ULTRAN® - Heat exchanger

> ULTRAN - heat exchanger systems

Each cassette has a parallel flow path. The parallel flow path used in existing UF cassettes was used as the model for the manufacture of the new heat exchanger cassette. As a result they are able to be used in standard stainless steel holders and each filter holder can be easily converted to a compact high performance heat exchanger.

By using a unique separating plate it is also possible to use the heat exchanger cassettes in combination with UF cassettes. In this application a portion of the solution which is to be filtered passes through the heat exchanger cassette. In this way either process or cleaning solutions can be brought to the correct temperature quickly.

> ULTRAN - separating plate

The illustration demonstrates the use of a high performance heat exchanger in combination with three UF filter cassettes connected through the separating plate in a standard stainless steel holder. With this set-up 1000 ml of process solution can be cooled from 22 ºC to 10 ºC within 15 minutes and the temperature maintained during filtration using a small laboratory thermostat. A cleaning solution can also be heated from 22 ºC to 50 ºC in a similar amount of time.

The heat exchanger cassette is a valuable aid in removing pump energy transferred to heat sensitive protein solutions or for sanitizing using cleaning solutions at elevated temperatures.
 

> ULTRAN - heat exchanger membrane cassettes

The new Whatman heat exchanger has high heat transfer rates. This provides the potential to use heat to eliminate viruses from protein solutions.

ULTRAN - Pilot stainless steel filter holders can be used together with the appropriate heat exchanger cassettes to cool down chromatographic media. This feature allows the operator to perform chromatographic separations outside the cold room.
 

Features and Benefits
 

• Alternative to cold rooms
• High rate of heating or cooling with short retention times
• High rate of heat transfer through turbulent conditions
• Stainless steel construction (1.4539) resistant to high salt concentrations
• Extremely long life through the use of high quality materials
• Integral sealing through silicone elastomers All cassettes are 100% integrity tested
• Each fluid path has a constant channel height assuring uniform pressure
• Heat exchanger cassettes fit into standard cassette filter holders
• Easy to clean
• Conversion from filter holders to high-grade heat exchangers
• Simple upgrading of UF devices to bring process solutions to correct temperatures
• Design to comply with GMP

Applications
 

• For cooling down chromatographic buffer solutions prior to use outside cold room
• Used in ultrafiltration for efficient cleaning at the appropriate temperature
• Rapid heating of protein solutions for virus elimination
• Rapid heating of reactions to eliminate enzyme activity
• Pasteurisation of milk
• Exact and rapid temperature regulation
• Safe control of temperature sensitive reactions

Performance

In order to characterize the performance of the heat exchanger cassette, a heat exchanger measuring 200 x 170 x 7 mm (ULTRAN® Pilot) with an exchange surface area of 0.224 m² was tested. The initial temperature on the hot water side was 90 ºC and on the cold water side 20 ºC. The performance data was established at a maximum flow rate of 340 l/h.

The mean retention time and the mean linear rate of heating DT/t, as a function of the flow rate, result in the following diagram: