Alfa Laval increased capacity at half the price at Kemira Kemi AB
At Kemira Kemi AB in Helsingborg, Sweden, calcium chloride is one ofmany base chemical products produced. Today Kemira concentrate the calcium chloride in a multiple-effect evaporation system using rising-film tube evaporators in Monel.
DATE 2023-11-28
However, the lifetime of the tubes is limited and Kemira knew that within the course of a few years they would need to replace three of the shell-and-tube evaporators. Therefore in 1995 they approached Alfa Laval for replacements for the shell-and-tube evaporators.
Alfa Laval proposed the plate evaporator and Kemira agreed to install a test unit to run comparative tests. The results demonstrated that the plate evaporator worked excellently and had more than twice the heat transfer coefficient of the shell-and-tube evaporator which meant that a new plate evaporator effect would require only half the heat transfer area. Operation also showed that the plate evaporator had no fouling problems.
Product
AlfaVap plate evaporators are specially designed for condensing and evaporation. They combine the benefits of compact, efficient plate heat exchangers with the low pressure drop required for these duties.
are specially designed for condensing and evaporation. They combine the benefits of compact, efficient plate heat exchangers with the low pressure drop required for these duties.
Benefits
- Half area in the factory
- Half the investment cost compared to the shell-and-tube unit
- More than twice the heat transfer coefficient of the shell-and-tube evaporation
- Half the heat transfer area
- No fouling problems
Customer's voice
We have observed an increase in capacity despite a heat transfer area which is only half that of the shell-and-tube units.
Sven Ove Uhrbom
Production manager of Kemira's calcium chloride plant