The Van Beek screw heat exchanger is part of a specialised line by Van Beek. Screw heat exchangers are used to cool, dry or heat powders, granules, pastes or mixtures in the broadest sense of the word.
Screw heat exchangers are widely used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, recycling and food industries. This controlled way of cooling, heating and/or drying products while transporting them at the same time, is not only efficient, but is also a low-noise, energy-saving and dust-free solution.
A screw heat exchanger, or a thermal screw conveyor, is a machine that transfers heat between a product and a medium (such as water, oil, nitrogen, or steam) while simultaneously transporting the product by means of a screw. This system consists of one or more screws with a double-walled shaft and a double-walled casing through which the thermal medium flows, thereby ensuring efficient heat transfer. A screw heat exchanger is often used in processes where solid, paste-like or sticky substances need to be heated, dried, cooled or kept at a constant temperature during transport.
In addition to the “traditional” screw heat exchanger, Celsius has recently developed a fully electric variant of the screw heat exchanger, the so-called Celsius Volta. The Celsius Volta can be used for heating or drying solid, paste-like or sticky substances, providing an energy-saving of at least 25% when compared to the classic screw heat exchanger and benefits from having individually adjustable temperature zones for optimal process control. Due to the absence of a thermal medium, there is no longer any risk of product contamination caused by potential leakage.
Screw heat exchangers are available in steel, stainless steel and in special materials such as super duplex. The diameter of the screw is variable, as is pitch, speed and much more. The length and diameter of the machine itself can be adapted to the production process and the space available. The speed of the transport screw is also controllable. Water, water glycol, nitrogen and oil are the most common thermal media found inside a screw heat exchanger. Steam, although less common, is also feasible as a thermal medium. The choice depends, among other factors, on the type of product, the environment, the process, the existing infrastructure of a particular thermal medium, and various other wishes and requirements. Similar to the traditional thermal medium screw heat exchanger, the electric Celsius Volta variant can be used for heating or drying.
A screw heat exchanger is suitable for many products and applications: From cooling sand to drying starch. A screw heat exchanger can be installed as part of a process, can fit seamlessly into existing production lines, or may also be used as a stand-alone application.
The ability to transport while simultaneously cooling, heating, mixing and/or drying products is one of the great advantages of a screw heat exchanger. But there are many other features that make this system so attractive:
Our test facility ‘The Blue Zone’ is a blue-marked area within our company where we test, analyse and monitor products. In the enclosed ‘Test Room’, we test the flow behaviour, stickiness or transportability of various products. This allows us to investigate the effect of a screw heat exchanger on a particular product. These tests may take from 5 minutes to an entire day. Working with you, we will find a solution for a successful end result. Our test machines are also available for rent for testing in your own production process environment.
