Tempco Blog articles

TCOIL dimple jacket exchangers for contact cooling of batteries

09/04/2021

Another interesting use of TCOIL dimple jacket exchangers, of which we often talk about for immersion cooling applications, is using them for contact cooling applications, as if they were a jacket. A very interesting characteristic of TCOIL exchangers is in fact the capacity to be shaped to fit the shape of the equipment to be thermoregulated.

It is then possible to use TCOIL dimple jacket exchangers for application on the outside of equipments employed in the chemical industry, such as mixers and reactors, or generally on the outside of tanks or furthermore on the outside of electric batteries. The metal sheets of the plates of a TCOIL exchanger are in fact easily made into a cylindrical shape, to fit the shape of cylindrical objects to be cooled or heated. Otherwise, it is also possible to use flat plates to cover the external surface of a machinery.

In order to increase the thermal transfer efficiency of a TCOIL exchanger in contact cooling applications, it is therefore necessary to have a flat sheet on the side at direct contact with the equipment. This is achieved using metal sheets having different thickness. When inflating the plates of the TCOIL exchanger, only the external sheet with lower thickness will blow up, taking the typical dimpled look of a TCOIL exchanger, while the internal side with greater thickness, aimed for direct contact with the object to be cooled or heated, will remain flat.

A further trick to increase even more the thermal transfer rate in TCOIL exchangers contact cooling applications is to rub a thermal conductive paste on the flat side aimed for direct contact with the outside of the equipment to be thermoregulated.

This kind of contact cooling application of TCOIL dimple jacket exchangers is triggering a high interest for employ in electric battery cooling, as well as for cooling of electrical and electronics machinery that clearly cannot be cooled using a direct flow of cold water.

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Software custom for automotive radiators test bench cooling

02/04/2021

We’ve been recently involved in a very peculiar and complicated project for a temperature regulation unit aimed to an automotive test bench for radiators and fans, which required quite a huge deployment of resources. It is enough to say that the whole development and commissioning took 18 months.

The unit works using water/anti-freeze solution in a temperature range between 20° C and 130° C. The power capacity of the system is 240 kW, with an adjustable flow rate between 10 and 200 lt/min, with cooling capacity of 120 kW.

Raffreddamento Banco prova radiatori

The complexity of the plant is in the fact that it can work at 130° C, thus with pressurized water. And the customer need to avoid leakages of non-freezing solution inside the tunnel test during the substitution of parts. Therefore we’ve had to install a system with quick connections on the mounting/dismantling section of the tested parts. The substitution is made prior the complete draining of both the radiator and the related pipes, using actuated valves and logic managed through a PLC.

Each time a radiator has to be replaced, the plant gets cooled, de-pressurized and secured for the operators, in order to proceed with the draining of the pipes connected with the radiator.

When mounting a new part for the testing procedure, the plant has to be re-filled and pressurized, always through logic, automated valves and pressure transducers.

Centralina raffreddamento test radiatori copia

The overall plant is managed by a dedicated software developed in close collaboration by Tempco and the customer, leveraging both expertise in respective fields of activity. Code writing and the test procedures of the PLC alone took several days.

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How to determine the thermal duty in anodic oxidation cooling

26/03/2021

As anticipated at the end of our previous video about construction materials of heat exchangers employed in anodic oxidation, this follow-up video explains how to determine the thermal duty in anodizing plants cooling.

The evaluation of the thermal duty to be dissipated is fundamental in order to properly size both heat exchangers and chillers and other cooling systems employed to achieve cooling and thermostatation of the anodic oxidation bath.

Anodic oxidation is an electro-galvanic event, which means it involves a direct current at a certain voltage that passes through the anodizing bath. The evaluation of the amount of kW to be dissipated is therefore easy to do, being it directly proportional to the current employed to achieve the anodic oxidation and the voltage of it.

Temperature levels of the galvanic bath then vary depending on the kind of anodic oxidation. In case of hard anodic oxidation plants, the required temperatures are quite low, between 10° C and 15° C. Traditional anodic oxidation processes require instead temperatures between 20° C and 25° C.

Cooling at these temperatures, unless huge amounts of artesian well water at temperatures of 10-12° C are available, leave not too many options. Chillers and refrigerating groups are indeed required, even because the secondary circuit of the exchanger must be fed with water at a temperature of 10-15° C, depending on the type of anodic oxidation.

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Cooling for the Gran Sasso Laboratories in nuclear physics

19/03/2021

Among our customers in Tempco, in addition to the CERN in Geneva with the supply of a cooling system for the testing of IGBT equipments, we’ve also had the pleasure to collaborate with the LNGS-INFN Gran Sasso Laboratories in nuclear physics.

