Alfa Laval has launched the new DuroShell plate-and-shell heat exchanger featursing an innovative construction that increases resistance to thermal and pressure fatigue.
Alfa Laval DuroShell is a specially engineered plate-and-shell heat exchanger with unique design capabilities. Already used in the offshore oil and gas industry, it is now being introduced for demanding marine duties such as LPG/E cargo reliquefaction. An innovative construction and a patented roller coaster plate pattern make DuroShell significantly more robust, allowing it to condense cargo with a higher ethane content.
“DuroShell is a remarkable advance in heat exchanger design,” says Matilda Mellby, Application Manager, Gas Components at Alfa Laval. “As an LPG/E cargo condenser, it provides far greater resistance to temperature and pressure extremes than most other welded solutions.”
Reliquefaction of ethane-rich LPG/E
DuroShell strengthens Alfa Laval’s leadership in heat exchangers for LPG/E cargo condensation, where the Alfa Laval AlfaRex plate heat exchanger is standard today. Like AlfaRex, DuroShell is a laser-welded solution combining high thermal efficiency with a very small footprint. But whereas AlfaRex handles pressures of around 30 bar and temperatures down to -50°C, DuroShell withstands pressures up to 35 bar when titanium plates are used, along with temperatures as low as ‑198°C.
“An extended pressure range is important as the ethane level in LPG/E increases,” says Mellby. “DuroShell is more than robust enough to handle ethane condensation, which demands pressures in excess of 30 bar.”
Source & Image credit: Alfa Laval
