Numerous manufacturing processes require the creation or input of heat at one or more stages of product development. In cases where the intensity of the heat is potentially damaging to machinery or harmful to employees an appropriate method of cooling must be utilized. The specific cooling method used is dictated by the nature of the specific manufacturing process, including location, chemical substances involved, and overall exposure to electricity and other adverse conditions.
An industrial heat exchanger is a machine built specifically to efficiently transfer heat from one liquid to another. Common types of exchanger include cross flow, parallel flow, and counter flow. These descriptions relate to the way in which the two liquids involved in the process act with regards to one another. Cross flow exchangers the two liquids move at right angles to one another, in parallel flow exchangers both liquids move in the same direction, and counter flow exchangers the liquids move in opposite directions.
Industrial cooling towers heat removal devices that are uses to disperse process waste energy safely into the atmosphere. Commonly used in coal and oil refineries, cooling towers come in two distinct forms. The first are water cooled towers, which use water evaporation to absorb and remove the process heat energy. The second type relies solely on air to do the majority of the cooling. Cooling towers come in a large array of sizes, all the way from small roof-mounted units, to the 200 meter tall units visible around power stations.
The simple process of air cooling relies on the second law of aerodynamics to transfer energy from a heated source and dissipate it gradually and safely into the surrounding air. In order for this to be successful, the air surrounding the equipment must be a lower temperature then the unit to be cooled. The heat energy must also be transported somewhere else in order to be efficiently dissipated. This is usually accomplished through the use of industrial sized fans.
An oil cooling unit works in a similar manner as an air cooling unit. By moving a lower temperature oil based substance over a heated surface, the heat energy is forcibly drawn from the initial source and spread throughout the oil. The oil is then allowed to move through a system of tubes and reservoirs, similar to a radiator, which allows the heat energy to be evenly dissipated. The oil is then cycled back over the machinery in a continuous cycle. Oil has a much higher boiling point then water making it useful for cooling extremely high temperature surfaces without the increased risk of a pressure based explosion. It is also an electrical insulator, allowing its direct contact with electrical components.
Allied Heat Transfer is an Australian company which specializes in the design, manufacture and maintenance of heat exchangers and heat transfer equipment. Founded in January 2000, the company brought together industrial cooling specialists with a combined 80 years of experience in the industry.
