Bochum, Germany, 10 April 2012 – From 11 to 13 April 2012, at the new China International Exhibition Center (CIEC), in Beijing, China, GEA will present its extensive portfolio of HVAC and refrigeration components and solutions at the trade fair China Refrigeration 2012 – for applications, of course, not only for China.

Over recent years, the fair China Refrigeration has developed into one of the world’s leading HVAC and refrigeration trade fairs. The international GEA Group will be present at the fair, represented by its Segments GEA Refrigeration Technologies and GEA Heat Exchangers.

GEA will exhibit the following systems: Geneglace ice generators for the production of flake ice, piston compressors from the Grasso V range for industrial refrigeration, screw compressor packages from the Grasso Smart ScrewPack, as well as spiral freezers from GEA Refrigeration Technologies for strict hygienic requirements in food processing. In China, GEA will also present energy-efficient solutions for the natural refrigerant CO2, in addition to Bock compressors for mobile and stationary applications.

In addition, the segment GEA Heat Exchangers will show products from the area of commercial and large-scale commercial refrigeration units: for example, GEA standard air coolers and GEA condensers. These standard air coolers and condensers have been developed and manufactured for the condensation of refrigeration in commercial and industrial applications, including uses in HVAC. The Business Unit GEA PHE Systems will present its brazed plate heat exchangers. The elimination of sealing elements, as well as the hermetically sealed design, satisfy all demanding expectations. These plate heat exchangers can be installed on a small footprint. They are highly versatile in their applications, and are especially service-friendly.

GEA Refrigeration Technologies and GEA Heat Exchangers will have a common stand in the German Pavilion in Hall E1, Stand D63.

On March 30, 2012 GEA PHE Systems Scandinavia AB has been merged with GEA EcoServe Scandinavia AB and GEA Exos Ventilation AB and has been renamed to GEA Heat Exchangers AB. Registered office will continue to be Ystad, Sweden.

GEA Heat Exchangers AB will continue to serve our customers with the systems and solutions so far provided by the aforementioned GEA subsidiaries, i.e. gasketed, welded and brazed plate heat exchangers, and providing after-sales service and service air conditioning.

The sales activities of GEA Exos Ventilation AB will be continued by GEA Air Treatment GmbH (Contact: joerg.huelsmann@geagroup.com, +49 (0) 2325 468240).

At this year's Anuga FoodTec in Cologne from 27th to 30th March GEA PHE Systems is concentrating on three central topics. The exhibition by the leading manufacturer in high-performance plate heat exchanger technology in Hall 4.1, Stand A031/D038  ranges from a live service show to a new milk pasteurizer. The NT 50 M pasteurizer by GEA PHE Systems is an exhibition highlight in two respects:

This latest-generation plate heat exchanger is distinguished by maximum heat transfer rates coupled with low investment costs, setting the standard in the beverage industry. The NT Series has also recently been approved as a milk heater by the Department of Safety and Quality of Milk and Fish Products at the Max Rubner Institute. The focus will also be on a new leak test process for preventative tightness testing of a closed pasteurizer in the form of a live show.

The gasketed NT Series plate heat exchangers are convincing with their efficient OptiWave plate design: The heat transfer surface area was reduced with a simultaneous increase in performance, resulting in lower investment and maintenance costs for the customer. The asymmetrical plate design used in the NT Series guarantees even flow behaviour, offering a clear reduction in the accumulation of deposits specific to the dairy industry, resulting in a long-term improvement in the service life.

These compact units are easy to handle and install and are fitted with innovative, glueless EcoLoc gaskets that can be replaced quickly and simply. This reduces production downtime to a minimum in the case of maintenance being required.

GEA EcoServe, the after-sales & service company of GEA PHE Systems, has developed a leakage testing system to identify even the initial onset of material fatigue without the PHE having to be opened. The service specialists use this new method to quickly test the tightness of the PHE on site and the system will be demonstrated on a NT 100 model in a live show at the Cologne exhibition stand.

This new testing method uses a standard hydrogen-nitrogen mixture (forming gas) that is input into the closed plate heat exchanger on the water side and flows through the plate channels. If one of the heat exchanger plates or heat exchanger tubes has even the smallest hairline crack, then minimum amounts of the forming gas penetrate to the second, water-free media side and can be detected there using a sensor.

The time needed to test a heat exchanger is reduced to around an hour, which is about a twentieth of the time required for a dye penetration test, which is the only other comparable analysis method offering 100% accuracy, but then the heat exchanger has to be opened up. With this new hydrogen method the downtime for the test is decisively reduced.

Bochum, Germany, 24 February 2012 – Carola Wolters (31) has since 15 February 2012 been Director of Marketing and Communications for GEA Heat Exchangers. She is in charge of Public Relations and Marketing activities, and of Internal Communications of the entire GEA Heat Exchangers Segment – which encompasses all heat exchanger activities of GEA Group AG, including climate control (HVAC). She has a degree in business administration and began in 2008 with GEA Group in Bochum, Germany (today: the Düsseldorf location). One year later, she moved to Herne to the Department of Public Relations and Marketing for GEA Air Treatment. She took charge of this department in May of 2010. In summer of 2011 she additionally accepted responsibility for Internal Communications of the GEA Heat Exchangers Segment.

At GEA Heat Exchangers, marketing and communications activities are no longer assigned decentrally to individual business units; instead, they are now consolidated. The Department of Marketing and Communications operates throughout a range of topical areas and is broken down into three fields: Electronic Media, External Communications, and Internal Communications.

Carola Wolters can count on support from, among others, Dr. Nina Remmer (34). She will change to GEA Heat Exchangers in April 2012. As head of Internal Communications, Dr. Remmer will bring extensive experience to her work. After attaining academic qualification in Communication Science and English Studies, and first work experience, she changed to the Corporate Communications Department of GEA Group in 2006. Today she is responsible for Idea and Improvement Management.

