Industrial electric heater manufacturer, Watlow, will attend this year’s Heat Exchanger World Conference & Expo, taking place at RDM Rotterdam in the Netherlands on November 1 and 2, 2022. Watlow, which is the only electric heat exchanger manufacturer attending the conference, will discuss how continuous helical flow exchangers can reduce fouling during the event’s corrosion and fouling speaker session on November 2, 2022 between 9:30 and 11:00 am CET.
Heat Exchanger World Conference brings together global manufacturers, engineering companies, designers and key industry players to share knowledge and experience about heat exchanger materials, applications and innovations, with a clear aspiration to optimize the use of current heat exchangers.
Many heat exchangers used today are gas fired and are highly carbon dioxide (CO2) emitting. The process of fouling, the formation of unwanted material deposits on heat transfer surfaces during process heating and cooling, reduces heat transfer across the heat exchanger surface, lowers thermal efficiency and decreases flow rates. As a result, powering the heat exchanger requires more energy, therefore increasing emission production.
Watlow, which has manufactured thermal system components including heaters, sensors and controllers since 1922, is the only manufacturer to develop an electric heat exchanger designed to reduce fouling.
Equipped with Watlow’s patented Continuous Helical Flow Technology™, the HELIMAX™ heat exchanger will be a focal point of discussion at the conference. “Electrification of industrial processes is one of the key strategic pillars for addressing climate change concerns — and one place to start is by electrifying heating applications,” said Volker Metzger, applied thermal expert for Europe at Watlow.
“The HELIMAX™ is a next generation heat exchanger that enables ultra-high heat transfer, unlike large, traditional heat exchangers with dead zones. It’s these dead zones where hot spots can occur. The fluctuations within the heat exchanger to either the sheath temperature or the localized flow rate are common causes of coking, which encourages fouling.
“We produce the only heat exchanger with this kind of flow pass. It ensures a higher heat transfer coefficient, which minimizes fouling — a common problem for our customers. This is difficult to solve with parallel heat transfer. The technology offers ultra-high heat transfer rates with minimal fluid bypass, eliminating these dead zones and contributing to a smaller footprint and improved performance,” added Metzger.
At this year’s conference, Metzger will discuss how helical flow works to reduce fouling and how Watlow’s electric heat exchangers can help to decarbonize industrial processes. “As the only manufacturer of electric heat exchangers, it’s vital we use this opportunity to demonstrate why the industry must change and how helical flow can make this possible. Decarbonizing and electrification go hand in hand, and we aim to demonstrate this at this conference.
“Though we are starting to see a gradual shift from gas to electric heat exchangers, conferences such as these are key to bringing industry thought leaders together, to make a statement about the potential electric heat exchangers have in global sustainability.”
For more information on the HELIMAX™ heat exchanger, visit watlow.com/helimax, or visit stand C25 during the conference on November 1 and 2, 2022, at RDM, Rotterdam.
