Air Cooled Oil Cooler / Air Cooled Heat Exchanger by

Why Do Machines Heat Up?

No energy consuming machine or system is 100% efficient. Though most of the energy consumed by a machine is used to do useful work, a part of the energy gets converted into heat. If this heat is not managed properly, the temperature of the equipment keeps increasing till it overheats. This causes irreparable damage, which in turn reduces the efficiency further. The end result is increased power consumption, reduced equipment life, break downs & increased maintenance cost. To help in managing the heat generated most equipment - hydraulic systems, gearboxes, spindles, large electrical transformers, engines, compressors, turbines, vacuum pumps, generators, blowers – use industrial oils & coolants to lubricate, cool & keep the temperatures in check.

Why is this Heat of Concern?

The heat production due to inefficiencies in machines if not managed properly, results in heavy consequential cost. There are various methods of managing the heat that gets generated. Industrial oils are used to lubricate, remove wasteful energy and clear away the debris produced by wear & tear, they in turn get heated & need to be cooled. Not treated properly this has a cascading affect as the machines over heat, causing increased wear & tear, which in turn leads to higher energy consumption, increased maintenance & reduced equipment life. Oil coolers are air cooled heat exchangers that are used to cool these fluids by passing them over a cooler fluid, separated by a barrier to prevent intermixing. They remove excess heat generated by energy losses in a system. In fact, oil coolers are essential for designing temperature-optimized machines or systems that keep oil temperatures within a limited range. They are basic prerequisites for cost-efficient operation, as they provide a number of performance enhancing, economic, and environmental benefits.

Does the Heat Produced need to be Managed?

All equipment in which the rate of heat buildup is larger than the heat dissipation capacity to the ambient air by natural radiation, need a mechanism for heat removal built into them. By and large equipment that is sparingly used with large time gaps between usage cycles are able to naturally radiate the heat built up, to the environment during periods of inactivity. However continuous duty equipment especially in energy intensive manufacturing processes need efficient & reliable systems for heat dissipation. This is done using heat exchangers or oil coolers.

What are the Different Methods for Managing Heat?

In the industry various types of cooling media are used to transfer heat from cooling oils & lubricants e.g. water, air, refrigerants, hydrogen. Of these there are two cooling media that are most commonly used & readily available, with a relatively low cost viz. air and water. Air Cooled Oil Cooler / Fluid Coolers with Fan: In air cooled oil coolers the hot oil or fluid is passed in close proximity to a blast of ambient air. The heat exchange takes place across a barrier between the hot oil and cool ambient air (Fig.).

Water Cooled Oil Coolers: Hot oil is passed in close proximity to water and the heat exchange takes place across a barrier between the hot oil and cool cooling water (refer Fig. E).

The hot & cool fluids enter the heat exchanger through respective inlet ports. After the heat exchange takes place across a barrier separating the two fluids, the fluids exit the heat exchanger through the outlet ports. We at Ace specialize in manufacturing & supply of Air Cooled Oil Coolers or Fan cooled Oil Coolers. Over the last 29 years, we have developed the expertise in estimating the rate of heat buildup for different applications – across industries. We help our customers in not only selecting an optimum sized air cooled heat exchanger, based on application & geographical area. We also guide them through with installation & maintenance.