Increasing production capacity and setting a monthly production record are goals for all manufacturers. Out-of-date process equipment kept a large specialty chemical manufacturer in Ohio from meeting them.

To address production deficiencies, the chemical producer upgraded its process equipment. As a part of a plant upgrade, the specialty chemical manufacturer added a Kenics brand heat exchanger from Houston-based National Oilwell Varco (NOV). As a critical component in the process, the Kenics heat exchanger provides efficient processing of the chemical, according to NOV.

NOV personnel engineered, manufactured and installed the Kenics heat exchanger system. The heat exchanger consists of a continuous string of static mixer elements within each heat exchanger tube. Fluid flow is directed radially toward the pipe walls and back to the element, regardless of velocity. All processed material is continuously intermixed to eliminate radial gradients in temperature and material composition. Additionally, momentum reversal and flow division contributes to mixing efficiency.

The new heat exchanger is operating at a U-value near 140 BTU/hr-ft²-°F. The old heat exchanger operated at a U-value of 15. According to NOV, the specialty chemical manufacturer set a monthly production record shortly after installing the new equipment.