode. The propulsion system is automatically selected by the yacht’s advanced navigation systems to ensure the best balance between performance and efficiency. The cooling systems provided by Tempco, one of the partners in this important project, play a key role in the entire process: precise, constant, and reliable temperature regulation of all the yacht’s power electronics.

Going more in depth, as detailed by Baglietto itself, the hydrogen produced is stored in solid state, at low pressure and ambient temperature, inside metal hydrides tanks (MH storage). The hydrogen storage and release process is managed by a thermal management system that heats the metal hydrides during discharge and cools them during recharging. The required thermal energy is recovered from the heat generated by a PEM fuel cell module, with a capacity of approximately 185 kW, which uses hydrogen as fuel to produce zero-emission and zero-noise electricity. The generated power is regulated via a DC/DC converter on a 700 V DC central bus, a solution already tested on Baglietto yachts equipped with hybrid technology. Connected in parallel to the fuel cell on the same bus is a set of lithium-ion batteries designed to absorb peaks and sudden variations in user energy demand.

The operations conducted on the prototype created in port are aimed at optimizing the technical aspects to obtain the necessary RINA certifications for hydrogen tank refueling operations and speeding up the procedure, while also ensuring the highest levels of process safety.

L'articolo A promise made to the sea, first hydrogen refueling in port proviene da Tempco Blog.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of hydrogen into electrical energy with high efficiency, producing water and heat as a byproduct. Green hydrogen (green H2) is therefore hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources, with no carbon emissions. Water electrolysis is the most commonly used method for hydrogen generation, using a chemical reaction that separates hydrogen from oxygen.

As a green energy, green hydrogen can therefore be used in a variety of sectors, replacing fossil fuels and promoting the energy transition. Green hydrogen can be used for fuel cells, but it can also serve as a direct energy source for aviation, marine, automotive, and heavy-duty transportation, as well as for on-site industrial power generation.

Regardless of the type of electrolytic cell technology – be it PEMEC (proton exchange membrane electrolyzer), AEMEC (anion exchange membrane electrolyzer), AEL (alkaline electrolyzer), SOEC (solid oxide electrolyzer), or any other electrolysis technology – brazed exchangers offer high-value, high-efficiency solutions for electrolysis equipment, electrolytes, reaction water and gas preheating, working fluid cooling, and system energy recovery.

For these hydrogen applications, Kaori offers two types of brazed plate exchangers: the high-nickel alloy exchangers are the ideal solution for high-temperature SOEC/SOFC applications, capable of operating at temperatures up to 900°C. The new full-stainless steel brazed exchangers use stainless steel as the brazing filler material. This makes them suitable for hydrogen generation via PEM electrolysis and for fuel systems, or for low-conductivity deionized water that does not allow the passage of copper ions.

L'articolo Brazed plate exchangers for hydrogen applications, electrolysis and fuel cells proviene da Tempco Blog.

One of the most common applications for high-pressure exchangers is gas cooling in compressors, as shown in the photo below: a high-pressure compression system for technical gases, where the exchangers are used to dissipate the heat generated during compression. In these systems, robustness and mechanical sealing are essential to ensure safety, continuity of service, and longevity.

Therefore, these are some of the main advantages offered by this special type of high-pressure brazed exchangers:

• Compact design and simplified installation

• High mechanical resistance, up to 140 bar

• No routine maintenance thanks to the absence of gaskets• High heat exchange efficiency even at low flow rates

• Customized versions available for specific gases, oils, or process fluids

The high-pressure versions of brazed exchangers are also used in heat recovery systems, CO₂ hydraulic circuits, HVAC systems for transcritical refrigerants, and in the hydrogen sector, where operating conditions require absolutely reliable equipment.

L'articolo Brazed plate heat exchangers for high pressures up to 140 bar proviene da Tempco Blog.

For this reason, we have been promoting the Tempco Service for years, a periodic maintenance program tailored specifically for our TREG thermoregulation units, cooling systems, thermoregulation skids, and custom control units.

The Tempco service specifically includes:

• complete check of operating parameters;
•  exchanger performance verification;
• pump, valve, seal, and sensor inspection;
• heat transfer fluid analysis and recommendation for replacement;
• software updates and regulator calibration;
• advance notification of components requiring replacement.

The customer benefit is therefore very simple: zero surprises and maximum operations continuity. Scheduled maintenance allows also to:

• avoid unexpected downtime;
• keep energy consumption under control;
• extend the life of your machines;
• plan budgets and production downtime;
• have priority access to our technical support.

Service also provides an opportunity to propose upgrades or new energy efficiency solutions, such as optimizing thermal cycles or introducing more efficient heat recovery systems.

At Tempco, we therefore don’t see maintenance as a ‘cost’, but rather as an investment to ensure that thermal machines perform exactly as they did on day one, along with the opportunity to continuously improve and optimize the operational efficiency of your thermal management and temperature control systems.

L'articolo Scheduled service, a smart choice for the lifecycle of Tempco thermal machines proviene da Tempco Blog.

With original Tempco spare parts, however, the customer knows exactly what they’re installing, with the peace of mind of ensuring:

• materials compatible with the process fluid;
• guaranteed performance tested on our systems;
• compliance with pressure and temperature specifications;
• long-term reliability thanks to the selection of suppliers we’ve worked with for years.

