HRS is a pioneer in bringing the corrugated tube technology in heat exchangers. Our Ecoflux* Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers (CTHE) are available in a range of models and materials, designed to increase the efficiency of processes. Use of corrugated tubes instead of smooth tubes ensures a compact and economical equipment with substantial reduction in fouling.
The development of corrugated tube is perhaps the most exciting advancement in heat transfer technology. Corrugations induce turbulence in the media and ensure high Reynolds number even at low velocity. Corrugations are made with specially designed patterns and in a manner where there is no tube wall thinning and the strength of the tube remains intact.
Corrugation imparts different flow regimes – spiral at the core and eddy’s at the periphery. The helical flow contributes to the situation that the fluid particles are alternatively in the vicinity of the tube wall and then in the main flow. Between the helical impressions, around the circumference of the tube, secondary flow, typically in the form of eddies occur.
Tube corrugation creating turbulant flow
Efficient condensation in Ecoflux* corrugated tube vs conventional plain tubes
Uniform Thermal Processing
The roughness elements need to have a minimum height so as to influence the flow and thus the heat transfer. To ensure that the heat transfer is improved by roughness elements, the flow must be influenced within the heat conduction layer.
The key for enhanced efficiency in corrugated tube heat exchangers is design of the tubes with minimal boundary layer resistance. This determines the various styles of tube corrugation: continuous spiral indentation or an intermittent spot indentation.
The continuous disturbance of the boundary layer of the tube side fluid increases the amount of turbulence within the fluid as described mathematically by the “Nusselt number” and, providing the tube side fluid has the higher resistance to heat flow, will increase the overall rate at which heat is transferred.
Corrugated Tube Types
There are three types of corrugations – Soft, Hard and Dimpled. These are base on the corrugation depth, pitch and angle. The number of starts also affect the pattern of corrugation.
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|---|---|---|
| Hard | Soft | Dimpled |
Our corrugated tubes have optimized these to provide the best design in terms of area, pressure drop, HTC, fouling, etc., for the particular application.
HRS Corrugated Tube Technology Features
- The flow regime inside tubes with HRS Corrugated tube technology ensures that the rate of decrease in boundary layer resistance exceeds the rate of increase in pressure loss. In other words high heat transfer coefficients with minimum increase in pressure drop
- Increase in heat transfer coefficient brings the temperature of the tube wall closer to the temperature of the bulk fluid on the tubes
- A smooth indented inner profile ensures easy cleaning. Turbulence is created at low fluid velocities to enhance the heat transfer in the tubes
- Fouling on the tube surface is minimized
- A wide range of diameters & styles can be offered depending on process requirement
The design of heat exchangers depends primarily on the process or application for which it is to be used; whether for industrial, food processing and further factors such as product and utility properties such as density, viscosity, corrosion factor, pressure, temperature, capacities and so on.
Thermal design
Ecoflux* Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers are designed with specific formulae as a result of detailed study and research. This is the proprietary, specialized heat exchanger thermal design program developed by HRS.
Mechanical design
Ecoflux* Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers are designed and manufactured according to standards including TEMA, ASME Sec. VIII Div.I, BS5500, AS1210, PED and other comparable standards. We deploy high-end design/ drawing softwares which enable accurate design of the equipment.
Material of construction
Ecoflux* CTHEs are manufactured in all grades of Material of Construction:
Stainless Steel AISI 304/316, SS304L, SS316L, 904L, 321, AL6XN, C22, C276, C2000, Titanium, Tantalum, Duplex, Super Duplex, Alloy 20, Copper, Cu-Ni, alloys, Inconel, Monel. SMO and other special material can be offered.
‘K’ Series – Multitube for Industrial Heat Exchange applications
The ‘K’ Series heat exchanger is a multitube shell and corrugated tube unit with mechanical design tailored for industrial use. The product normally flows through the tubes and the service fluid over tubes.
The ‘K’ Series is manufactured from welded / seamless tubes and is of a fixed tube sheet construction featuring heat transfer enhancing corrugated tubes available in dimple, hard or soft corrugation. Standard units of lengths between 0.5m and 6m are available as well as a range of shell diameters. ‘K’ Series can be designed to withstand high temperature and pressure conditions.
These are designed to TEMA & ASME Standards, including all TEMA configurations.
