EMbaffle B.V., using technology developed by Shell Global Solutions International B.V., has launched the EMbaffle® heat exchanger - a major innovation designed to offer processing industries the potential to improve performance, cut environmental emissions, and reduce operating and maintenance costs.

EMbaffle B.V. has one main aim - to assist customers in raising their business performance. Combining leading-edge technology with extensive operating experience, we provide innovative, yet practical solutions that are designed to enable our clients to achieve their full potential - both in terms of operational performance and economic benefit.

The design of EMbaffle® employs expanded metal baffles (tube supports) made of plate material that has been slit and expanded. The open structure allows a longitudinal flow pattern and results in lower hydraulic resistance, so that flow induced tube vibration will not occur.

The resulting high performance heat exchanger, when compared to conventional shell and tube segmental designs, offers the following potential benefits:

• elimination of damaging flow-induced tube vibration
• lower pressure drop on the shell side
• improved heat transfer capabilities
• lower fouling rates
• competitive manufacturing costs

Stagnant or 'dead zones' found in traditional segmental baffle heat exchangers, which tend to foul rapidly, are not present, resulting in increased operational running times for production units. Maintenance, cleaning and refurbishment schedules may then be extended, heat recovery improved and firing of furnaces reduced to help reduce CO2 emissions.

The EMbaffle® technology is available under licence, to manufacturers and suppliers of expanded metal and heat exchanger fabricators. In addition, EMbaffle B.V. is able to offer to licensees, consulting services to review and carry out thermal verification of EMbaffle® heat exchanger designs.

Our experienced technical team can also advise engineering procurement contractors on design and specification solutions for heat exchanger operations, to help provide optimal heat integration and reliable equipment.

EMbaffle® technology has also been added as an option to HTRI design software and offers our engineering customers the possibility to design heat exchangers with the new EMbaffle® technology and compare EMbaffle® solutions to other baffle types.

For more information on EMbaffle®, please contact us.