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GEA PHE Systems is expanding its Asia Pacific operations. The global leading manufacturer of plate heat exchanger technology is expanding its Singapore presence with a new location to cater for product assembly and after sales service. This is a further step in GEA PHE Systems' successful expansion strategy and consolidates its position as technology and service provider for operators in the most dynamic markets.

Based local sourcing and GEA PHE Systems manufactured main components, the new facility supplies plate heat exchangers for South East Asia industrial and food markets as well as for the Asia Pacific ship yard industry.

Proximity to the customers considerably cuts product supply lead times and logistics and the combined service availability enhance customer’s access to around the clock spare parts and service in one of the world’s largest sea ports. The operation specifically targets improved service levels to the marine sector.
The new location in Tuas offers sales & engineering and 1000 m2 assembly & service workshop including regional spare parts distribution center.

With this new set-up, GEA PHE Systems Asia Pacific & Middle East sales, assembly and service presence is Singapore, Dubai, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Seoul.

Verpoorten has been relying on plate heat exchangers from GEA PHE Systems for over 40 years for advocaat pasteurisation

Bonn is the advocaat capital. In 1876 Eugen Verpoorten founded his "Liqueur Factory" here and developed the recipe for Verpoorten Original, the classic yellow drink. 135 years later the family-run company fills up to 130,000 bottles a day. At the Bonn headquarters 5000 litres of the creamy speciality per hour flow through the production facilities. For more than 40 years the backbone of the production system has been two F 161 plate heat exchangers from GEA PHE Systems used as pasteurisers to guarantee constant high quality, and that are integrated into a state-of-the-art control and automation system. In these classic PHEs with a length of around 3 metres the advocaat is firstly heated and then cooled to reliably preserve the product.

"The plate heat exchangers are real treasures that we can rely on. They use tried-and-tested technology and there's no reason to replace them. Especially as they are fully integrated into our modern production line." says the deputy plant manager Klaus Obermaier in admiration.

The pasteurisers are serviced regularly by GEA EcoServe, the service organisation of GEA PHE Systems. Although there isn't really that much to service with the two F 161 units: 90% of the stainless steel plates responsible for optimum heat transfer during the pasteurisation process have never been replaced. As Verpoorten pumps the viscous liqueur through the system at gentle pressures, the material loading of the stainless steel plates has been low despite the enormous flow rates over the decades. The thermal properties on the other hand are still first-rate even after more than 40 years.

Plate heat exchangers from GEA PHE Systems help in eco-friendly electricity generation.

GEA plate heat exchangers are also making a significant contribution to the worldwide efforts to improve the carbon balance. The capture and underground storage of CO2, already a common procedure in gas processing in the petrochemical industry, is now also to be implemented in coal power stations in spite of the higher emissions and the greater flow rates. The recent decision by the German parliament to approve the Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) process for testing in Germany in support of more eco-friendly electricity generation is following the example of other countries, where trials have already been carried out to store greenhouse gases in geological formations or where equivalent projects are at the planning stage.

The future systems engineer Steffen Machens supports the experts at GEA PHE Systems in the field of CCS technology within the framework of his degree course at the Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences. As a part of his study course the student looked into the use of plate heat exchangers in coal-fired power stations. "GEA has a long tradition in the field of chemical engineering, where the use of amines in conjunction with plate heat exchangers for gas processing is already state of the art. This know-how can be used and expanded for the operating conditions of plate heat exchangers in the field of CO2 capture in large-scale power stations", says Mr. Machens on the work carried out in pilot plants, which also allows important conclusions to be drawn concerning the material resistance of the gaskets and heat exchanger plates used.

In addition to the detailed study of the post-combustion process the other working steps involved in CO2 capture are also being investigated and optimised. Continuous technological further development and the demand for higher efficiency mean that plate heat exchangers are being increasingly used in power stations especially as central (utility) coolers or as turbine lubrication oil coolers.   The plant engineering of the post-combustion process can be easily integrated into existing power station operations and is well suited for retrofitting of existing equipment. This is where compact designs and heat transfer efficiency count – and this is why the fully-welded GEABloc, which can also be opened for simplified cleaning, and the NT Series with the wide range of available plate sizes and gasket materials are ideally suited for this purpose.

Fully-welded and gasketed plate heat exchangers made by GEA have been successfully tested for two years in pilot plants, where the CCS process is used to reduce atmospheric emissions and where optimum heat transfer efficiency is required in CO2 absorption and regeneration.

In the efforts to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol as quickly as possible, the CCS technology, supported and successfully tested using GEA plate heat exchangers, should be fitted in an ever increasing number of retrofitted power stations.

Reward for a perfect example of creative teamwork

This year’s winner of the GEA Group Innovation Contest comes from GEA PHE Systems: a team from GEA WTT, responsible for the development and production of brazed plate heat exchangers within the PHE BU, has won the 2011 GEA Innovation Contest.
On 27th June the Wilchwitz-based company triumphed in the contest between the individual segments with its GEA BoxFrame GG Series. This had already been successful in the HX-internal elimination contest as the best heat exchanger solution, and has now also been recognised by the GEA Board and the Segment Heads, who awarded the top prize to the innovation. That the GEA BoxFrame heat exchanger is a total success not only with the customers, but also at group level, is worthy of praise. The Innovation Contest of the GEA Group is open to projects currently under development that can achieve market maturity within a year.

The basic principle of the BoxFrame, which is extremely simple to produce, assemble and install, convinced the jury. With a first-rate and emotional presentation the intelligent design of the GG Series was so convincing that the overall victory was a sure thing for GEA WTT.  The triumph of the GG Series, which is free of non-ferrous metals, and offers a compact basic design and special gaskets, easy-to-install stainless steel plates and revolutionary BoxFrame design, meant that the GEA Heat Exchangers Segment carried away the prize of a cheque for 700,000 euros from Düsseldorf.

