Indirect Plate Heat Exchangers for Cooling
Fertilizer offer long term operating
performance
6th to 10th of May 2013. AGADIR MOROCO
Neville Jordison Solex Thermal Science Inc. Canada
A Brief History
o
Indirect Heat Exchanger introduced to the fertilizer industry approximately 25 years ago
o
Today more than 100 coolers installed in fertilizer plants round the world
o
Equipment operating successfully in every type of fertilizer
- Urea (prills & granules), AN, CAN, LDAN, NPK, MAP, DAP, AS
o
Company History
•
1990 - creation of Bulkflow Heat Exchangers – a technology division within
Cominco Engineering Services Ltd
•
1999 - BULKFLOW TECHNOLOGIES is incorporated with headquarters in
Calgary, Canada
•
2008 - Rebranded as Solex Thermal Science Inc to enhance profile as a world
leader in the science of heating and cooling bulk solids
Advantages compared to Air
Cooling (Rotary or Fluid Bed)
o Low energy consumption
o No air usage – eliminates chillers,
fans ducts and scrubber
o Compact design
o Lower installed capital cost
Principle of Operation
Combines the science of
mass flow with indirect heat
transfer
•
•
•
•
Product flows slowly by gravity
between water cooled plates
Product flows in uniform velocity
mass flow
Water flows counter-current
inside plates
Heat Exchange by conduction
The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
What causes Caking ?
HYGROSCOPIC
PRODUCT
HUMIDITY
IN VOID SPACE
WATER COOLED
PLATES
CONDENSATION
CAKING ON
PLATES
×
The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
Preventing the Caking Mechanism
ADD PURGE
AIR TO LOWER
DEWPOINT
CORRECT
WATER TEMP
PROFILE
PURGE
AIR
ELIMINATE
CONDENSATION
NO CAKING

The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
The CRH Curve
The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
Thermal Modelling – Process Input Conditions
The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
Thermal Modelling – Output Temperature Profile
The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
Ensuring Water Temperature is above the Dew Point
Water temperature
must be to right of
dewpoint line to
prevent condensation
mechanism
The Secret to Long Term Operating Performance
Complete System
o Tempered Water Module to
provide controlled cooling
water temperatures
o Purge air system controlled
flowrate and dewpoint
o Instrumentation and
Control System
Pilot Testing at OCP Jorf Lasfar
o DAP
o Product Inlet Temperature
65 – 75°C
o Maintain discharge
temperature below 50°C
o Demonstrate long term run
capability without caking
Pilot Testing at OCP Jorf Lasfar
PRODUCT IN
Test Set-up
o Double Bank Exchanger
o Controlled Cooling Water
Temperatures
PURGE AIR
o Purge Air system
o Demonstrate long term run
capability without caking
PRODUCT OUT
Pilot Testing at OCP Jorf Lasfar
Results
Product
Steady-State
Averages for
each run:
Run 1 (July 17)
Run 2 (July 18)
Run 3 (July 20)
T° in
T° out
Rate
66-74°C
71.5-74°C
63-72°C
44-58°C
45-46°C
39-44°C
180 kg/h
230-370 kg/h
200 kg/h
Water
TOP
BOTTOM
BANK
BANK
T° in
T° out
65-72°C
43-58°C
61°C
44-45°C
58.5-60°C
40-45°C
Purge
Air
yes
yes
yes
Pilot Testing at OCP Jorf Lasfar
Plate Banks checked after
each run
o Removable Plexiglas plate
o Plate surfaces stayed clean
throughout testing
Typical DAP Cooler
o Product Flowrate:
100 t/h
o Product Size:
1 – 4 mm
o Product Temperature in: 85C
o Required Product Temp. out: < 50C
o Cooling Water: Cooling Tower at 28C
o Purge Air: Required
A = 10740
B = 1650
C = 1580
E = 150
F = 1800
G = 2470
J = 1390
Typical DAP Cooler
o Water Temperature Control Module
o Primary water supply can be cooling
tower or sea water – use 254SMO or
titanium plate heat exchanger
o Purge Air Supply
o Unit typically installed immediately
following the screens
Recent Fertilizer Projects
Company
Yara Fertilizers
Gemlik Gubre
National Fertilizers
Zuari Fertilizers and Chem.
JPMC
Location
Porsgrun, Norway
Gemlik, Turkey
Jagdishpur, India
Zuarinagar, India
Jordan
Product
NPK
Amm. Nitrate
Urea Prills
NPK
DAP
Capacity
210 t/h
80 t/h
2 x 155 t/h
75 t/h
2 x 70 t/h
Large urea prill cooler during installation in India
Long Term Operating Performance
“This campaign the CAN
Plant started up on 5th of
June and until now The Solex
Cooler hasn’t needed
cleaning yet and is operating
perfectly”.
Quote from Alp Bulent GULES
Gemlik Gubre Sanayii A.S.
Sept 26th 2010
Thank you for your attention