Features
- The ‘K’ Series heat exchanger consists of a bundle of tubes within a common shell
- Welded or expanded tubes to tubeplate joints are available
- Fixed or de-mountable units are available
- A wide range of tube and shell diameters and tube counts are available
- Wide ranges of corrosion resistant materials are available
- Designed to comply with TEMA and other pressure vessel codes where required
- These can be fitted with baffles and multipass headers to improve heat transfer efficiency to suit specific applications
- These can be used with low viscosity products containing fibers and small particles
- These can be fitted with an expansion bellow when required
- Multiple units can be mounted in a common support structure
- The design is ideal for industrial applications
Applications
Heating, cooling, condensing, sub-cooling, pasteurizing , sterilizing, heat recovery, evaporation, etc. for the process industry – chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, power generation, food, drink, brewing, environmental processes.
Vapour Condenser, Effluent cooler, Exhaust Gas, Glycols, Latex, Paint, Process Water, Steam, Varnish, Water, Alcohol, Vegetable/ Industrial Oil, Concentrates, Sugar Juices/ Syrups and many more.
‘MI’ Series – Multitube for Food Applications
The ‘MI’ Series is manufactured from welded/seamless tubes and is of a fixed tube sheet construction featuring heat transfer enhancing corrugated tubes available in dimple, hard or soft corrugation versions. Standard units of length between 0.5m and 6m are available as well as a range of shell diameters. ‘MI’ Series can be designed to withstand high temperature and pressure conditions. The type of corrugated tube used for this type of unit is dependent on fluid viscosity and particulate matter
The ‘MI’ Series heat exchanger is a multitube corrugated shell and corrugated tube unit and has been designed for the food processing, dairy, dairy products and pharmaceutical industries. The product normally flows through the tubes and the service fluid over tubes.
Features
- The ‘MI’ Series heat exchanger consists of a bundle of corrugated tubes within a common corrugated shell Welded tube to tubeplate joints
- Fully welded/de-mountable designs are available
- A wide range of different tube diameters, shell diameters & tube counts are available
- Wide ranges of corrosion resistant materials are available
- Tube plate design allows vertically mounted units to drain fully
- Double tube-sheet designs avoid cross contamination between product and service fluids
- All areas that could harbour impurities or dirt are minimized/eliminated
- Fitted with an expansion bellows when appropriate
- Units can be designed with SMS/DIN end connections/fittings
- Multiple units can be mounted in a common support structure
- The hygienic design allows manufacturing to food and pharmaceutical standards
Applications
Heating, cooling, pasteurizing / sterilizing, cooking, concentration for the food and dairy industries; heating and cooling for sludge environmental and sanitary hot water processes as well as for the power generation and latex industries.
Fruit Pulps/Juices, Grain Slurry, Pet Food, Tomato Puree, Dye-House Effluent, Digestion Sludge, Effluent Water and many more
‘DT’ Series – Tube in Tube Heat Exchangers
The ‘DT’ Series heat exchanger is a tube in tube heat exchanger, manufactured from concentric corrugated tubes. The Product normally flows through the inner tube and the service fluid through the annulus between the tubes.
Supplied as standard in lengths of three and six meters with tube diameters ranging from 1” to 4.5”. The DT Series is capable of handling large particulates up to 50 mm. Three versions of corrugated tube are available for this unit including hard corrugation designed to generate maximum turbulence for an optimum pressure drop and soft and dimpled corrugation designed to increase wall velocity with minimum pressure drop.
Features
- This type is a single pipe within another larger diameter pipe
- Fixed or de-mountable units are available
- A wide range of tube and shell diameters and tube counts are available
- Wide ranges of corrosion resistant materials are available
- They can be designed to withstand very high pressures & temperatures in a wide range of corrosion resistant material
- Multiple units can be mounted in a common support structure
- The design can be hygienic or industrial according to the requirements of the application
- Ideally suited for heating or cooling most process liquids & gases containing particles or fibers
- They are normally used for particulate products, fibrous products, pulps or products with solids in suspension, with low to medium viscosity
Applications
Heating, cooling, pasteurizing / sterilizing, cooking, concentration for the food and dairy industries; heating and cooling for environmental and sanitary hot water processes as well as for the power generation and latex industries.
Fruit Pulps/Juices, Fruit Slices, Grain Slurry, Pet Food, Tomato Puree, Dye-House Effluent, Digestion Sludge, Effluent Water and many more…
‘AS’ Series- Tripletube for Food & Pharma Applications
The ‘AS’ Series annular Space heat exchangers are made from three concentric tubes, which give three annular spaces. The product fluid channel is surrounded on both sides by the service fluid.