The original idea for the GG came from an innovative team made up of GEA WTT specialists from a range of different divisions without any fixed hierarchy. "Within this working environment known as "constructive anarchy" everyone involved in the project made it their own personal project", says Andreas Dunkel, Director BPHE and Managing Director (Spokesman) of GEA WTT. The best argument for the ecologically and economically convincing GG Series is that its intelligent design makes it unrivalled on the market in respect of extremely low investment and installation costs.

GEA PHE Systems is presenting its GEASkid plate heat exchanger model for the processing industry at the Power-Gen in Milan

Double reliability: at the Power-Gen in Milan, 7th – 9th June, in Hall 5/Stand C 39, the leading manufacturer in plate heat exchanger technology, GEA PHE Systems, is presenting its established NT Series in the GEASkid version – a plate heat exchanger module with permanent standby function, comprising two completely independent PHEs designed to make machine downtimes caused by maintenance a thing of the past. This guarantees continuous plant operation and prevents any possible faults in the cooling cycle from the outset.

The GEASkid was specially developed to meet the safety requirements in power stations and its strengths come to the fore in lubricating oil cooling. The module is fitted with two identical high-performance gasketed plate heat exchangers from the NT Series that are installed in a space-saving way on a single frame. The space requirements are considerably reduced in comparison with shell-and-tube heat exchangers, offering sustainable minimization of installation and maintenance costs.

Only a single unit is required to provide reliable turbine cooling. If one plate heat exchanger fails or has to be serviced, then you can immediately switch over to the stand-by heat exchanger without having to interrupt the cooling cycle. This guarantees 100 percent process reliability.

The NT Series is fitted with glueless EcoLoc gaskets that can be replaced quickly and easily. Thanks to the PosLoc system the plate heat exchanger has a self-centring plate pack to guarantee perfect fit of the plates and gaskets and ensure excellent process reliability.

The GEASkid module is designed in accordance with the individually required configuration. Thermometers and pressure gauges can be integrated.

The GEA common stand, in addition to the GEASkid, will also see GEA PHE Systems exhibiting the fully welded GEABloc high-performance plate heat exchanger for the processing industry. In spite of its fully welded plate pack this PHE can be opened up to enable easy maintenance and cleaning. The plates are available in two different corrugation designs, with the herringbone pattern enabling efficient heat transfer and the dimple pattern being the first choice for highly viscous media. These units provide good heat recovery rates, have extremely low space requirements and also offer the possibility of easy cleaning.

GEA PHE Systems screens nickel-brazed PHEs using neutron tomography

The prerequirement for a perfectly finished nickel-brazed plate heat exchanger is to use exactly the right amount of brazing material, no more and no less. And it is important that the brazing material is only applied where it should be, and nowhere else. As the market leader in plate heat exchanger technology GEA PHE Systems relies on the verifiability of its own quality standards, screens its nickel-brazed PHEs using the neutron tomography testing method and, as a world first, can provide 3D images from inside a plate heat exchanger.

The so-called PSI method impressively visualises the gap filling property and the distribution of the brazing material as well as the shaping of the contact points, offering visual verification of the exact fitting of the components and of the optimum gap dimensions in relation to the corresponding braze composition and braze regime – a novel feature.

GEA PHE Systems commissioned the Paul Scherrer Institute/Switzerland to carry out the study. Neutron tomography guarantees a three-dimensional image of the interior of the brazed unit and reveals whether the plate packs are precisely brazed and that no more brazing material than necessary has been used. This is particularly crucial for drinking water applications.

This is because approval for drinking water applications was dependent until now on a maximum of 5% of the surface coming into contact with the water being brazing material. Using the PSI method the target value can be determined visually and is verifiable for the very first time.

This non-destructive testing method speeds up the research and further development of alternative braze types as well and allows groundbreaking plate designs. The tomography allows GEA engineers to obtain relevant and reliable information concerning contact points and seam shape of the corresponding design considerably faster and means that the corrugated surface of the plates can be optimally designed, guaranteeing the highest level of strength and pressure stability.

At the same time the innovative PSI method enables exact fault localisation in the development process. Until now this was where conventional methods reached their technical limitations. The new method reduces both time and development costs required for new PHE ranges and sets clear quality standards.

The Bochum-based GEA Group has agreed a framework delivery agreement with Bayer AG, Leverkusen, and the specialty chemicals company Lanxess, Leverkusen. The contract is open-ended, lays down reciprocal global delivery terms among the companies and also applies to all subsidiaries of the three contracting partners. In future this will simplify purchasing activities and accelerate delivery times. The agreement was initiated by GEA PHE Systems, based in Sarstedt. Following a one-year preparatory period the agreement was signed by the managing directors of the participating companies in Leverkusen at the end of January.

GEA Group AG is one of the largest system providers in foodstuffs production and energy with a group turnover of around 5 billion euros in 2008. The company has a staff of around 20,000 and is active in 50 countries throughout the world.

The GEA Group reorganised its internal structure with effect from 1st January 2010 and focussed company competence into five business segments. One of these segments is formed by GEA Heat Exchangers, where GEA has concentrated its heat exchanger activities to underscore its position as global market leader. GEA PHE Systems is responsible for plate heat exchanger technology within this segment.

In 2008 Lanxess GmbH had earnings of 6.58 billion euros and specializes in premium products. Lanxess has a total of 46 production locations and a workforce of 14,600 in 23 countries.

In the 2008 business year Bayer AG enjoyed a global group turnover of close to 33 billion euros. Over 350 individual companies operate under the umbrella of the holding company. The core competence of Bayer AG is centred on pharmaceuticals and chemicals. The Group has more than 108,000 employees throughout the world (as at 31st Dec. 2008).

