Jacketed Tubing

WORKING PRINCIPLE

Jacketing is the process of creating a sealed, metal casing (the jacket) around a length of tube or pipe. This jacket has an inlet and outlet, allowing heating or cooling media to flow around the inner tube. The heating or cooling media flowing through the jacket changes the temperature of the product inside the inner tube.

A standard tube-in-tube design, when installed properly, utilizes the effect of countercurrent flow between media and product tubes to promote efficient heat exchange. With a range of sizes available, particulates can flow freely through the system, delivering gentle product treatment.

TUBE-IN-TUBE DESIGN

Engineers at CSI size jackets to provide proper flow and velocity for efficient and effective operation. As a heat exchanger for sheer sensitive products, the standard double-tube design utilizes countercurrent flow between the media and the product for efficient heat exchange. The unobstructed, full-bore design handles large particulates gently and allows for easy visual inspection. These versatile systems can be installed almost anywhere on walls, ceilings, or floors.

CSI experts take these design considerations into account when creating original drawings for individual needs. These experts are aware of the challenges that come with jacketed tubing, and they are experienced in finding affordable, lasting solutions.

Minimize Piping Breaks (Joints)

Each piping break, both for media and product, has a direct cost impact (the physical component costs) and an indirect cost impact (the preventative maintenance costs) associated with each joint. Eliminating piping breaks from the system, as deemed appropriate by the end-user, provides substantial cost savings.

When referring to the direct cost impact, it is possible to eliminate all of the components (both media and product) needed to create the break in the piping system. This would eliminate one clamp, two product ferrules, one product gasket, two jacketed end rings, two jacketed couplings, one jacketed media hose assembly, and all of the associated labor to construct this break in the system. If removed, each system break has the following labor-saving potential:

• Eight welding operation reductions
• Eight machining/cutting/facing operation reductions
• Eight to ten polishing/color-cleaning operation reductions
• At least three assembly operation reductions

The total cost of physical components and associated labor cost for each break could provide considerable cost savings when extrapolated to an entire system. In an effort to answer the indirect cost impact associated to each of these piping breaks, we must address the following questions:

• What is the standard preventative maintenance associated with replacing in-service product contact gaskets?
• How frequently do these media connections/hose assemblies need to be attended to due to common operating leaks that occur over time?
• What are the associated maintenance labor costs for these activities?
• What cost impact is it for production to stop or be off-line to make necessary adjustments or perform maintenance?
• Is there a safety cost factor associated with an operator being exposed to media solution should one of the hose assemblies fail?

Optimal Annular Space

Having the wrong amount of space between tubes can cause a multitude of undesirable product integrity concerns. Optimizing spacing will prevent product solidification, scorching, and similar problems. Maintaining optimal annular space, through 90 degree elbows or tees, can be a costly challenge.

Proper component design, to achieve a uniform annular space with the jacket, is necessary to achieve a desired process temperature throughout the piping system. Improper design can also lead to short circuiting of the media solution.