High-Capacity Semi-Welded Plate Heat Exchangers for Heavy Industrial Scaling

The TS45 is a high-capacity, semi-welded plate heat exchanger designed to handle the rigorous thermal demands of energy transition applications, including industrial heat pumps and carbon capture systems. By scaling plate heat exchanger technology to a larger format, this equipment provides a compact alternative to traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers in high-pressure environments.

Technical Evolution of Semi-Welded Cassette Systems
The transition toward a sustainable digital supply chain requires thermal hardware capable of managing extreme loads without the spatial requirements of legacy systems. The TS45 utilizes semi-welded cassette technology, where two plates are laser-welded together to form a sealed channel for aggressive media, while a gasketed interface manages the secondary fluid. This design allows the unit to operate at higher design pressures than standard gasketed exchangers while maintaining the ability to be opened for mechanical cleaning and service.

By increasing the plate dimensions, the TS45 achieves the highest capacity in the manufacturer’s semi-welded portfolio. This scalability addresses a specific market gap where industrial processes previously required multiple smaller units or large, heavy shell-and-tube units to meet flow rate requirements. The increased surface area per plate optimizes heat transfer coefficients, which directly correlates to a reduction in the total physical footprint of the installation.

Application in Energy Transition and Industrial Processes
The engineering of the TS45 targets sectors where robustness and high-volume throughput are non-negotiable. In industrial heat pump applications, the unit facilitates the recovery of waste heat by managing the high-pressure refrigerants necessary for large-scale temperature lifts. Furthermore, the unit is suited for sulphuric acid production and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) facilities. In these environments, the semi-welded construction provides a secure barrier against leakage of hazardous chemicals or concentrated CO2, meeting stringent environmental and safety standards.

Capacity and Efficiency Benchmarks
Compared to traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers, the TS45 offers a significant reduction in weight and space. While shell-and-tube designs rely on massive steel casings to contain pressure, the plate-and-frame architecture of the TS45 uses corrugated plate patterns to create turbulence, which enhances heat transfer efficiency. This allows for closer temperature approaches—the difference between the temperatures of the two fluid streams—resulting in higher energy recovery rates.

According to Madeleine Gilborne, President of Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers at Alfa Laval, the TS45 enables operators to improve efficiency and decarbonize large industrial processes while maintaining the flexibility and serviceability inherent in plate technology. The unit is scheduled for commercial availability starting in the second quarter of 2026.

Edited by Evgeny Churilov, Induportals Media - Adapted by AI.

www.alfalaval.com