The global framework agreement initiated by GEA PHE Systems standardizes delivery terms and conditions among the three companies and streamlines the processes effectively.

GEA is exhibiting new plate heat exchanger ranges at the ISH

GEA PHE Systems, the leading manufacturer in plate heat exchanger technology (PHE), is exhibiting no less than three innovations at this year's ISH/Frankfurt, 15th to 19th March, Hall 11/Stand B91. The exhibition highlight is the new GG Series, free of non-ferrous metals and therefore corrosion-proof, that sets new standards with its innovative BoxFrame design, combining the advantages of both gasketed and brazed PHEs. GEA PHE Systems is also presenting the new NT 30 that rounds off the bottom end of the gasketed NT range. The third innovation is the new CDH frame range, designed for operation at 10 bars and therefore a cost-favourable option for building engineering applications.

The new GG Series was developed specifically for drinking water applications, where until now brazed plate heat exchangers were used, but excessive salinity tended to cause corrosion. This compact PHE stands out with its newly developed frame design – the BoxFrame. This is a box-type steel enclosure that does not come into contact with the media. The direct force transmission of the tensioning bolts means that smaller frame cross-sections can be fitted. The result is an extremely space-saving gasketed plate heat exchanger.

The high-quality special steel heat exchanger plates (AISI 316/1.4401) are combined with a special NBR gasket to provide two-fold separation at the intake section. This reliably ensures that there is no intermixing of the media in the area of the connectors.

The GG Series is free of non-ferrous metals and available in two sizes, the GG 240 H and the GG 500 H for pressures of 10 and 16 bars. The main field of application for the GG Series is where clean drinking water is a major factor. The GG Series guarantees reliability in ensuring drinking water quality.

With the new NT 30 GEA PHE Systems is augmenting its established NT product range with a small-sized model to round off the bottom of the range. This compact PHE is fitted with stainless steel plates, has standard pipe thread connectors (DIN 2999, 1.4571) and can therefore be easily integrated into existing systems. EPDM and NBR are used as gasket materials. The maximum flow rate is 16 m3/h.

"Reducing to essentials" is the motto followed by GEA PHE Systems for the new CDH frames. The frame plates have been clearly reduced in thickness with corresponding cost savings. The reduction of the cross-section of the tensioning bolts was compensated by using a greater number of bolts, which in turn causes a more balanced pretensioning of the plate pack. The frame design is best suited for applications in building engineering where pressure levels of up to 10 bars are the rule, making it unnecessary to have much higher and costly safety reserves that are required in other fields of application.

The CDH frame series is being offered in two sizes: NT 50 CDH and NT 100 CDH. NBR is used for the gaskets. The plates are made of stainless steel (AISI 316/1.4401). The units are designed for a temperature of +100°C and a maximum pressure of 10 bars. The PHEs are available in two beam lengths (60 and 120) and are also fitted with standard pipe thread connectors.

The NT Series has been specially developed to meet the particular demands placed in building engineering. The gasketed plate heat exchangers feature the efficient OptiWave plate design: the heat transfer surface is reduced with a simultaneous increase in performance, resulting in reductions in both investment and maintenance for the customer. These compact units are simple to install and handle and are fitted with innovative EcoLoc gasket technology. Thanks to the PosLoc system the plates fit perfectly to one another so that the plate pack is stable and perfectly aligned in every situation and the gaskets remain functioning for longer.

GEA is exhibiting plate heat exchanger leakage testing system at the Maintenance in Duisburg

GEA EcoServe, the after-sales & service company within GEA PHE Systems, one of the leading manufacturers in plate heat exchanger technology (PHE), has developed a leakage testing system to detect initial material fatigue without any need to open up the heat exchanger unit. This reduces costs noticeably, increases process reliability and minimizes downtimes. GEA PHE Systems will be offering live demonstrations of this process at Stand B15 at the specialist trade fair "Maintenance 2011" in Duisburg, Germany, 23rd to 24th February.

Until now leakages in PHEs could only be detected after the plate had ruptured. Now for the first time preventative and reliable leakage testing can be carried out without opening the heat exchanger. This new testing method by GEA PHE Systems charges a standard hydrogen-nitrogen mixture (forming gas) into the closed plate heat exchanger on the water side and this then flows through the plate channels.

If one of the heat exchanger plates or tubes has the smallest hairline crack, then minimal amounts of the forming gas penetrate to the second, water-free product side and can be detected there by a sensor.

The time needed to test a heat exchanger is reduced to around an hour, which is about a twentieth of the time need for a dye penetration test, which is the only other comparable analysis method offering 100% accuracy, but here the heat exchanger has to be opened up. With this new hydrogen method the downtime for the test is decisively reduced.

GEA EcoServe, the after-sales & service company of GEA PHE Systems, uses this new process on location to quickly test the tightness of PHEs and will be offering live demonstrations of the process on a NT 50 X model at the GEA stand in Duisburg. The PHE service specialist guarantees a fast and competent on-site service around the clock for all plate heat exchangers installed at a facility, irrespective of the PHE manufacturer. Their technicians maintain and repair PHEs of all makes, monitor production processes and offer an all-round service from a single source. Worldwide thanks to the global network of service locations.

GEA PHE Systems is supplying three NT 500 plate heat exchangers as seawater coolers for new LDPE facility in Qatar.

