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Heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning
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Mechanical Technology — May 2013
31
R
ichard Strickland, divisional
director, engineered products,
BMG – Bearing Man Group
says that, in conjunction with
SA Heat Exchange, BMG now offers the
supply and support of an extensive range
of heat exchanger products.
“This range includes Transon modu-
lar shell and tube heat exchangers,
Blockfin heavy duty extended fin heat
exchangers and an ultrasonic cleaning
and treatment service,” says Strickland.
“Transon modular shell and tube heat
exchangers, which have been used in
the local sugar industry for over 35
years, are designed for sugar process-
ing operations that include coolers,
economisers and mash feed heaters,
as well as calorifiers, after coolers and
condensers.”
Transon systems, which are based
on the latest heat transfer and process
technology, are designed for the effi-
cient and safe handling of hydraulic oil
in large gearbox systems. These heat
exchangers are used in a large sector
of industry – not only as oil coolers,
but also where fluid needs to cooled,
or even heated.
“This versatile heat exchanger sys-
tem consists of modules that facilitate
compact plant design and the efficient
utilisation of space. The modular de-
sign, which comprises one or more
shell and tube type standard units,
enables installations to be extended to
meet increased capacity requirements.
Transon versatile heat exchanger sys-
tems now encompass the U3 series of
oil coolers and the newly designed U5
series, available at short lead times,”
explains Strickland.
Single and multi-module units can
be arranged in horizontal or vertical
configurations, depending on capacity
and size requirements. Mounting stands
are designed for simple, quick instal-
lation to match the related pipe work.
“This heat exchanger system is
available in a wide range of steels and
alloys, as well as corrosion and abra-
sion resistant materials. Standardised
An air drier which has been manufactured for a sugar
mill in Central Africa.
Twelve heat-exchangers have recently
been manufactured for a local sugar mill.
These heat exchangers have replaced the
previous spiral finned tube type, using
less tube rows, with higher off-coil tem-
peratures and a lower pressure drop.
BMG’s focus on extending its heat exchanger business encompasses
a new arrangement where SA Heat Exchange provides a
manufacture, refurbishment and repair service for BMG to all
industries, particularly the sugar sector.
Versatile heat exchanger systems
interchangeable components enable
short lead times and early delivery
of units and spares. Fluid separation
is an important safety feature of this
heat exchanger system. In the event
of seal deterioration, an atmospheric
gap ensures that fluid leaks externally,
preventing internal mixing and cross-
contamination of fluids.”
Strickland says the elastomeric
mountings enable the tube bundle to
float within the shell when subjected to
fluctuating temperatures, thereby elimi-
nating induced thermal shock loads.
“For high thermal efficiency, a unique
patented shell pass baffle assembly
ensures uni-directional flow at relatively
high velocity, eliminating dead spots.
Straight tubes enable unrestricted flow.
During maintenance, individual tubes,
or the complete tube bundle, can be
removed and replaced in-situ, without
disconnecting the related pipework. No
special tools are required and seals are
easily replaceable.”
SA Heat Exchange, which specialis-
es in the manufacture of extended fin
products for the sugar industry in South
Africa and in Africa, utilises high speed
fin manufacturing technology to provide
the latest, robust industrial grade fin
products.
The Blockfin range includes indus-
trial heavy duty finned air blast heat
exchangers and steam heated air driers,
as well as coolers and heaters of oil,
water, air and gas.
Fins, which are manufactured from
aluminium, stainless steel and copper,
are slid over the tube to provide a tight
fin-tube joint for minimal thermal loss.
Central to the integrity of this range is
the quality of the tube to tube sheet
welding process. Standard aluminium
fins generally cannot withstand the
cleaning operation of high pressure jets,
but these fins are robust and are able to
endure this cleaning process.
“Modular options are available to
extend the existing capacity,” continues
Strickland, who adds that these systems
meet stringent ASME and TEMA con-
struction code specifications.
Another critical service for the sugar
sector is an ultrasonic cleaning process
that ensures even the toughest heat
exchanger components are thoroughly
cleaned to an exacting finish. The com-
pany uses an ultrasound technique to
clean and treat tube plates and tube
bundles – there is no need for harsh
chemicals or rodding. This system is
also used to clean petrochemical inlet
and candle filters internally and exter-
nally – it would not be possible to clean
a filter’s microscopic pores perfectly
without ultrasound.
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