Gooch Thermal - Spiral Heat Exchanger
Gooch Thermal Systems, Inc. is the largest American manufacturer of spiral heat exchangers. We custom-design spiral heat exchangers that are cost-effective, energy saving solutions to difficult heat transfer problems. Spiral heat exchangers are ideal for fouling services that rapidly diminish thermal performance and require frequent downtime for cleaning in other types of heat exchangers. We supply spiral heat exchangers to industries worldwide ranging from chemical processing to petroleum refining to wastewater treatment.
Products Details
Gooch Thermal Advantage: Our Experience
Gooch Thermal's core business is spiral heat exchangers. Our engineers have over 35 years of experience in spiral heat exchanger design, manufacturing, and application. This singular focus on a unique heat exchanger and our in-depth knowledge of heat transfer are the reasons behind our continued and growing success.
Design Features & Benefits
The spiral plate heat exchanger is made by rolling two long metal plates around a center core to form two concentric spiral flow passages, one for each fluid. The plate edges are welded shut so that each fluid stays within its own passage and there is no flow bypassing or intermixing. Channel plate width and spacing (gap between plates) are optimized for the specified duty, maximum heat transfer, and ease of access. The plate gap is maintained by welded spacer studs although some designs do not require them.
Due to its inherent circular design and large surface area to volume ratio, the spiral heat exchanger offers unique advantages over other types of heat exchangers like the shell and tube.
Single and long curving flow passages with a uniform rectangular cross-section ensure superior flow distribution, intense turbulence, and high heat transfer coefficients (50-100% greater than shell & tubes).
Self-Cleaning PassagesThe spiral's single-flow passages induce high shear rates that scrub away deposits as they form. This self-cleaning effect reduces fouling and makes spiral heat exchangers ideal for handling tough fluids such as process slurries, sludge, and media with suspended solids or fibers.
Countercurrent or Co-currentSpiral heat exchangers normally operate in true countercurrent flow for close approaches and temperature crosses. Occasionally a co-current flow design has major benefits, especially in cooling or heating fluids prone to gelation, burn-on, freezing or similar skin temperature related fouling.
Small Footprint & Easy AccessThe spiral heat exchanger is compact and requires minimal space for installation and servicing. Removable covers provide easy access to interior heat transfer surfaces for field inspections, routine maintenance, or manual cleaning if required.
Main Configurations
- Liquid to liquid cooling, heating or heat recovery
- Steam heating or vapor condensing
- Suitable condenser at pressures above atmospheric
- Countercurrent or co-current flow
- Best for crossing or close approach temperatures
- Self-cleaning effect in both spiral passages
- Ideal for handling suspensions, slurries & sludge
- Removable covers for independent & easy access
- Ideal for condensing under deep vacuum
- Vapor in annular cross flow
- Cooling medium in spiral flow
- Extremely low vapor side pressure drop
- Large flow cross-section for large vapor volumes
- Short height of condensing section
- Suitable in liquid to liquid duty with large flow imbalance
- Vapor to liquid condensing
- Optimal for mixed vapors with inert gases
- Built-in internal subcooling section
- Suitable for low to moderate operating pressures
- Combines features of Types 1 & 2
- Excellent steam heater of viscous fluids & slurries in horizontal orientation
Manufacturing
Gooch Thermal spiral heat exchangers are designed and built to ASME Code with U-stamp and registered with the National Board.
Our engineering and manufacturing services include inspections, failure analysis, and vessel repairs under our NBIC 'R' Stamp.
Certificates of Authorization
- ASME “U” Stamp
- National Board “NB” Stamp
- National Board “R” Stamp
In Canada, we comply with the Canadian Registration Number (CRN) requirements for all of the provinces and have many spiral heat exchangers in Alberta registered with ABSA.
We can also supply spirals built to other internationally recognized pressure vessel codes.
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Spiral Plate Width: 8' to 80' (200 to 2000 mm)
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Spiral Plate Thickness: 0.08' to 0.25' (2.0 to 6.3 mm)
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Channel Spacing (Plate Gap): 0.1875' to 1.5' (5 to 38 mm)
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Heat Transfer Area: 10 - 5500 ft² (1 - 500 m²) per unit
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Shell Diameter: up to 100' (2500 mm)
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Design Pressure: Full Vacuum to 600 psig (40 barg)
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Design Temperature: -150 to 750 °F (-100 to 400 °C)
Typical design data; larger sizes & higher pressures or temperatures possible
We manufacture spiral heat exchangers from any material that can be cold formed and welded.
Standard: PVQ carbon steel, 304/304L, 316/316L, Duplex 2205
Higher Alloys: 904L, 254 SMO, AL6XN, Nickel Alloys, Titanium
We can design and build drop-in replacement spiral heat exchangers that are interchangeable with spirals built by other manufacturers.
Special Features
Hinged Covers and Davits
Gooch Thermal spiral heat exchangers can be provided with hinges or davits to facilitate opening and closing of the covers during inspections and routine maintenance.
Double Channel / 4-strip Design
A double channel spiral heat exchanger performs like two units in parallel. It is rolled from 4 strips to form four alternating but separate hot-cold-hot-cold flow passages inside a single shell.
Double channel spirals are often installed in high flow rate services where a low pressure drop is desired and available installation space is limited.
In liquid to liquid heat transfer services where high flow rates or large temperature crosses require multiple units operating in parallel or series, stacked pairs of spiral heat exchangers provide operational flexibility and minimize the installation footprint.
Application/Industries Served
Gooch Thermal spiral heat exchangers are superior to conventional heat exchangers for difficult heat transfer services involving fouling process fluids and high solids slurries, whether present on one side or on both sides.
As column-mounted condensers, our spiral heat exchanger is an elegant solution for condensing of column overhead vapors under vacuum with practically nil pressure drop and compact footprint.
Single Phase Flow - Liquid to Liquid Heat Transfer
Ideal for handling fouling fluids, viscous media, slurries, sewage sludge, and other dirty process fluids and effluents with suspended solids or fibers
- Product coolers & heaters
- Heat recovery economizers
- Feed to bottoms interchangers
- Sludge digester heaters, coolers & pasteurizers
Two Phase Flow - Vapor to Liquid Heat Transfer
Ideal for condensing and cooling of mixed vapors with inert gases under vacuum or steam heating of slurries and other viscous media
- Steam heaters & vapor condensers
- Overhead reflux condensers
- Vaporizers & column reboilers
Key Industries
- Chemicals & Hydrocarbon Processing
- Oil Refining & Petrochemicals
- Oil Sands SAGD Heavy Oil Extraction
- Pulp & Paper
- Steel & Coke Oven Gas
- Metals, Mining & Minerals (Al, Cu, Zn)
- Edible Oils & Oleochemicals
- Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
- Sugar & Alcohol
- Renewable Energy & Biofuels
- Wastewater Treatment & Biogas Production
- EPC Contractors & Engineering Consultants
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