Qatar Petrochemical Co. has contracted the Dortmund-based plant engineering company Uhde GmbH to implement the third expansion phase of the production facility for Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) granulate using the Basell Lupotech T^® process in Mesaieed, 40 kilometres south of Doha on the Arabian Gulf by 2011. Uhde is installing three NT 500 high-performance plate heat exchangers from GEA PHE Systems to ensure reliable cooling for the huge machine park in the desert sands. The PHEs are to be integrated into the machinery cooling water circuit as seawater coolers. Every hour 6000 m³ of seawater flow through the PHEs fitted with titanium plates to cool 6000 m³ of machinery cooling water in counterflow. The NT 500 sets standards with regard to performance and was the new product highlight at last  year's Achema Fair.

Two of the NT 500 M, each weighing 16.5 tonnes and around four metres in height, are connected in parallel in order to handle the huge flow rate. As a coupled pair they have a combined capacity of 52 MW and guarantee process reliability in the cooling circuit. The third plate heat exchanger is installed as an additional back-up and can be called into service when required. This allows maintenance work to be carried out on one of the PHEs while the process is still running, avoiding any plant downtime and any resulting loss in production.

Designed specifically for large flow rates the NT 500 demonstrates its strengths where previously a battery of smaller units had to be interconnected at greater costs to achieve the same performance. This is also the case in Mesaieed, where the industrial complex has been continuously expanding since 1996. The latest expansion phase of the production facilities also represents a quality increase in the production capacities. Due to space restrictions Uhde had to design the plant as compact as possible and this was one of the reasons for selecting the NT 500.

The cooling water cycle will be started up already in mid 2011 and will be in continuous operation. The actual processing plant is scheduled for handover in 2011. Qatar Petrochemical Company is the first petrochemical complex established in the Arabian Gulf on 1977 and is a global supplier of ethylene, (low density and linear low density) polyethylene and sulphur.

GEA PHE Systems is visualizing the energy efficiency of pasteurizers at the Brau

The German energy balance is disillusioning. Every single person in Germany generates around 150 t of CO2 per head every year. And the individual consumer can't make any significant improvement to this figure, but the manufacturing industry can. Here energy costs can be lastingly reduced with the help of energy recovery and plant components exactly matched to each other. For the first time at the Brau/Nuremberg, 10th to 12th November, Hall 7/7-602 GEA PHE Systems is focussing on the reciprocal effect of heat recovery rates and energy efficiency in the beverages industry.

The leading manufacturer in plate heat exchanger technology has developed a program to visualise the influence of differing pasteurizer heat recovery rates on investment costs, energy savings and CO2 emissions.

The decisive factor here is that the reciprocal effects of all components are taken into consideration. To this end, the specific performance characteristics and energy data of all commercially available pumps, compressors and the GEA plate heat exchangers are stored in a database. The fourth parameter is the gas price and this is also entered into the computation. At the touch of a button the program compares all of the available parameters with each other and analyses which pasteurizer is the ideal component to guarantee the best possible energy efficiency.

The plate heat exchangers from GEA PHE Systems enable recovery of up to 96% of the energy input into the process. However, the highest heat recovery rate does not necessarily mean the best possible energy efficiency. Not to mention investment and running costs. And this is exactly what the database program demonstrates in a very clear way.

The program was originally developed exclusively for internal use to offer plant engineers and their customers the optimum solution to meet specific customer requirements under realistic conditions, and not just in consideration of what is technologically possible.

GEA PHE Systems is exhibiting plate heat exchanger models to reduce NOx and SOx emissions at the SMM

At this year's SMM in Hamburg the emphasis is very much on environmental protection and sustainability. The topic is predicated by the international provisions of the IMO to reduce pollutant emissions from shipping in stages by 80% by the year 2016. In Hall 3/Stand 240 at this leading trade fair (7th – 10th September) GEA PHE Systems is exhibiting innovative plate heat exchangers designed to provide sustainable reductions in NOx and SOx emissions. For example, the NT Series for efficient cooling of light fuel oils for residue-free combustion and also the GEAShell as both heater and cooler in LNG operation. With these developments the international technology leader in plate heat exchanger construction is opening up new perspectives for shipping.

Even in the first stage stricter environmental provisions have applied since July 2010 for the pollutant emission of sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides in the high-traffic emission control areas, where sulphur content has to be reduced to 1.5 %. New limit values for the fuels were stipulated as binding, meaning that international shipping had been forced since then to increasingly use light fuel oil instead of heavy oil. The light fuel oils require a minimum viscosity in compliance with the recommendations of the engine manufacturers.

With the NT Series GEA PHE Systems is offering a flexibly scalable and space-saving system for the required cooling of light fuel oil. Due to the targeted cooling the light fuel oil has a viscosity below the level of 3cST recommended by leading engine manufacturers and reduces combustion residues. And this helps to reduce emission levels even further. The PHE cooler is installed externally so that no changes are necessary to the engine itself, making retrofitting easy.

The NT Series has been specially developed to meet the conditions prevailing at sea. The gasketed plate heat exchangers are convincing with their efficient OptiWave plate design: The heat transfer surface area was kept smaller with a simultaneous increase in performance and the investment and maintenance costs for the customer reduced. These compact units are simple to install and handle and are fitted with innovative EcoLoc gasket technology. Thanks to the PosLoc system the plates fit perfectly to one another so that the plate pack is stable and perfectly aligned in every situation and the gaskets remain functioning for longer.

The NT range of coolers is available in various nominal connection diameters and pressure ratings, can be designed for use with seawater or freshwater and also fitted optionally with thermostats, valves and pressure gauges.

In order to be in a position even today to meet the long-term demands of IMO to reduce the sulphur content from the current level of 4.5% to 0.5 % in steps by the year 2020, and to be on the safe side, LNG is becoming of increasing importance as a fuel. The first steps were made by the large LNG tankers that are used to transport the liquefied gas over the oceans and where, so to speak, they have their own fuel supply already on board.

