COMPABLOC compact heat exchanger rate

Application
The Alfa Laval Compabloc is a fully welded compact heatexchanger designed for the complete range of process and utility duties. The Compabloc range provides the most efficient, cost-effective, compact and cleanable heat exchanger solution available today. After 20 years on the market, the Compabloc has shown itself to be the market leader in terms of life-cycle costs and energy savings.
 

Design
Alfa Laval designed the Compabloc range of welded heat exchangers with a focus on performance, compactness, and serviceability. The heart of the Compabloc is a stack of corrugated heat transfer plates in 316L stainless steel, or other high-grade material. The plates are laser welded (models CP30 and above) and form a compact core. This core is then enclosed and supported by four corner girders, top and bottom heads and four side panels. These components are bolted together and can be quickly taken apart for inspection, service and cleaning. The design can be configured in single or multi-pass arrangements in either co-current or counter-current operation, for liquid-to-liquid or two-phase duties.
 

Operating Principles
The two media in the Compabloc heat exchanger flow in alternately welded channels between the corrugated plates. These corrugated plates promote high turbulence which provides high heat transfer efficiency and help minimize fouling. The media flows in a cross-flow arrangement within each pass while the overall flow arrangement is counter-current for a multi-pass unit (if required the unit can also be designed with overall co-current operation). Each pass is separated from the adjacent passes by a pressed baffle which forces the fluid to turn between the plate pack and the panel.

Compabloc’s flexible pass arrangements make it suitable for liquid-to-liquid duties with dissimilar flow rates, or two phase condensation or reboiler applications.