This article has been updated. It is accurate as of 9/23/20.

Heat exchangers used for different applications need different design features. For example, in industries like pulp and paper, lower fins per inch (FPI) are often included to reduce airside fouling and to make for easier cleaning. Other applications such as the military are often concerned with weight, which impacts material selection. For this post, we're going to focus on some unique design choices we often include when building heat exchangers for the refrigerated storage of potatoes, onions, beets and other vegetables.

In many of the industries we serve, heat exchangers made with copper tubes and aluminum fin are extremely popular, and very often, these materials are a terrific choice. But copper and aluminum aren’t suited for everything. At Super Radiator Coils, the needs of many of our customers often dictate that we explore and understand alternative materials.

In March of this year, doctors and scientists responded quickly with information on COVID-19 to keep individuals – and the public at large – safe from the spread of the airborne illness. As healthcare workers and researchers worked around the clock, the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry mobilized too.

We serve a diverse customer base at Super Radiator, one segment of which are what’s known as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Though we classify them together, OEMs and their respective industries all operate differently. Some customers are recurring business – they need coils every week consistently over a given timeframe – we’ve seen this with commercial HVAC or datacenter OEMs. Other customers need us to supply coils for projects that may arise infrequently over a period of years, which describes industries like transit cooling.

In plate fin heat exchangers, the fins themselves play a critical role. They provide the extended surface area needed to achieve effective heat transfer between a gas on the finside and a fluid on the tubeside.

It was long thought that a spiral fin design was the only option for use in environments that demanded heavy materials, long life span, and overall sturdiness. Plate fin coils were thought to be too fragile for the rigors of many industrial applications. But over the last few decades, it's become more common to see plate fin style heat exchangers used for a bevy in industrial applications. 

We get asked a lot of questions about the passivation of stainless steel welds. Oftentimes, customers want to know what passivation is. Others ask if it’s necessary. Given the number of factors that such a decision hinges on, Super Radiator wants customers to understand the benefits of passivation, and also understand what’s involved in the larger process of treating stainless steel surfaces.  

Stainless, copper, E-coat, Heresite, or CuNi?

When Super Radiator Coils engineer coils for customers, materials are among our most important considerations. Things like applications, environments, and coil lifespan must all be factored in to the coil’s design. So too must price and industry standards, making material decisions all the more crucial.