“How can we prevent our plate heat exchangers from having to be opened and cleaned every three to four weeks?”
The Problem
Seawater is used as a cooling medium for critical process systems, which causes biological fouling in the plate heat exchangers. This fouling increases the pressure drop and made it necessary to open and clean the heat exchangers every three to four weeks. This led to unplanned downtime, production interruptions, and high maintenance costs.
The solution
The SmartFlow ultrasonic system transmits ultrasonic waves through the surfaces of the heat exchanger, preventing biofilm formation and the attachment of marine organisms. After installation, the plate heat exchangers operated for five months without any cleaning or unplanned downtime. Inspections confirmed that the plates remained clean, resulting in significantly reduced maintenance and higher operational availability.