Gas for combustion in ship's engines has to be firstly heated up on board. With the fully-welded GEAShell GEA PHE Systems is offering a high-performance plate heat exchanger that is a reliable gas re-condenser for use both as heater and as cooler, offering even today the future for the next  engine generation. As gas combusts more or less without pollutants and therefore releases no emissions, the trend in view of the more restrictive environmental regulations is moving towards engines fitted with re-condensers.

GEA PHE Systems is exhibiting at the SMM 2010 at a common stand together with GEA Westfalia Separator, GEA Grenco, GEA Maschinenkühltechnik and GEA Bloksma as system partners for the marine industry.

Cooly thought-out - GEA Refrigeration Technologies and GEA Heat Exchangers at Chillventa 2010 in Nuremberg - 13 to 15 October 2010, Hall 4, Stand 4-318

Bochum, Germany, 24. August 2010 – At the Chillventa trade fair in October, GEA Refrigeration Technologies and GEA Heat Exchangers, both Segments of GEA Group, will show technical innovations for cooling, climate control, and heat exchange – well as the ways that synergism develops in the Group.

GEA Refrigeration Technologies specializes in industrial refrigeration systems for the food and beverage industry, maritime applications, the oil and gas industries, building services, and leisure facilities. Thanks to their increasing use of natural refrigerants such as NH₃ and CO₂, as well as enhanced energy efficiency, these systems contribute to greater climate protection in industrial processes.

One example is the ACR Compressor from GEA Grasso (see illustration), with up to 130 bar of operating pressure for transcritical CO₂ systems. This product opens new possibilities for refrigeration technology and for heat pumps, and has already proven satisfactory in practice. This new compressor is employed in the HHS 1000 heat pump from the thermea company – a solution that, on the basis of its energy efficiency, received the 2009 Refrigeration Prize of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.

One example for maximum efficiency with a minimum of operating expense is provided by the reciprocating compressors in the V Range. These compressors were optimized for low life-cycle costs:  made possible by lowered energy consumption and halving of oil usage with respect to predecessor models, as well as by optimization of maintenance intervals and cost with the aid of their Maintenance Monitor. Because of the great demand for models V700 and V1100, the V Range is being expanded by adding two further models with greater compression duty. These models, the V1400 and V1800, will be available beginning in 2011. Planning is also for rounding off the GEA Grasso V Range toward lower duty levels. In addition, preparations are being made to place dual-stage models on the market within the coming years.

With its latest range of AWP Safety Valves (see illustration), GEA contributes to the trend toward environmentally benign refrigerants. These valves offer response pressures of up to 63 bar, compared to a maximum of 28 bar for their predecessor range. As a result, these new valve fittings are optimally suited for CO₂ refrigeration systems, since compressors with the natural refrigerant CO₂ operate at pressures substantially greater than with compressors using conventional refrigerants. With respect to selection of materials and effectiveness of seal, GEA developers have also taken into account the medium CO₂ in order to achieve greater efficiency and long service life. The new valve fittings are available in the version AWP SVA as backpressure-dependent valves, and as version AWP SVU as backpressure-independent models.

The GEA Heat Exchangers Segment will show selected product models to demonstrate how environmental friendliness can go hand in hand with an increased process profitability.

In accordance with trends in its sister Segment, GEA Heat Exchangers offers new brazed plate heat exchangers. Produced by GEA PHE Systems the GML Range (see illustration) is designed for high pressure applications and therefore suitable for CO₂ refrigeration systems.

The GEA Goedhart heat-exchanger solutions are directed to other applications. The AU Range (see illustration) was developed for slaughterhouses. These coolers are designed to be suspended from ceiling rails, and their cooling stream of air is directly guided to the product hanging below. This assures great cooling effects with low energy consumption and contributes to meat production with a minimum of pathogens.

For application in fruit storage facilities, GEA has developed slender Goedhart Air Coolers. They offer optimal air circulation at low temperature differences, and act against dehydrating effects in fruit and the rooms in which it is stored. Electronically commutated motors assure power-economical operation.

In the area of climate control of computer centers, GE offers with its Denco Range solutions for the particular requirements in this field. Denco systems ensure constant temperatures and humidity in climate-controlled rooms:  e.g., in IT facilities. In the new Denco models being presented at Chillventa, developers have minimized internal pressure drop on the water and air sides. The result is reduction of fan energy consumption by approximately 50 %. When employed in high-performance service environments, the combination of climate-control facilities with an automatic pressure-controlled system provides exact regulation and optimization of the pressure prevailing under raised floors. This solution enables further reduction of power consumption and effectively prevents the dreaded hot spots in a server suite.

Heat exchangers are used in many areas of a sugar factory, from the raw-juice through to sugar drying and from flume water to the oil cooler. Plate heat exchangers (PHE) are used in most cases nowadays.

1.  Shell-and-tube, spiral-, or plate heat exchangers for unfiltered media.

Up to 20 years ago the sugar industry used almost exclusively shell-and-tube type heat exchangers that were good for heating with vapours, but less suited for heating with condensate or falling water. Spiral heat exchangers were therefore more suited due to the precise counterflow. The plate heat exchangers (PHEs, Fig. 1) used in the first applications in the sugar industry were the classic version with very narrow gaps between the plates and with many supporting points. The later generation of PHEs, the so-called free flow heat exchangers, have wider gaps between the plates and are therefore less susceptible to scaling and deposits (Fig. 2). In 1984 the first large-size Free Flow plate heat exchanger, the FA 184, was developed by GEA Ecoflex for the sugar industry, and in 1992 the well established FA 192 model followed that was finished just in time for the new sugar factories in Könnern, Zeitz and Klein Wanzleben.

