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.

A natural question arises: why not feed utility fluids (glycol, water, steam) directly into the reactor jacket? While this might seem like the simplest approach, for glass-lined reactors, it would be a perfect recipe for disaster. Glass linings are highly sensitive to sudden temperature fluctuations; injecting steam at 8 bar immediately after glycol at -15°C risks causing catastrophic cracking.

The solution lies in the adoption of the mono-fluid temperature control concept across an extended range: a single heat-transfer fluid circulates continuously within the jacket’s closed loop, while three utility fluids (glycol at -15° C, industrial water at 25° C, and steam at 8 bar) condition its temperature outside the reactor itself.

The resulting advantage is clear: the intermediate fluid acts as a thermal buffer, ensuring excellent temperature uniformity across the vessel wall, thermoregulation precision within a tenth of a degree, and the elimination of thermal shock to the glass lining.

L'articolo One fluid, many temperatures: how to regulate the temperature of a glass-lined reactor proviene da Tempco Blog.

In fact, as indicated in the documentation, just five of the listed data are necessary and sufficient: the ‘must-have’ data – essential for initiating the sizing process- are those required for the thermal calculation:

• Primary fluid inlet and outlet temperatures
• Primary fluid flow rate
• Secondary fluid inlet and outlet temperatures
• Secondary fluid flow rate
• Fluid pressure (crucial in the case of gases)

Capacity is another important factor for the thermal sizing of the exchanger; however, if the other five data are available, capacity can be calculated from them.

The other data listed under the heading “DATA FOR HEAT EXCHANGERS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION” are useful for a more precise and comprehensive design but are not essential for an initial thermal calculation:

• Fluid types
• Max. operating temperature
• Max. operating pressure
• Oversizing % (margin)
• Allowable pressure drops (primary and secondary)
• Fluid viscosity
• Fluid specific weight
• Heat transfer coefficient
• Fouling factor

In summary, to begin the sizing process, it is essential to provide at least five of the listed thermal parameters – including pressure if a gas is involved. The remaining data help refine the unit’s design specifications but are not required at the initial stage. It is important to note that for special fluids, you must contact Tempco directly, as specified in the document.

FIVE FINGERS RULE

L'articolo Five key data for heat exchangers sizing proviene da Tempco Blog.

There are applications involving aggressive cooling fluids or corrosive environments where standard copper tubing simply isn’t enough. Stainless steel coils are required to ensure durability and reliability, even under harsh conditions. In other instances, requirements are dictated by construction codes – such as ASME compliance – which are essential for systems destined for regulated sectors or markets where a certain certification is a mandatory requirement.

These are concrete examples of how dry coolers can be transformed into unique units, engineered to meet highly specific needs. This is precisely where Tempco’s philosophy comes into play: offering solutions that go beyond mere cooling to support the client, addressing specific requirements through a ‘tailor made’ approach.

A dry cooler, therefore, is never just a dry cooler. It can become a critical component for reliability, safety, and process performance when designed using materials and standards suited to its actual operating environment.

L'articolo Custom dry coolers: stainless steel, ASME, and bespoke solutions for critical processes proviene da Tempco Blog.

F-gases are refrigerant gases essential for the operation of various types of equipment, such as air conditioners, heat pumps, gas-based fire suppression systems, chillers, and refrigeration plants.

Specifically regarding chillers, the new regulation imposes very strict limits on new installations starting January 1, 2027. These limits are based on Global Warming Potential (GWP) and establish the phasing out of certain types of F-gases in favor of low-environmental-impact gases or natural refrigerants.

Hence, the limits on refrigerant gas employ for newly manufactured chillers vary according to capacity:

• Up to 12 kW capacity: From January 1, 2027, there is an absolute ban on using fluorinated gases with a GWP of 150 or higher (subject to specific exemptions where necessary to meet safety requirements).
• Above 12 kW capacity: From January 1, 2027, the use of fluorinated refrigerants is permitted only if they have a GWP below 750.
• From January 1, 2032: The regulation becomes even stricter, imposing a total ban on the use of any fluorinated gas.

L'articolo Environment and chillers, phase-out of F-gases in new European regulation proviene da Tempco Blog.

Temperature control units for use in food and beverage production lines must therefore meet stringent requirements in terms of materials and design, ensuring hygienic design of equipments. Thanks to an audit conducted by a notified body for the certification of the internal components of our TREG temperature control units, Tempco is therefore now able to provide IP55-certified temperature control units. The IP55 certification of a component specifically indicates the level of protection a device provides against the ingress of dust and liquids.

This is further important addition to Tempco’s range of temperature control solutions for the food and beverage industry, where it already boasts a wide range of important and interesting applications, from chocolate processing to pasta, candies and sweets, milk, wine, and beer, to name just a few. The ability to offer internal components for our TCU specifically designed with IP55 protection, to meet the needs of the food and beverage market which requires the ability to wash down equipment with water jets, therefore opens up a wide variety of new application opportunities for Tempco, to even better meet the temperature control needs of the food industry.

L'articolo IP55-certified temperature control units for food & beverage proviene da Tempco Blog.

A preventive check before summer is therefore essential to ensure production continuity, consistent performance, and controlled energy consumption.

