One of the most common pieces of equipment in many industries is a heat exchanger. As its name implies, it is designed to move heat from a process fluid to another fluid — which might be liquid or air. The process fluid is heated or cooled as the application demands. The transfer fluid might be air or a liquid, also as the application demands.

Mark it down: 2019 is going to be the year I keep my New Year’s resolution. And, all it took was a little technology. Could such simple swap work for you?

The importance of cold storage for certain chemical products, particularly organic peroxides, hit the headlines in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. When a plant outside Houston was flooded and lost power, it also lost its cold storage for the organic peroxide products produced at the site. As they warmed up, the surrounding area was evacuated in anticipation of the resulting explosions and toxic releases.

When heat must be dissipated from a process fluid — either liquid or gas — it is usually transferred to another fluid — either liquid or gas — using a heat exchanger. The two most common types of heat exchangers are liquid-to-liquid and liquid-to-air. 

Suppliers of automation and instrumentation systems to process plants sometimes stress the technologies embedded in their products and services, but focusing on technology alone does not solve problems. End users know this and are usually much more interested in specific applications and use cases than technology details.

Levaco Chemicals’ products include specialty chemicals such as dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents and anti-foaming agents used in agriculture, fiber manufacturing, paints and coatings. Levaco also manufactures specialty chemicals for major chemical companies on a contract basis.

Industrial processing facilities face an interesting balancing act. On one hand, they face the challenge of ensuring safety, quality, profit, environmental compliance and product reliability.

Whether at a manufacturing facility, an industrial power plant or a public utility, the cooling system is a critical part of the operation.

The two primary causes of steam-trap failure are dirt, which can plug the trap or cause it to leak, and pressure surges, which can damage internal components.