December 2008

Koch Knight LLC Introduces Flexisaddle LPD Heat Transfer Media for RTO Applications in the Wood Industry

Koch Knight LLC, an innovator in corrosion proof materials and environmental heat transfer equipment, introduces Flexisaddle LPD (Low Pressure Drop) 1-inch heat transfer media for regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) in the wood industry. Flexisaddle LPD provides low pressure drop and efficient heat transfer in a strong mechanical configuration, and it is well suited for applications where particulate build up has limited the service life of other media types in the past.

The high open area and aerodynamic design of the Flexisaddle LPD heat transfer media results in more than 20 percent lower pressure drop than standard saddle media designs for the same heat transfer efficiency. The unique three-rib design improves heat transfer through more efficient use of the media’s surface area.  

The Flexisaddle LPD provides a cost-effective solution for increasing RTO capacity and efficiency. The significant pressure drop savings offer the RTO designer lower fan costs or smaller units. For RTO operators, a retrofit with Flexisaddle LPD media will provide additional capacity or electrical savings with their current fan configuration.

In the wood industry, RTOs installed on dryer outlets and press enclosures eliminate the VOCs, CO and some inorganic particulates created during panel production. Flexisaddle LPD addresses the challenges of RTOs in this application, particularly by better resisting the particulate build-up in the RTOs ceramic bed that can lead to bed failure.

The strong, ceramic, three-rib structure limits nesting and withstands rugged chamber loading better than other open design random media.  Flexisaddle LPD minimizes dead areas that collect particulate. As a result, particulate build up is reduced by up to 40 percent, which translates into significantly longer operation between burn outs, wash outs and change outs of the media.

Flexisaddle LPD is available in standard ceramic or in a high-performance glaze resistant construction that provides longer product life in applications at risk for alkali-glazing.

REOTEMP’s Industrial Stainless Steel Pressure Gauge with Bayonet Case

The REOTEMP Industrial Stainless Steel Pressure Gauge with Bayonet Case (Series PR) has a rugged, all-welded design, making it well suited for a wide variety of process markets where accuracy, durability and reliability are top priorities. The standard stainless steel internals (and optional Monel internals) make this pressure gauge a good choice for applications where corrosion resistance is a requirement. The Series PR has a removable bayonet ring that makes it field repairable. It can also be liquid filled to reduce the negative effects of process vibration.
 
Standard features include: 2.5”, 3.5”, 4” and 6” dials, 0.25” NPT or 0.5” NPT process connections, bottom or back mounting and a variety of pressure ranges. The standard fill fluid is glycerin with other fills available.

Omega Releases New Thermal Wind Tunnel

Thermal Wind Tunnel, WT-2000, Omega's new thermal wind tunnel with its portable bench-top design is made of clear polycarbonate and PVC for a durable and transparent assembly. It is designed to provide accurate, uniform and repeatable air flow up to 1,000 fpm. The included control box allows for open loop full scale operation of individual fans, groups of two fans or all fans at a time. The large test chamber with a hinged access door and access panel allows for fast comparison testing or different size heat sinks and circuit boards. This proprietary product is CE compliant and well suited for lab use.

Shin-Etsu Chemical Develops New Type of Thermally Conductive Phase Change Material

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. has developed a new type of thermally conductive phase change material (PCM) called the PCS-LT Series. Compared to existing PCM, this new product is softer and thus it is easy to bond to substrates and is well suited for reworkability.

It exhibits a high-level of heat-dissipation performance even on non-uniform heat-generating surfaces, like that of a multiple chip, because it has enough initial thickness and can achieve suitable bond line thickness even when using low pressure at the time of mounting.

The PCM also features long-term reliability and stability, which cannot be obtained from olefin-type PCM because the product’s base is silicone. It has such desirable characteristics as thermal resistance, cold resistance and good electrical insulation properties. It also has suitable resistance to pump-out, the tendency to migrate from the usage area as a result of repeated thermal-expansion cycles, which results in diminished performance.

The main applications for this newly developed product are for the CPU used in PCs, driver ICs in flat-panel displays and electronic control units (ECUs) in automobiles, and this new phase change sheet product is suitable for the thermal protection of various kinds of semiconductor devices. In particular, because this product has suitable resistance to pump out and long-term reliability, it is well suited for devices that have non-uniform structures or warpage.

There are two kinds of standard products, the PCS-LT-30 and PCS-LT-60. Both are double-sided adhesive types. The standard size is 300 mm by 400 mm and it can accommodate any desired sizes in such forms as pull-tab or roll-type sheets.

