Energy-saving Compabloc 120 is Alfa laval’s biggest

Alfa Laval has just launched its largest ever Compabloc welded compact heat exchanger, the Compabloc 120, which will help plant operators reduce energy costs and CO2 emissions while increasing plant uptime.

The all-welded Compabloc 120 can withstand pressures of  up to 42 Barg which makes it ideal for a wide range of duties in industries such as oil & gas, refinery, power, petrochemicals, chemicals and pulp and paper.  In many applications, a single Compabloc 120 will be able to replace one or more large shell & tube exchangers because of its superior performance; providing the same or greater capacity for a lower capital investment. As an example, this could mean reducing the physical size of an interchanger by as much as 80%.

Maximum heat recovery
A combination of high turbulence and true counter-current flow offers maximum heat recovery which, in turn, provides significant energy savings, because energy can be recovered and recycled, reducing overall consumption. The Compabloc principle is simple. Liquids or vapours flow through channels between corrugated plates, creating a high degree of turbulence in the media. This results in better heat transfer between the media. A counter-current flow enables crossing temperature programmes, where the cold fluid can be heated to temperatures very close to those of the hot fluid. The closer the temperature approach between two fluids, the more heat is recovered.

Reduced CO2 emissions
The fact that Compabloc 120 contributes to improving the energy efficiency of customers’ processes benefits the environment, since less steam (most commonly generated by fossil fuels) is required in the process. This, in turn, allows a reduction in CO2 emissions from the plant. 

In addition, the Compabloc 120’s low hold-up volume gives provides more precise process control and efficiency compared to shell-and-tube technology, further increasing the overall efficiency of the plant.

Less maintenance, more uptime
High channel turbulence also means less fouling, less maintenance and, as a result, more uptime, which in turn raises plant capacity. The removable frame of the Compabloc 120 and its easy-to-access plate channels, which can be cleaned by hydroblasting, make it easy and fast to clean. It can also be cleaned in-line, using Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) equipment and detergents. In some low-fouling duties, routine cleaning might not be necessary.