The difference, therefore, lies not only in the quality of the components themselves, but also directly impacts operational continuity: a correct gasket maintains the efficiency of the exchanger; a certified pump guarantees effective flow; consistent resistance prevents overheating or excessively frequent start-up cycles.

Furthermore, in a heating system, every deviation generates inefficiencies and hidden costs: higher energy consumption, longer rise/fall times in temperature, and micro-stoppages in production.

For all these reasons, at Tempco we always remind our customers that an original spare part costs less than a system downtime.

Tempco offers a dedicated service for the rapid supply of spare parts, even for older or custom-built machines. Keeping your systems in ideal condition thus means preserving their useful life, ensuring consistent performance.

L'articolo Efficiency and operational continuity: original spare parts make the difference proviene da Tempco Blog.

Cogeneration plants involve different applications for heat exchangers, as they allow to further increase the efficiency of the process. The use of heat exhangers in cogeneration starts from the pre-treatment of the biogas, an operation aimed at eliminating the impurities and humidity present in the biofuel to preserve the engine, up to the heat recovery from the exhaust fumes of the engine itself using shell and tube exchangers, maximizing the amount of thermal energy that the system can generate.

In this case, the Tempco exchangers work both on the jackets, with a brazed plate exchanger, and on heat recovery from exhaust fumes, with a shell and tube exchanger.

After 11 years of work, the customer then called us requiring a replacement of the gaskets on the flanges, which had worn out over time. At the time of installation, Tempco had supplied the exchangers, while the customer preferred to rely on another supplier for the gaskets, although to be fair, these are anyway components subject to wear and therefore requiring maintenance.

Overall, we can say that we are very satisfied with the successful application realized for this customer.

L'articolo Exchangers in cogeneration plant operating for over ten years proviene da Tempco Blog.

But there are also applications which are not necessarily involving an energy recovery task, but they necessarily require the cooling of the served production process. In this specific case, free flow exchangers are employed in the pulp and paper industry which includes sectors that are processing paper pulp, and therefore, clearly before paper sheets are shaped, involving the use of water full of suspended solid particles.

Another similar application where we use several of these exchangers is related to the plastic grains production industry. Even in this case, the process water that must be cooled is highly dirty and full of suspended solid particles.

These are plate heat exchangers, and they present a peculiar construction, as we have already seen. Someone objected, well having no contact points between the plates, what level of differential pressure they can stand.
Clearly, they can stand lower differential pressures compared to classic plate heat exchangers. That’s the reason why, in this case, plates have a higher thickness, starting with 0,8 or 1 mm, depending on the size of the plate. They are usually quite big plates and they have low resistance, and thus low design project pressures arriving up to PN6, PN10, rarely PN16.

But, after all, the kind of applications they are employed in never require high working pressures, usually limited to the circulating pressure of a centrifugal pump, and that means 3 or 4 bar.

L'articolo Free flow heat exchangers in pulp and paper and plastics industries proviene da Tempco Blog.

These are special plate heat exchangers with very large passage channels and without contact points among the plates, and that’s the reason why they are called free flow.

In fact, as you can see in the pictures in the video below, the channel is very large and with no contact points between the plates. This involves clearly a negative effect in terms of thermal transfer efficiency, because the thermal transfer coefficients are lowered by having these large passage channels. But otherwise these exchangers offer great advantages when working with dirty fluids or containing solid suspended particles.

This is the typical case with cooling or for energy recovery from fluids coming from the industrial process in sectors such as paper mill or textile. An interesting application of these plate heat exchangers is in the textile production, where it’s possible to recover energy from the hot water coming from the dyeing tanks for fabrics dyeing, aimed at the pre-heating of the water that is going to be used to fill the tanks. In fact, it’s possible to reuse the thermal energy contained in the waste hot water coming from the dyeing process by letting it into the free flow exchanger, using it to heat the water that will be used for the new dyeing baths.

This really is a heavy duty application where a traditional plate heat exchanger couldn’t be employed. Instead, this application can be achieved with heat exchangers having a lower transfer efficiency but offering easy maintenance and that get not clogged. Free Flow plate heat exchangers are employed in substitution of those kind of exchangers that at this point become obsolete, with in fact a low thermal transfer efficiency.

L'articolo Free flow exchangers for thermal energy recovery in the textile industry proviene da Tempco Blog.

In this regard, the article dedicated to Tempco in last January’s issue of ICP magazine deals with PCHE (printed circuit heat exchangers). These special brazed plate heat exchangers are obtained thanks to an innovative solid-state diffusion welding process, called diffusion bonding, that makes it possible to obtain very compact heat exchangers, with very high efficiency and characterized by extreme robustness of the plate pack. PCHE exchangers are therefore able to meet the challenging application requirements of technologies that exploit hydrogen in fuel cells, being able to work at extreme pressure and temperature levels, in a range that goes from cryogenic temperatures at -250° C up to +400° C, or even higher using very particular alloys.

Regardless of the type of electrolysis technology employed, Tempco can therefore provide high-value thermal solutions for electrolysis equipment, electrolytes, working fluid cooling and heat recovery tasks. An interesting ongoing project involves the implementation of these exchangers for the cooling of power electronics in the zero-emission yacht Bzero built by Baglietto, which uses fuel cell technology with green hydrogen obtained from sea water.

L'articolo Heat exchangers, hydrogen, cooling and fuel cells proviene da Tempco Blog.