The main advantage of PHEs was that plates with different design features (e.g. corrugations) were developed so that with the relevant experience the suitable plate can be selected for just about every heating and evaporation process. Optimum plate profiling and plate gaps tailored to suit the specific application and the correct design resulted in the highest heat transfer coefficients (K-values) with plate heat exchangers and plate evaporators and therefore in the smallest specific heating areas with resulting reduction in investment costs. This is also due to the compact design with low operating weight, i.e. lower installation costs and lower juice volume.

Thanks to the compact design with small external surfaces made up only of the frame plate and the gaskets, there is generally no need for any thermal insulation. The low juice volume is also of advantage in emptying and chemical cleaning of the unit, as only a correspondingly smaller amount of flushing and cleaning solution is needed. Furthermore heating surfaces of the PHEs can be increased easily by installing a greater number of plates, so that changes can be made to suit just about any operating conditions.

Heat exchangers K-values also depend on flow velocity, turbulence and self-cleaning effect. Increasing K-values also naturally cause increasing pressure drop. This is why it is of great advantage that the PHE can be adapted to suit the changed conditions not only in respect of the heating surface but also with regard to pressure drop and K-value. All other heat exchanger types are less flexible and allow optimum design for only one specific application and flow rate.

Elements of a GEA PHE Systems plate heat exchanger: (Fig.1)

1. Support beam
2. Guiding bar
3. Loose plate
4. Tightening bolt
5. Carrying beam
6. Heat exchanger plates
7. Fixed plate

When heating using vapours from evaporation crystallization however, Free Flow heat exchangers with their maximum steam connection of DN 350 reach their limits. Factories with a high daily capacity, where you don’t want to have two or more free flow heat exchangers installed in parallel, they need a specially designed shell-and-tube heat exchanger for raw juice. But this type is however very large and very expensive. The heat exchanger heated with the vapours from evaporation crystallization for heating the raw juice also has the disadvantage that it is installed at the height level of the evaporation crystallization and the raw juice has to be pumped to that level. The length of the juice line is also unfavourable from a microbiological viewpoint especially with its low temperature level. This is why for raw juice heating the heat exchanger is heated using falling water instead of the vapours from evaporation crystallization and this has proved to be a good solution as there is then no need to pump the raw juice up to a heat exchanger at the height level of the vacuum pans. The falling water temperature can be increased using spray nozzles or with a two-stage condenser. Either two condensers arranged in series (Fig. 4) or a vertically arranged condenser tower can be used for this.

Like raw juice, or juices and waste liquids containing solids cannot be heated up in the classic PHE version, but Free Flow heat exchangers have to be used as the solids block up the more effective narrower plate gaps more or less quickly. This also applies to filtrate or thin juice 1 after the 1^st filtration stage: Firstly this juice is mostly not as clearly filtrated as the thin juice before the evaporation plant. Secondly the formation of deposits is often quite considerable especially in this PHE. However free flow heat exchangers are considerably more expensive than the PHEs described above due to their greater plate thickness and the lower K-value caused by the wider free flow gap. This is what makes the decision with thin juice 1 particularly difficult – depending on the quality of the 1^st filtration stage and the deposit thickness – whether you should install a free flow heat exchanger or a classic plate heat exchanger with a second stand-by heat exchanger (for cleaning).

(Fig.2 + Fig 3.)

2.  The NT series for clear filtrated media (Fig. 4)

The thin juice before the evaporation plant is clearly filtrated and should not contain any rust or other solids. So the NT series of GEA PHE Systems are the right solution for its heating. The heating medium can be either normal vapours or calandria vapours. When using calandria vapours the evaporation units are best degassed and the heat of the degassing vapours is best used exergetically step-by-step. On the other hand the condensation temperature of the calandria vapours is somewhat lower so that the temperature difference between juice and vapours is around 2 K lower. Therefore the realistic and economic difference is not 1–2 K, but 3–4 K. The same applies for the heat exchanger where the heat from all degassed vapours is utilised in one unit. However in this case the condensation temperature of the mixture corresponds to that of the coldest vapour.

If the water evaporation rate in the evaporation unit is not adequate, or the waste steam pressure is too high, then the obvious choice is a low temperature difference in the heat exchangers and a waste-steam-heated thin-juice heat exchanger as the most cost-favourable option to improve the evaporation performance. This waste-steam-heated heat exchanger can also be used as a pre-evaporation unit to improve downstream evaporator performance and therefore increase the corresponding vapour temperature. To extend the life time of the gaskets in the turbine exhaust steam heated thin-juice heater the turbine exhaust steam should always be used as vapours from the 1^st calandria . This is the only way to ensure that the steam is no longer overheated and the 1^st effect is degassed in an optimum way.

"Normal" PHEs are generally used In the sugar house with the exception of the heat exchangers for remelt, because the run-offs have already passed through the centrifugal screen. However, crystals and other solids caused by overfilling the centrifuge or by "bottom run-offs" or so-called "sweepings" in the run-off can therefore reach the heat exchanger. In this case to be on the safe side you should always use a free flow heat exchanger (e.g. with a 5 mm free flow gap). This type has also proved its value as a heat exchanger for remelt and to improve the performance of the sugar melting station as a circulation heater. If there is no guarantee that the fine crystals have all been dissolved in the run-off, then two heat exchangers are used for run-off, with the second heat exchanger heating up the run-off using vapours to around 90° C, and the first heat exchanger setting the desired temperature using run-off against run-off.

3.  Cleaning the GEA PHE Systems heat exchangers

It is still often the case, especially with Free Flow heat exchangers, that these are opened up and cleaned using high-pressure cleaners, although there are experienced companies that can examine the deposits and recommend relevant cleaning chemicals. It is often sufficient to add a small amount of Kebosol or Lithsolvent to the alkaline or acidic solution to achieve the desired cleaning effect with adequate circulation and reverse flushing, as with the juice, even if the unit has to be opened later for emptying. With clarified juice or thin juice 1 and thin juice 2 on the other hand hard deposits are formed similar to those in the evaporation plant. As in the evaporator unit these often have to be firstly disintegrated using an alkaline solution so that they can then be removed using formic acid or amidosulfonic acid. It is often sufficient for the corresponding cleaning solvent to be pumped through the heat exchangers into the evaporator units just as the thin juice.

