Ashe Morris

A novel method for controlling

heat exchangers
Presentation to the 8th Meeting of the Process
Intensification Network

14th November 2002

Robert Ashe

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002

 Conventional temperature control

Example: Batch vessel with … undergoes a step change in heat load

internal cooling coil…

Process heat load

10kW

timet=0 Time

TC

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 2

 Conventional temperature control

Example: Batch vessel with … the temperature rise of the process is

internal cooling coil… corrected by varying the cooling coil loading

Process temperature
14

Temperature 0C
13

12

11

10

8
0 2 4 6 8 10
Time
TC

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 3

 Heat balance measurement

Example: Measuring a heat … the cooling fluid temperature is varied to

balance across the to control the process fluid temperature
coil…

Cooling Fluid Temperature

10
tout

Temperature (°C)
Fluid in Fluid out
9

tin 7

5
0 2 4 6 8 10
Time (seconds)
TC

Process heat load 10 kW

Coolant flow 10 kg/s

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 4

 Heat balance measurement

Example: Measuring a heat … the subsequent heat balance yields large

balance across the errors
coil…

Heat Balance
200
Error >1000%

Heat balance (kW)

150

Error ±20%
100 (based on ±0.05°C)
50

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Time (seconds)
-50

TC

Process heat load 10 kW

Coolant flow 10 kg/s

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 5

 Variable area control

Conventional “Fixed Area” control Novel “Variable Area” control

Constant flow
and temperature

TC TC
On/off control of unit
sized exactly for the
duty using very cold
fluid
© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 6
 Variable area temperature control

Example: The same 10kW step … process temperature control is quicker and
change in heat load more stable

Process temperature

14 Fast response due to very cold

temperature of cooling fluid

Temperature 0C
13
12 No overshoot due to capacity
limits imposed by heat
11
transfer area
10
9
8
0 2 4 6 8 10
Time
TC

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 7

 Variable area heat balance

Example: Measuring the heat … the cooling fluid temperatures look quite
balance across the different
“on/off” coil

Cooling fluid temperature

Temperature (°C)
5 Fluid outout
Fluid

0 2 4 6 8 10
-5

-15
Fluid inFluid in
tout
-25
Time (seconds)
tin

TC

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 8

 Variable area heat balance

Example: Measuring the heat … the subsequent heat balance is very

balance across the accurate
“on/off” coil

Heat balance
12

Heat balance (kW)

10

4 Error ±1.7%
(based on ±0.05°C)
2

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Time (seconds)

TC

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 9

 So what?

How can a heat exchanger be designed which

matches heat transfer area to heat load at
constant LMTD?

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 10

 Patented “variable area” jacketed reactor design

TC TE

Actuator

Heat
transfer
fluid

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 11

 “Variable area” design applications

Ashe Morris is exploiting this patented concept to develop better heat

exchangers across a number of applications

VA VALVE
VA VALVE

VA VALVE
VA VALVE

Jacketed reactor Plate Shell and tube Drilled block

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 12

 Benefits of “variable area” control

Tangible commercial impact

Existing batch reactors Process intensification

• Improved yield quality and • Smaller reaction volumes

safety from on-line reaction
monitoring and better • Stable temperature control at
temperature control. higher thermal gradients

• Faster temperature control

• Accurate enthalpy data for on-

line monitoring

• Transition from batch to

continuous

© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 13

 Ashe Morris Ltd.
www.ashemorris.com

Contact details – Robert Ashe

Telephone 01923 859 705 email robert.ashe@ashemorris.com
© Ashe Morris Ltd 2002 Page 14