LNGS fisica nucleare Gran Sasso

Once again, the provided solution consists in a cooling system, in this case complete with a temperature control module. Quite important for this prestigious commission was the flexibility and the rapidity during the deployment and the commissioning of the system to the customer, which is actually involved in a series of activities requiring a very high precision levels of temperature control.
Eventually, in just 10 days we’ve then been able to supply the integrated solution.

raffreddamento laboratorio fisica nucleare

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Special materials in anodic oxidation bath cooling

12/03/2021

Anodic oxidation, or anodizing, is a treatment employed for aluminium, a material that is very light, strong and quite resistant to corrosion. Among the many applications of aluminium, one of the best known is its use for extruded parts in windows. Here, the exposition to external atmospheric agents can degrade the look of the material, damaging it over time.

In order to make aluminium resistant to corrosion, the material thus undergoes a treatment in anodic oxidation baths, which generates a sort of chemical coating that makes it resistant to atmospheric agents corrosion. This is achieved using electro-chemical or electro-galvanic baths, where a direct current passes through. Thanks to an electrolytic process, a hard layer of anodic oxidation is deposited on the external surface of the aluminium.

There are different types of anodic oxidation processes, and the field of expertise in Tempco is to ensure the cooling of these baths. Indeed, the direct current that passes through them generates heating, and the temperature of the baths must be maintained at a temperature of approximately 20-25° C, depending on the kind of anodic oxidation process involved.

The application is simple, but there is a problem: usually, these baths don’t contain water, but a solution of sulphuric acid, in a low concentration of about 20%, depending on the type of anodic oxidation process. Cooling can then be achieved using chillers or main water with heat exchangers.

But heat exchangers have to be manufactured using special materials, in order to ensure resistance to corrosion by sulphuric acid. Therefore, for the cooling of anodic oxidation baths we supply traditional plate heat exchangers using materials such as titanium or high alloy stainless steel. We also employe immersion TCOIL dimple jacket exchangers, still being manufactured using high alloy stainless steel.

Cooling in anodic oxidation is also challenging on another prospect, which is the evaluation of the thermal duty of these exchangers. We will soon dedicate another video to this theme.

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Sustainable and smart forge cooling

05/03/2021

We’ve successfully deployed an energy efficiency improvement project for a customer in the mechanical and engineering components sector. The customer employs a cooling plant for the forge and the thermal treatments equipped with evaporative towers and pumps.

Tempco raffreddamento forgiatura

The forge cooling plant includes in particular 4 pumps of 75 kw each, 4 pumps of 30 kw each and four evaporative towers of 22 kw each. The energy efficiency improvement intervention involved the implementation of inverters on the 75 kw pumps, which are managed by a pressure gauge that allows to contain the power consumption based on a reduced demand of water within the utilities.

Inverters have been implemented as well on the engines of evaporative towers, managed by the measurement of water temperature. The system allows to adapt and reduce the power consumption based on the thermal energy required and the ambient conditions.

Tempco inverter raffreddamento forgiatura

Finally, the overall management of the system is ensured with a PLC , using a management software developed and engineered by Tempco in order to make the management very flexible, tailored to meet the high demanding process quality requirements of the customer.

Tempco efficienza raffreddamento forgiatura

Tempco raffreddamento sostenibile forgiatura

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Shell and tube exchangers in biogas treatment for cogeneration

26/02/2021

Cogeneration plants are becoming very much employed, aimed to the combined generation of heat and power using biogas. The biogas is a particular source or renewable energy, generated by the breakdown of organic matter or farm animal waste. Due to its characteristics, biogas is very rich in humidity, which makes it impossible to directly use it into engines, because the content of humidity would seriously damage them.

Biogas is a natural fuel, but in order to be employed in cogeneration plants it requires a special dehumidification treatment. This is achieved using systems composed by a chiller and shell and tube exchangers, especially engineered for this kind of application, which cool and dehumidify the biogas using a very cold mix of water and glicol.

In fact, biogas coming from digesters enters the system at temperatures of 35-40° C, and must be cooled at temperatures of approx. 4-5° C, eliminating the maximum possible amount of humidity contained. At this purpose, chillers at very low temperatures are employed, near the freezing point, at +1° C or +2° C.

On the outlet of the exchangers the biogas will then have a relative humidity of 100%, but with an extremely low absolute content of humidity. Installed on the outlet of the exchangers there are also condense separators, big tanks aimed to collect the condenses. Furthermore, on the output of the systems there are also additional filters, providing a further filtration of the biogas, which then is finally ready to enter the engines.

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Tri-clamp fitting brazed plate exchangers in biotechnology

19/02/2021

We’ve just completed an interesting supply in the biotechnology sector, for a manufacturer of fermenters, bioreactors, FTT (tangential flow filtration) and bioprocessing systems. Aimed for thermostatation of his equipments, the customer selected our brazed plate heat exchangers Tempco T PLATE B, in a special version with tri-clamp fittings suitable for applications in pharma production.

biotecnologie scambiatori

Tri-clamp fitting is very common and classic connection type on pharma and food processes, due to the fact that they allow easy connection in assembly and disassembly operations of equipments. At the same time, they prevent pressure drops and ensure easy cleaning operations, without gaps where sediments and production waste could deposit, leading to bacteria growth. Products are in direct contact with stainless steel, and with a gasket which is FDA compliant, suitable for contact with food and drugs.