In selecting the suitable heat exchanger attention should be paid not only to the performance data alone. Often environmental conditions and legal regulations are also of importance. This is why all boundary conditions should be considered in designing and selecting the right heat exchanger.

Case Study: Helping to quench the world's thirst

Clean drinking water is a valuable asset. More than a billion people have no access to this primary staple commodity. And global water consumption will continue to increase. Estimates predict by up to 40 percent by 2025. Solutions are called for. This is also what Dr. Ulrich Plantikow thought 10 years ago, when he built a regenerative seawater desalination plant on the German island of Rügen. The mobile pilot plant uses the power of the wind to produce fresh water from seawater. Plantikow's approach was met with great interest throughout the world. Particularly in tourist regions and in countries where water is scarce, fresh water obtained by desalinating seawater can solve acute shortage problems. And this is why in previous years there has been a certain expectancy from the small research plant run by WME GmbH on the Baltic island of Rügen.

The pilot phase was completed some months ago. WME GmbH, based in Dranke on Ruegen, erected the first commercial-scale plant on the Greek island of Symi, 23 kilometres to the north of Rhodes. Up until now the island was supplied with drinking water by ships. GEA PHE Systems supplied the plate heat exchangers for this pioneering plant. A 350 kilowatt wind turbine produces electricity for a vacuum evaporator that can supply up to 20 cubic metres of desalinated water per hour at maximum wind speeds. This is sufficient to supply around 3000 people per day. The seawater desalination plant works on the principle of mechanical vapour compression (MVC) using a falling film evaporator. The seawater flows through two plate heat exchangers arranged in parallel and is preheated.

GEA PHE Systems installed two NT 150 plate heat exchangers fitted with titanium plates. The gasketed heat exchangers are distinguished by optimised plate profiling that requires less heat transfer surface to achieve the same performance. This means that the units can be kept small in size, which is an essential prerequisite considering the restricted space conditions available in the containers. These plate heat exchangers were developed using the latest hydro- and thermodynamic know-how in cooperation with the University of Hannover.

A degassing unit and a vacuum pump extract all non-condensable gases from the water so that a temperature of between 40 and 85 degrees Celsius and a steam pressure of between 100 and 550 millibars are sufficient to evaporate the water. A heat recovery system ensures that the efficiency of the plant remains attractive. The power consumption is between 6 and 15 kilowatt hours per cubic metre of drinking water. There are certain special aspects to be considered when operating plants using regenerative energy and in particular with wind power. As the wind does not blow at a constant rate the whole time, the electrical power generated also fluctuates severely. The desalination plants cannot be operated at a constant performance as with conventional systems and have to be adapted to suit the severe fluctuations in the power available. The WME GmbH system operates using modified steam compression - a modified heat pump process.

This method makes it possible to take up the complete generator output even under blustery wind conditions and to use this at high efficiency for desalination. Instead of surplus electrical energy the surplus drinking water produced during strong wind periods is stored in water reservoirs. During light wind periods the stored water can be used to offset any deficits. A restart after a period of wind calm is possible in seconds. Of particular interest in this development is that besides the exclusive use of regenerative wind power no eco-unfriendly chemicals have to be used in the desalination process. These chemicals could cause widespread ocean pollution where the concentrated seawater from the desalination plant is discharged into the sea.

The WME seawater desalination plant is a mobile and compact plant concept in a container design. Each container contains a complete unit. This design allows simple transportation and installation logistics throughout the world and guarantees optimum protection of the plant against any effects of the weather.

Trust is a fine thing, but testing is safer – that's obviously what a customer from the United Arab Emirates thought when ordering three NX 150 models from GEA PHE Systems. Prior to delivery the smaller version of the NX 250 was to be subjected to external performance testing on an independent third-party test bench. GEA PHE Systems contracted DMT GmbH & Co. KG in Essen to carry out a performance test in accordance with DIN 1216, i.e. under real conditions. DMT is an internationally active, independent engineering and consulting company and a member of the TÜV NORD Group which operates various testing laboratories for refrigeration and air conditioning engineering for up to 2 MW of refrigeration performance. The NX 150 was developed for efficient district cooling - for high-performance long-distance cooling systems requiring minimum temperature differences and maximum pressure resistance.

40 percent of energy saved

In addition to power, heat and water, district cooling is one of the most modern forms of utility services. Whole buildings and districts can be supplied with centrally generated cold water for air conditioning. One refrigeration unit provides sufficient performance for a large number of buildings or even for a complete neighbourhood. This means that a large number of conventional air conditioning units and cooling systems can be replaced, saving up to 40 percent energy in comparison with conventional concepts. District cooling engineering is particularly popular in the Gulf Region where it is used to provide centralised air conditioning for residential areas, shopping malls and industrial estates.

One central system saves space and costs

The strength of the NX Series comes to the fore particularly in high buildings as a pressure breaker and in extreme climate zones. Numerous separate systems can be replaced by one single central unit, meaning space can be saved with resulting reductions in the costs for investments, operation and maintenance. The NX is also convincing with its performance, energy efficiency and reliability. The OptiWave plate design and the EcoLoc gasket guarantee the highest heat transfer rates and extreme pressure stability with above-average safety reserves.

All expectations were exceeded

In the performance measurement according to DIN, the NX 150 exceeded all expectations on the test bench in Essen. It safely passed the performance test and even had capacity in reserve. This was good news both for the client in the United Arab Emirates and for the development team at GEA PHE Systems.