The ‘AS’ Series is a tube in tube in tube heat exchanger. With this type of heat exchanger the smaller inner tube and larger outer tube carry the service media whilst the process media passes through the annulus between the two tubes. The tube diameters range from 1” inner tubes to 6” outer tubes as standard, with unit lengths available in three or six meters. Three types of corrugation are available, dimple for low Reynolds numbers, hard corrugation for high Reynolds numbers and soft corrugation for medium Reynolds numbers.
Features
- Triple tube type using a three corrugated tubes within each other
- Fixed or de-mountable units are available
- A wide range of tube and shell diameters and tube counts are available
- They can be designed to withstand very high pressures & temperatures in a wide range of corrosion resistant material
- Multiple units can be mounted in a common support structure
- This type of heat exchanger is normally used in hygienic applications with products of low acidity, medium viscosity with non-Newtonian characteristics and generally free from particles and fibers
- The design can be hygienic or industrial according to the requirements of the application
- Ideally suited for aseptic applications
‘AS’ Series- Tripletube for Food & Pharma Applications
Applications
Heating, cooling, pasteurizing/sterilizing, cooking and concentration for the food and dairy industries.
High Viscosity like Dairy Products, Sauces, Fruit Pulps/Juices/Slices, Tomato Products and many more…
The flow regime in Ecoflux* Corrugated Tube Heat Exchanger ensures that the rate of decrease in boundary layer resistance exceeds the rate of increase in pressure loss. In other words high heat transfer coefficients with minimum increase in pressure drop.
Increase in heat transfer coefficient brings the temperature of the tube wall closer to the temperature of the bulk fluid on the tube.
- Compact tubular heat exchanger
- Long running times due to turbulent flow
- Very low maintenance costs, minimum spares requirement
- Higher heat transfer coefficient (2-3 times) results in reduction in heat exchanger area upto 50%
- Fouling is minimized due to turbulence created by eddies at the periphery or tube wall
- High response to CIP
- Wide choice of MOC
- Uniform thermal processing
- More flexibility in annular space sizing
- Custom-made to suit high pressure and temperature profiles
Comparison of heat exchanger types
Key parameters to compare Ecoflux*Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers with other two types of heat exchangers – Smooth Tube Heat Exchangers and Plate Heat Exchangers.
| PARAMETERS | Ecoflux* CTHE | Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger | Plate Heat Exchanger |
| Heat Transfer Coefficient | High | Low | High |
| High Pressure applications | Yes | Yes | NO |
| High Temperature applications | Yes | Yes | No |
| Temperature Distribution | Uniform | Non Uniform | Uniform |
| Two Phase Application | Excellent | Good | Poor |
| Aseptic Processing applications | Yes | Yes | No |
| Product Burn-out | No | Yes | Yes |
| Dead Areas / spots | No | No | Yes |
| Products with Solid Particles | Yes | Yes | No |
| Products with High Viscosity | Yes | Limited | No |
| Product Hold-up / tosses | Low | High | Low |
| Leakage Risk | Low | Low | High |
| Overall Size | Low | High | Low |
| Response to Cleaning In Place (CIP) | High | Medium | Low |
| Extension of Units / Modules | Yes | i4o | Limited |
| Ease of Inspection | High | Medium | Low |
| Maintenance Cost / Spares Cost | Low | Medium | High |
Ecoflux*Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers take the best features of Smooth Tube Heat Exchangers and Plate Heat Exchangers to provide innovative heat transfer solution.
Ecoflux* Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers are used across process industries for a host of applications. Thermal and mechanical designs, material of construction is determined as per process and product compatibility to give optimal energy efficient solutions.
In chemical, pharmaceutical, fertilizer, cement, biotechnology, power generation, food, drink, brewing, environmental processes Ecoflux* Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers are used as vapour condenser, effluent cooler, exhaust gas cooler etc.
In food processing sector, as range of heating, cooling, condensing, sub-cooling, pasteurization, sterilization, evaporation, continuous cooking, heat recovery, etc. applications are enabled with corrugated tube heat exchanger based systems and turnkey lines for fruit pulp, beverage, dairy, nutraceuticals, probiotics, ready-to-eat foods, purees and concentrates and diced food processing.
In environmental and sanitary hot water processes, effluent treatment, digestion sludge, effluent water, along with power generation and latex industries, corrugated tube heat exchangers are used in various heating, cooling applications.
