Condenser design simplified
15 Jan 2000
Brunner Mond's number 2 DCB condenser, which cools and condenses product gases at its Norwich sodium carbonate plant, could not be transported by road because of the sheer size of the condenser shells.
Crane Heatex, designer and manufacturer of heat transfer equipment was brought in to replace five condenser bundles in-situ. Bundles were previously made from steel and aluminium to avoid corrosion with certain process liquids, but aluminium components had to be electrically isolated from all steel components to prevent corrosive galvanic action.
As part of an ongoing modernisation programme, Crane Heatex manufactured the entire bundles from an aluminium alloy, thus simplifying the design and eliminating any opportunity for galvanic action.
Crane also developed a regenerative incompressible seal that maintains a seal whilst responding to geometric change.
