Alfa Laval Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

Heat transfer specialist Alfa Laval is addressing the challenge of overwhelming choice in the processing industry’s heat exchanger market with a key appointment to its energy division and the launch of its new online design and specification tool, HEXpert. Recent market reports have suggested the global heat exchanger market will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6% from 2022 to 2031, reaching $34.24bn, demonstrating the technology’s continued critical role in heavy processing applications. Given this pronounced growth, equipment specifiers will be under increasing pressure to identify the correct solution as differing designs and solutions flood the market, to ensure their plant remains as reliable, sustainable and efficient as possible. Availability of key performance According to Dmitry Emelianov, the newly appointed Energy Process Manager at Alfa Laval UK&I, this overwhelming level of choice and customization means tools such as HEXpert will become critical to company decision-making over vital heat exchanger equipment. Dmitry will be spearheading a new firm team saved to optimizing plant operations Dmitry, who joined Alfa Laval earlier this year after 12 years of experience in various processing industries, will be spearheading a new company team dedicated to optimizing plant operations in new and established industries. He believes ensuring the availability of key performance information is crucial to choosing effective solutions for specific processing plant applications, and online resources have a key role to play in this. impact on industrial processes “Because of the ongoing energy crisis and strain on global supply chains, processing sector professionals are under increasing pressure to do more with less,” Dmitry explains. “If processing plants are like a body, heat exchangers are the backbone–vital to almost everything, and if all is well, they function unnoticed. Given this, their incorrect specification can have a major impact on industrial processes, placing facility stakeholders in a difficult position." “Specifically, processing professionals requiring high-performing, adaptable solutions that can produce major yields from fewer resources may no longer be able to fully rely on these integral components, especially with intermittent grid supplies becoming an increasing concern. Inefficient, ill-suited components may hugely impact facility performance, further exacerbating these issues and making short- to long-term operational goals harder to achieve." HEXpert online tool Dmitry added: “Yet to find the optimal heat transfer solution for a particular process application and facility design, there are always lots of factors to consider and options to weigh. Given these current, strained circumstances, key stakeholders are increasingly time-poor and simply don’t have the capacity to sift through reams of information or a complicated purchase process. This is why we developed the HEXpert online tool–to make these time-consuming tasks simpler.” Tool will be priceless to busy processing experts looking to simplify the step of the specification mode Using HEXpert, specifiers enter information about their operations and heat transfer requirements in a four-step process, starting with adding information about the exchanger position. Further steps involve providing specific details on design parameters and application demands through a question-and-answer format, before providing a full and detailed product recommendation. As Dmitry is keen to emphasize, the tool will be invaluable to busy processing professionals looking to streamline the first step of the specification process. use of HEXpert “We’ve already seen people using HEXpert have a previous idea of the type of heat exchanger they need, only to discover within five minutes that an alternative model was more suitable to their requirements,” Dmitry concludes. “As providers of the widest and most complete portfolio of heat exchanger equipment, we would always advise that, alongside engaging with online tools, equipment decision-makers should also discuss their requirements with technical experts." “Indeed, considering many manufacturers only offer one or two types of exchanger technologies, gathering further information on the full breadth of what is available will be key to ensuring the eventual specified solution offers the best match for its application and position. We would therefore encourage processing professionals to make use of HEXpert and get in contact if they have further questions.”

