Waste-heat recovery: Weighing in the environmental Factor

Engineer's Digest Magazine August 1989

Richard P. Zoldak, P.E. Market Development Manager Alfa-Laval Thermal Co.

Thermal pollution and process-waste disposal restrictions have forced engineers to replace, reroute, retrofit-and, in some cases, reconsider the need for-a waste-heat recovery system. The following technology overview stresses products that can meet the maintenance demands imposed by these new restrictions. DECISIONS ABOUT WASTE-heat recovery used to be based on simple economic considerations: Can you use the waste heat? Will the cost of recovering it be outweighed by the energy you will save? Can you afford the ROI you've calculated? Today, decisions about waste-heat recovery are being influenced and complicated by a variety of environmental factors. Growing awareness of pollution problems and restrictive environmental regulations pose new design and operation challenges for the modern process industrial plant (chemical, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, food). Depending on the plant's location, heat recovery using waste or process streams may be economically and environmentally efficient. In other instances, however, where waste streams must be treated or sent for disposal, heat-recovery devices must be used to cool the stream. Sometimes, effluent streams that flow into ponds or lakes meet all environmental standards except temperature; these streams must be cooled down to minimize the effect of thermal pollution on the environment. Process streams that are dirty and foul heavily require heat exchangers that are easy to clean and maintain. The devices chosen for these streams also must be reliable and cost effective on both a long- and short-term basis. What's available? To fulfill today's process requirements, engineers generally resort to three basic types of heat exchangers: plate, spiral and tubular. Although the fundamentals of heat transfer apply to all types of heat-recovery devices, individual geometry creates distinct advantages and disadvantages for certain devices depending on the application. Plate-heat exchangers consist of corrugated or embossed metal plates pressed together in a frame (Figure 1). Used mainly in liquid-liquid applications, they also can be effective in liquid-vapor systems, such as steam.

Spiral-heat exchangers are made by winding two long strips of plate around an open split center to form a pair of concentric spiral channels (Figure 2). Uniform spacing is maintained by struts welded to the plates. Spiral units can be used for liquid-liquid, fibrous mixtures, partial condensing and/or vaporizing applications, and high temperature applications. Shell-and-tube units are made up of a tube bundle surrounded by a shell. The tube bundle consists of tubes that usually have been roller-expanded into a tube sheet. The flow on the shell side is directed by baffles that also support the tubes (Figure 3). Shell-and-tube units come in various designs, including U-tube, fixed tube sheet and removable bundle. U-tube devices offer thermal expansion capabilities and low cost. Removable-bundle types, designed with either an external floating head or a pull-through feature, cost more initially but offer the maintenance advantage of a removable-tube bundle. Double-pipe heat exchangers, a variation of the shell and-tube units, consist of a tube within a tube, a configuration that yields true countercurrent flow for high temperature/high-pressure applications. They generally are made by welding an outer jacket to the inner pipe; however, some units are designed with removable tubes and provide differential expansion between outer jacket and inner tube. Double-pipe units most often are used in liquid-liquid applications, although some are used for liquid-vapor exchanges.

This spiral-heat exchanger was designed for sludge service. Notice the nozzle, designed to minimize plugging. Geometric pros and cons In general, tubular products can offer higher design pressures and temperatures; because of their nearly all metal construction-only the gaskets at the connections are not metal. Traditional plate devices can reach pressures of 300 psi, but they are limited by the thickness of metal that can be rolled (in spiral exchangers) or by gasketing requirements (in plate heat exchangers). For similar reasons, both tubular products and spiral-heat exchangers can handle fluids with very different gasketing requirements. However, the development of the welded-plate heat exchanger has expanded the application range of plate-heat exchangers, especially in aggressive or highly corrosive fluids. The geometry of heat-exchange devices has a big effect on thermal capability. Plate-heat exchangers, with their higher shear rates, can offer higher heat-transfer co-efficients than tubular exchangers. With the plate units, smaller hydraulic diameters are possible, thus allowing turbulence at lower velocities. Turbulence can be created by forcing the fluid to take a tortuous path between the corrugated plates. Additional turbulence also minimizes fluid stagnation and leaves fewer dead spots. Thus plate exchangers are less susceptible to the fouling that can hamper heat-transfer operations.

Spiral-type exchanges are ideal for heavy fouling because of their easy cleaning abilities: merely opening the spiral-type unit's cover allows complete access to the heat-transfer surface. The secondary flow effects, caused by the continuously curving channel, provides the necessary turbulence for slurry, viscous and heavy fouling applications. Geometry also has an effect on the logarithmic mean temperature difference (LMTD). Shell-andtube units require various correction factors-factors that can reduce the LMTD by as much as 20 percent. Plate and spiral-type units virtually are countercurrent and, thus, can experience temperature crosses while still attaining higher rates of heat transfer. Shell-and-tube exchangers have other design features that inhibit heat transfer. Shell-and-tube units are vulnerable to bundle bypassing, baffle-shell leakage and tube-baffle leakage (Figure 3). The result of any or all of these conditions is that the shell-side fluid does not come in proper contact with the tubes to enable the unit to transfer heat effectively. Shell-and-tube units also are harder to clean. This can be a significant factor if your process requires that the heat exchanger be cleaned regularly to remove bacterial growth, scaling, etc. Although some tubular units offer cleaning on the tube side, or on both sides, these easy-clean designs become costly, especially when materials other than carbon steel are specified. Based solely on cleaning, servicing and reliability factors, plate- and spiral-type devices are good choices for reducing both operating and maintenance costs (see sidebar). New innovations, such as Glue-Free TM gaskets, further minimize downtime and enable the user to operate the exchange longer.

Whatever your final decision, it must be based on environmental, as well as economic, realities. Consider cleaning time, clogging factors and downtime costs. Refer to the broad parameters outlined in "Table 1: Guide for selection of a compact-heat exchanger" and keep these distinctions in mind:

Code: 1 Usually best choice, economic ally and/or technically. 2 Often best choice, economically and/or technically. 3 Sometimes best choice, economically and/or technically. 4 Seldom best choice, economically and/or technically. * Depending on operating pressure, vapor density, etc. ** Plate-heat exchangers are not produced in mild steel. For increasing length of thermal duty (NTU), the plate device tends to be more competitive. The plate-heat exchanger would be constructed of stainless steel.

Plate-heat exchangers: Are suited for moderately high pressures, moderate temperatures; Employ small LMTDs with little or no corrections; Are ideal where stainless-steel or more corrosion resistant materials are needed; Are, overall, the most efficient for heat transfer.

Spiral-heat exchangers: Offer improved heat transfer over shell-and-tube units but are secondary to plate-heat exchangers; Employ small LMTDs with little or no corrections; Are ideal where cleaning is required and fibrous materials are present; Are suited for moderate pressures and high temperatures.

Shell-and-tube exchangers: Are suited for high-temperature, high-pressure applications; Employ large LMTDs with corrections; Are ideal where no cleaning is necessary and when carbon steel or other inexpensive materials can be used; Are moderately efficient for heat transfer.

Recent modifications to plate-heat exchangers allow them to be used with higher pressures (ASMEdesigned 350 psig units, for example) and a new welded-plate design precludes the use of gaskets on the aggressive medium side-traditionally shell-and-tube areas. These redesigned plate products are as durable and reliable as tubular products when they correctly are applied, built, serviced and operated.