New Fin Tube System for shell-and-tube heat exchangers

This system, developed by our engineers from different product lines, offers major advantages for applications requiring high safety levels, combined with a compact design and, crucially, where the media properties are significantly different, such as oil cooling by water.

Since 1974 Kelvion has been developing innovative double tube safety heat exchange technology for industries and applications where preventing media mixing in the event of a leak is critical. They include transformer cooling systems, chemical and gas treatment and machine cooling on board ships and in hydro power plants.

The ComFinSafety systems expands Kelvion’s shell & tube heat exchanger portfolio in terms of cost efficiency and compactness. It is available in both standardized and customized coolers in the product lines Shell & Tube Double Safety and Transformer Cooling Systems (Transformer Oil Water Coolers).

The tube system consists of copper outer tubes and inner tubes which can be manufactured from CuNi alloys or stainless steel, with an optional inside coating. Between inner and outer tube there are leakage channels, connected to a leakage detection system which triggers an alarm in the case of leakage. In such a case, one of the tubes would be damaged – the other tube would continue working.

The compact fins are made of aluminum or copper. Fin pitches are available in variable configurations. Tube bundles come in diameters of 100 – 600 mm and lengths of 250 – 3,600 mm. The heat exchangers are designed for a pressure of up to 60 bar g and temperatures between -10°C and 200°C. Water, sea water, oil, refrigerants or air can be used as media.

ComFinSafety can be used in different applications, including power, grid, marine, transportation, heavy industry or HVAC. Hydropower is a good example of ComFinSafety’s potential. Lube oil, used in e.g. bearings of the water turbines and transformer oil in oil emerged transformers, is heated up during operation and must be cooled. Flowing water e.g. from rivers can be used as the cooling medium for lube and transformer oil. ComFinSafety ensures efficient heat exchange, with a small footprint, less instrumentation effort and reliable separation of media allowing no contamination of both neither the cooling water nor the oil in the system.

Benefits of ComFinSafety:

• Optimized energy efficiency: Low shell side pressure drop
• Small foot print
• Efficient performance due to enlarged surface through fins
• Safe media separation
• Simplified processes and increased plant availability