The heat-dissipation material is a thermally conductive material that is fitted between the heat-generating unit such as a computer’s CPU and heat sink. The newly developed heat-dissipating phase change material for sheet is a thermally conductive compound consisting of a combination of silicone rubber and a high ratio of thermally conductive filler materials. By fitting these sheets tightly between the heat-generating unit, such as a computer’s CPU, and the heat sink, it is possible to effectively carry heat away to the heat sink.

Demand for thermally conductive silicone rubber materials is expanding for such heat-dissipation applications as in the growing number of electronic components in automobiles as well as in PCs, home appliances, and electronic game units. Moreover, because of the increasing miniaturization and higher performance of electronic devices, the need for more effective heat-dissipation materials is further increasing.

Shin-Etsu has a line-up of various thermally conductive silicone materials such as rubber sheet-types, grease-types, gel-types and adhesive agents. Depending on the application, it is possible to meet various heat dissipation requirements, and Shin-Etsu will go forward with product development to meet the future needs of a market that will have even more sophisticated needs.

Thermal Management and Technology Symposium 2009 Program Survey

The organizers of Thermal Management and Technology Symposium 2009 are seeking your input! Please take a few minutes to fill out a survey to tell the conference organizers what you would like to see on next year’s program.

The survey is available online at: www.thermalnews.com/conf_09/TN09_survey.php 

Rogers Corp Issues Patent Infringement Complaint

Rogers, CT - Rogers Corporation (NYSE: ROG) initiated a complaint of patent infringement against the Arlon Electronic Material Group located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, a division of WHX Corporation, for its sale in the U.S. of Arlon TC-600 circuit board material.  
The complaint claims Arlon infringed on U.S. Patent No. 5,552,210, "Ceramic Filled Composite Polymeric Electrical Substrate Material Exhibiting High Dielectric Constant and Low Thermal Coefficient of Dielectric Constant."   The patent was issued in 1996.
Rogers is the exclusive licensee under U.S. Patent No. 5,552,210.   The complaint therefore demands Arlon cease manufacture, sale and distribution of its TC-600 materials.
 "Rogers expends substantial effort and resources to develop innovative circuit materials and protect its intellectual property rights," explained Bob Wachob, President and CEO of Rogers Corporation. "Anytime we believe our intellectual property rights have been violated we are prepared to take appropriate actions in enforcing and defending these rights."

Tyco Thermal Controls Selects Intergraph SmartPlant Enterprise

Tyco Thermal Controls, a company focused on the supply of heat tracing system products designs and installations, has selected Intergraph SmartPlant Enterprise solutions for its Tracer Lynx Heat Management Systems project software.

Starting with Intergraph’s Isogen and SmartPlant Isometrics software as a framework, Tyco Thermal Controls has developed an in-house application initially for the automatic generation of the designs for their heat-tracing systems and the generation of heat-tracing isometrics with integrated bill of materials and power consumption design data. This application will integrate Tyco Thermal Control’s proprietary calculation software to optimize the design of the heat-tracing systems. This will enable them to analyze the complete piping network of a plant and identify the sub-systems with common heat-tracing requirements and then efficiently design the heat-tracing system for each subsystem. Future applications will involve other engineering disciplines such as insulation isometrics and bill of materials as well as power distribution infrastructure design.

With SmartPlant plant design and engineering software embedded in its solutions, Tyco Thermal Controls is able to read files from all leading 3D modeling systems as well as be compatible with many of its customers who also use Intergraph’s SmartPlant Enterprise solutions. In addition to broadening its market appeal, this interoperability will enable Tyco Thermal Controls to deliver its products and services regardless of the 3D modeling system used to design the plant, promoting more reliable designs and faster project delivery times.

Veolia Energy Purchases District Heating and Cooling System from Kent County, Mich.

Veolia Energy North America, a leader in sustainable energy services, facility operations and management solutions, and the owner and operator of the largest portfolio of district energy systems in North America, has purchased the District Heating and Cooling system and generation assets in Grand Rapids, Mich. from Kent County, Mich.
 
The new name of the business is Veolia Energy Grand Rapids, LLC. The Veolia plant, located on Fulton Street, across from the Van Andel Arena, houses four industrial boilers that provide steam to more than 130 customers in downtown Grand Rapids via seven miles of steam pipe. Customers include hospitals, college campuses, cultural and exhibition centers, commercial offices and retail store fronts.

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