Tempco saldobrasati tri-clamp biotecnologie

We supply the same kind of fitting also on heat exchangers employed in beer production, wine and beverages in general. Similar brazed plate exchangers and thermoregulating units are also employed by another Tempco customer, who use them on his pharma equipments thus requiring the same kind of execution.

Scambiatori tri-clamp

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Smart efficiency and energy saving immersion-driven

12/02/2021

I’m making available also here the presentation I did for the recent online edition of mcTER event, last November, dedicated to smart efficiency. Back then I took the opportunity to speak about energy savings and efficiency advantages that can be achieved with immersion TCOIL dimple jacket exchangers.

In the video, you can see a more in depth explanation of the project we deployed for the Marina di Loano seaport, in the Liguria Region. The direct immersion of dimple jacket exchangers in the seawater allowed to eliminate almost completely the pumping and suction systems of seawater that previously served traditional heat exchangers. The exchangers serve in turn a network of heat pumps, distributed all over the wide area of the seaport. The cut of electricity consumes have thus been really interesting.

TCOIL exchangers have been realized using a special material, super-duplex stainless steel, in order to ensure corrosion resistance against chlorides in the brackish water. After two years of operations by immersion, the exchangers naturally showed a certain level of biological and organic growth on the surfaces. That’s the reason why a special support structure has been designed, equipped with lifting hooks allowing to pull out the exchangers from the seaport to proceed with cleaning and washing operations using a pressure washer. This operation is much more easy with this kind of exchangers, compared to traditional heat exchangers, and doesn’t require any specific expertise thanks to the high mechanical resistance of TCOIL exchangers.

Furthermore, the video also tells about another similar installation we did in Tempco, for the Ispra Research center of the European Commission. Here, TCOIL exchangers have been immersed inside the water of an artificial drain, using its water to feed heat pumps. Fresh water entails here less material problems, which was here AISI 316. Anyway, the customer wanted an electropolished stainless steel, a special finishing that reduces the deposition and growth of algae and other organisms above the exchangers surfaces, reducing the maintenance needs.

At last, there is also a quick mention of another very interesting application of TCOIL immersion cooling exchangers, having a huge potential. That is the liquid cooling of data centers, of servers and electronic equipments. In this sector is indeed possible as well to take advantage of these exchangers by direct immersion in cold water, providing the cooling of IT devices.

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Diathermic oil thermoregulation for DEVILS project’s Turbofan

05/02/2021

Commissioning completed last January of a very special thermoregulating unit, for implementation by the Italian Abete company within an innovative concept of a variable flow lubricating oil pump for the DEVILS Project, supported by EU Horizon2020 funds.

This is a very important project aimed to develop a new oil lubrication and heat management system in a VHBE (Very High Bypass Engine) Turbofan, realized by Rolls Royce for future aircraft applications offering high efficiency levels and reduced fuel consumption.
A Turbofan, or fanjet, is a special kind of air breathing jet engine that combines a gas turbine engine and a ducted fan employed in aircraft propulsion, which uses two separated air flows, a cold one and a hot one. Indeed, while in a turbojet all the air taken in passes through the combustion chamber of a turbine, in a turbofan some of the air bypasses it. The ratio of the mass-flow of air that bypasses the engine core divided by the mass-flow of air passing through it is called bypass ratio. A high bypass ratio thus entails lower consumes and reduced noise levels.

Model of gas turbine engine airplane in the section

The DEVILS (Development of VHBR Engines Innovative Lubrication System) project is then intended to develop an innovative oil lubrication system for Turbofans. This kind of engine presents indeed some challenging tasks to the oil lubrication and heat management systems, because the latest trends of developing aircraft engines that consumes less fuel involve higher speeds, loads and temperatures, due to the integration of high-power gearboxes (allowing high bypass ratio) and high-power starter-generators.

Tempco centralina progetto DEVILS

The diathermic oil thermoregulating unit we engineered in Tempco is integrated in the production line and stress testing of the special variable flow lubricating oil pump by Abete. This is a unit designed to work with diathermic oil at high temperatures, up to 300° C, with PID regulation of the temperature control and management through static relais. Likewise all of the similar applications we supply in this field, the unit is equipped with a magnetic drive pump and special components and fittings suitable for continuous operations at such challenging conditions.

The cooling section has a double purpose:

Temperature retention for thermal drift compensation
Final cooling at the end of the operations

The unit is equipped with a special heat exchanger able to withstand high thermal shocks.

Tempco centralina termoregolazione DEVILS

Beyond Abete and Rolls Royce as end user, the DEVILS Project also sees the contribution of other important companies from the Campania Region: the leading Euro.Soft, which is to deploy all of the avionic controls, and Protom, in collaboration with the Engines Institute of the CNR of Naples and the Industrial engineering department of the Federico II University, as well as the Israeli company TAT. Objective of DEVILS project is as well to research, implement and validate smart fault detection and health monitoring algorithms to assist the system in reducing oil low flow rate needs and allowing advanced functions for predictive maintenance.

Tempco termoregolazione olio diatermico DEVILS