A system that is not properly checked can encounter a series of interconnected problems during the summer months:

• Reduced cooling capacity, making it impossible to maintain the required process conditions
• Increased energy consumption, as the system operates unpredictably to compensate for inefficiencies
• Alarms and sudden shutdowns, often during peak production periods
• Loss of downstream process efficiency, with consequences for quality and productivity

To safely handle summer loads, a suitable best practice is to plan a systematic system check in advance. The main points to check are the followings:

Cleanliness and condition of heat exchangers. Heat transfer surfaces must be clean and free of deposits or fouling. Even a thin layer of fouling can significantly reduce the overall heat transfer coefficient (U), degrading the unit’s rated performance. The check must include both the process and service sides.

Water circuit and water quality. Pipe scaling, localized corrosion, and deterioration of cooling water quality are among the most common causes of problems during the summer season. It’s important to check the pH, hardness, and concentration of any inhibitors, as well as verify proper circulation within the circuits.

Ventilation and condensation components. In dry coolers and evaporative cooling towers, the condensation section is the first to be affected by high external temperatures. Checking that the fans are working properly, that the fins are clean, and that there are no obstructions to the airflow is essential to avoid compromising the unit’s capacity.

General functional check. The inspection must be completed with a comprehensive functional check: calibration of temperature and pressure controls, condition of control components, alarm management, and verification of the correct operating sequence under peak conditions.

Preventive maintenance conducted before summer allows for the identification and resolution of critical issues while there is still time to do so, avoiding emergency interventions during peak production periods.

L'articolo Cooling systems: what to check before summer to avoid machines downtime proviene da Tempco Blog.

Among the cooling solutions offered by Tempco for data centers, particular attention is paid to the most innovative liquid cooling technologies, which offer greater efficiency in dissipating heat generated by chips – and therefore better temperature regulation – thanks to the superior thermal conductivity of liquids compared to traditional air cooling solutions. Tempco brazed plate exchangers therefore serve as a key technology for CDUs – Coolant Distribution Units – used in the liquid cooling of high-performance data centers, a strategic path to reduce the environmental impact of data centers, increase their sustainability and improve energy consumption efficiency (PUE, power usage effectiveness).

The improved thermal management made possible by liquid cooling also allows data centers to operate at higher power densities while maintaining high performance and reliability.

Liquid cooling for servers and electronic devices uses dielectric fluids, suitable for direct contact with chips and electronic equipment, in the case of direct immersion cooling, or for cold plates applications. Cold plates are special components used in the liquid cooling of electronic components, made of metals with high thermal conductivity (typically copper or aluminum). The chip or electronic component that overheats is attached directly to the cold plate, and the heat is transferred to it by conduction. Inside, the coolant flows through special microchannel structures, which greatly increase the contact surface with the overheated metal. The liquid then absorbs the heat and, via a small pump, is pushed out of the cold plate towards a heat exchanger or chiller.

In addition to the superior heat dissipation efficiency of the heat generated by servers, liquid cooling also offers another key advantage: compactness, allowing for the creation of high-density computing structures in data centers while saving installation space. The Tempco range of brazed exchangers for liquid cooling in data centers therefore offers very compact dimensions, which allow for easy integration into CDUs inside racks or in-row architectures, which can serve up to 10 racks.

L'articolo Brazed plate heat exchangers for CDUs in liquid cooling for data centers proviene da Tempco Blog.

An important feature of this TCU is its construction in compliance with UL regulations, which establish safety standards for electrical and electronic equipment for use in the North American market. UL certification therefore allows our Tempco TREG units to be exported and installed for applications in the United States and Canada.

This particular thermoregulation unit has a cooling section using a shell and tube exchanger with stainless steel core. The TCU’s power supply is 575V-3Ph-60Hz-3Ph+T. The oil circuit is finally served by a UL 100 liter, 30 meter, 2.8 kW magnetic drive pump. The choice to use a magnetic drive pump, as an alternative to traditional mechanical seal pumps, is based on safety considerations.

Magnetic drive pumps eliminate any type of mechanical coupling, instead using a magnetic coupling between the motor shaft and the pressurized oil in the pump impeller. The exclusion of mechanical seals in the pumping circuit therefore eliminates any risk of possible leakage of diathermic oil at extremely high-temperature, ensuring overall safety of the equipment and eliminating the risk of pump cavitation due to air infiltration.

L'articolo UL-certified temperature control unit for carbon fiber impregnation proviene da Tempco Blog.

The Tempco Service team provides technical support for component identification, compatibility verification, and the supply of appropriate spare parts. First, it is necessary to identify the exchanger model, which is the basis for any spare parts request.

The exchanger model can be found from:

• Identification plate attached to the exchanger
• Technical drawings or thermal calculation sheets
• Tempco supply documents

It is also helpful to provide:

• Number of plates installed
• Gasket type
• Year of supply or serial number

The two tables below therefore offer valuable support when requesting spare parts for heat transfer plates and gaskets.

Finally, some helpful further tips:

• Send clear photos of the plates and gaskets for quick identification.
• Indicate the process fluid and operating conditions.
• Tempco can provide plate reconditioning and regeneration with leak testing.
• Keeping a spare set of gaskets reduces system downtime.
• Observe recommended tightening torque values when reassembling.

L'articolo Tempco’s spare parts ordering guide for plate heat exchangers proviene da Tempco Blog.