If the oil temperature becomes too high, the low viscosity makes the protective oil film too thin for effective protection and sealing. The result is increased wear on moving parts, reduced efficiency for the machine and a shorter life for the oil. The excess heat in the lube oil must be removed efficiently with minimal pressure-drop and impact on weight and space, which demands a solution such as a Baode compact brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE).

There are many uses for power. The same engine model can be found in many situations with very different applications. Large-scale engines with outputs ranging from kW to several MW can be used to propel marine vessels or to provide electricity and heat when the appropriate infrastructure is unavailable.

Marine engine oil cooler

Low-speed (~100 RPM) marine main propulsion engines are often two-stroke and run on heavy fuel oil. High power and reliability are top priorities for freighters. Medium (300-1000 RPM) and high speed (>1000 RPM) engines, mainly of the four-stroke type, are used for passenger ships and naval vessels. High-speed engines can also be fitted as auxiliary power production units parallel to the main propulsion engine.

Marine vessels are often equipped with a fresh-water cooling circuit for internal cooling. The closed water loop is then cooled by seawater in a central titanium plate heat exchanger. Such internal water circuit systems mean stainless steel plates are also suitable for marine applications, but impose severe requirements on efficient heat exchange at small temperature differences.

Electricity and cogeneration applications

Engines dedicated to electric power and heat production can be used for continuous energy production at remote settlements, for emergency power for hospitals, in mobile power packs, for peak production of electric power, etc. Electric generator systems use an alternator to produce electric power at an efficiency approaching 40% without heat recovery.

Cogeneration plants improve their total efficiency, and therefore their operating costs, with highly efficient heat exchange solutions that utilize more of the available high-grade heat. Cogeneration plants also collect thermal energy from the intercooler, jacket water, lubrication oil and exhaust gas via heat exchangers to produce hot water. This allows the total energy utilization efficiency of cogeneration plants to reach 90%.

Some cogeneration plants are connected to an absorption chiller system where the engine's waste heat is used to drive the generator of the absorption system. Such a system will convert the combustion heat of the fuel into electricity and high quality cooling.

CBEs as lube oil coolers

Compact brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEs) offer a state-of-the-art solution for engine oil cooling. These compact and self-supporting heat exchangers also have a low hold-up volume. This means that the total heat exchange package weighs much less than other available technologies. True countercurrent flow, as found in Baode's BPHEs, permits extremely small temperature differences and accurate control of the oil temperature.

CBEs offer better responsiveness and more efficient heat exchange in a lighter, smaller package. The BPHE is therefore favored over competing heat exchanger technologies in large modern engines pursuing high power-to-weight and power-to-space ratios combined with reliability and low fuel consumption. The predictable performance of a Baode BPHE makes it possible to design the lube oil temperature program for optimal protection and oil life.