Following reports UK greenhouse gas emissions have risen year-on-year, Alfa Laval has launched its latest, most sustainable T21 gasketed plate heat exchanger (GPHE) to help energy-intensive facilities and plants save tons of carbon dioxide through highly efficient cooling and minimized energy consumption. According to a June 2023 report from the Office for National Statistics, UK greenhouse gas emissions rose by 3% to just over 502 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2020 and 2021. These findings followed an announcement from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Authority declaring a 2.4% annual increase in CO2 emissions covered by the ETS in 2022–up 2.7 million tons from 2021 to 110.6 million tons in total. Efficient plate heat exchanger Advanced, efficient plate heat exchanger technologies such as the T21 will be key to this These figures, alongside tightening sustainability legislation, underline the impact reviewing existing process equipment and specification processes could have on power-hungry plants and facilities. According to Gemma Reeves, Business Unit Manager for Heat Transfer at Alfa Laval, sector sustainability strategies should be expanded to focus on minimizing energy use and realizing heat recovery opportunities. Advanced, efficient plate heat exchanger technologies such as the T21 will be key to this. pressure on Power-intensive sectors “Energy efficiency can account for more than 40% of emissions reductions in the next 20 years and will be crucial to achieving net zero,” she says. “Considering 50% of today’s potential for energy savings comes from industry, and 30% can be achieved from buildings, this puts pressure on power-intensive sectors to decarbonize. For stakeholders at these sites, the selection of more efficient process equipment can provide an immediate way to reduce carbon footprints while optimizing performance." District heating schemes Harnessing and reusing these otherwise wasted process by-products will be vital to emissions" Gemma Reeves added, “For example, our new T21’s upgraded plates increase overall thermal efficiency, and its flexible configuration means its heat transfer area can be modified, making it suitable for a wide range of applications across plants looking to decarbonize. Similarly, it allows for more effective recovery of waste heat, which can be redeployed for other site processes or for use in other systems such as district heating schemes." "Harnessing and reusing these otherwise wasted process by-products will be crucial to emissions reduction, so I would urge facility and plant managers to explore solutions that will allow them to do so effectively and efficiently, including the T21.” CurveFlow™ technology The new T21 includes Alfa Laval’s energy-driven patented efficiency features, including CurveFlow™ distribution area technology to improve media flow and minimize fouling risks, alongside the company’s unique OmegaPort™, which further enhances flow and thermal efficiency. T21 includes the option to optimize the unit efficiency with Alfa Laval’s FlexFlow™ plate design  The T21 also incorporates the possibility to further optimize the unit efficiency with Alfa Laval’s FlexFlow™ plate design, which uses asymmetric channels to optimize pressure drop utilization and make additional improvements to thermal efficiency when unequal flows are in play. performance and equipment specification “GPHEs are often crucial to many facility processes, so ensuring the best possible performance and equipment specification is a must for energy-intensive plants,” Gemma concludes. “Collaboration across the supply chain will be required to ensure power consumption can be reduced and operators’ decarbonization journeys remain on track. Specifying effective solutions such as the T21 will be crucial to this, so it is vital to site decision-makers work in close partnership with suppliers to identify opportunities where upgraded equipment can help turn potential efficiencies into reality.”

As part of previously announced capacity investments, Alfa Laval Business Unit Brazed & Fusion Bonded Heat Exchangers announces that it will increase its production of brazed plate heat exchangers to meet increasing demand in the ongoing global energy transition. Author's quote “Our intention is to keep pace with our customers and the market demand generated by the new energy landscape,” says Malgorzata Moczynska, President Business Unit Brazed & Fusion Bonded Heat Exchangers. He adds, “We are also investing in our core competencies and product innovation. We look forward to welcoming new colleagues to our new facilities.” Extensive capacity expansion Alfa Laval continues to strengthen its worldwide manufacturing of brazed plate heat exchangers through extensive capacity expansion in the factories in San Bonifacio (Italy), JiangYin (China), Ronneby (Sweden), and Richmond (USA). The investment also includes expansion into additional buildings on the current sites in Italy, China, and Sweden. Alfa Laval aims to sustain its worldwide manufacturing of brazed plate heat exchangers “The new factories mark important milestones in our strategy to move towards making manufacturing both smarter and more efficient across the entire supply chain,” says Massimo Balestrini, Product Group President BHE/FHE. "With increased capacity, we are better equipped to meet our customers’ needs for sustainable solutions, and together with them we will drive the development of tomorrow’s product range.” Brazed plate heat exchangers Alfa Laval copper-brazed plate heat exchangers are a compact, efficient, and maintenance-free solution for heating, cooling, evaporation, and condensing in numerous applications including heat pumps. Each unit is designed for duty optimization, with a range of unique features that ensure both superior thermal performance and maximum reliability. This enables the longest possible service life–even under conditions with extremely high design pressures. An ideal solution for use with natural refrigerants, thanks to the compact footprint, optimized plate design, and high design pressure.