Tempco Blog articles

TREG thermoregulation units in automotive and EV test benches

21/02/2025

In the automotive sector and electric vehicles production, test benches are essential for the simulation of operating conditions in order to test the resistance and performance of key components. For this type of applications, TREG thermoregulation units are therefore fundamental, as they allow to ensure a reliable thermal control, essential for obtaining precise and repeatable data in testing and simulation of the devices.

There are therefore several main applications in which TREG thermoregulating units are used on test benches in the automotive and electric car sectors, including:

1. Tests on engines and transmissions: thermoregulation units offer the possibility of managing wide temperature ranges to conduct extreme tests, carrying out simulation tests in real operating conditions for combustion engines, transmissions and engine parts.

2. Evaluation of EV batteries: TREGs are used to perform thermal control during charging/discharging processes and battery life cycle simulation. Precisely ensuring thermal stability during these tests improves data reliability and helps prevent possible component damage and failure.

3. Tests on inverters and powertrain systems: thermoregulation units are used in this context to simulate the thermal behavior of inverters in a variety of operating conditions. This allows engineers to optimize the dedicated cooling systems.

Tempco centraline termoregolazione banchi prova automotive auto elettriche

In applications for test benches on components within the automotive industry and vehicles electrification, TREG units therefore offer a series of advantages:

  • Extended thermal ranges: perfect for testing at both very low and high temperatures, from -30°C and up to +300°C
  • Operational reliability: robustness even under conditions of prolonged stress
  • Adaptability: configurable for different test bench applications
  • Configurable and adaptable interfaces for data monitoring and recording

In conclusion, TREG solutions represent a reliable technological partner for companies in the automotive and electric powertrain sectors, providing high performance supporting technological innovation in the strive to achieve maximum efficiency and reliability of different types of powertrain.

 

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Dielectric fluids in data center and electronics components cooling

14/02/2025

Dieletric fluids, what are they and what are they meant to. We have already talked recently about dielectric fluids related to the cooling of PCB immersed in fluids, also referred to as liquid cooling. These are in fact usually employed in applications of free cooling for data centers where PCBs are directly immersed in a dielectric fluid and therefore a fluid that doesn’t conduct electricity.

These same dielectric fluids are as well employed for the testing of thermoregulation and cooling systems of data centers or for other electronics components, for example in the automotive industry, or also in the production of batteries for electric vehicles, in order to evaluate the performances of these components when the temperature varies.

On a construction perspective, the employ of these fluids involve very few changes on thermoregulating units because eventually dielectric fluids are very similar to oils both for their physics and thermodynamic characteristics. Therefore, the components used in the temperature control units that use these particular fluids are also quite the same.

 

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PCHE heat exchanger in offshore Oil&Gas cooling applications

07/02/2025

Microchannel Devices, Tempco partner for PCHE exchangers, has finally officially unveiled details related to an important order for the development of a large printed circuit PCHE heat exchanger for use in the oil & gas sector.

The project represents a fundamental milestone, marking the entry of PCHE heat exchangers into applications for the offshore oil & gas sector, in addition to the various solutions already developed in the green energy and renewables sector and in particular hydrogen. After the signing of the contract at the end of last October with Rosetti Marino, for the development and production of a PCHE printed circuit exchanger intended for hydrocarbon sour gas cooling in the new gas recovery module installed on an offshore platform off the coast of Libya, Microchannel Devices is now very pleased to announce the deployment of the project and to share more details about it.

Tempco Microchannel Devices scambiatore PCHE piattaforma offshore oil and gas

Rosetti Marino is among the most important EPC operators (Engineering, procurement & construction) active in the Oil&Gas sector for oil platforms. The company was looking for a manufacturer of large PCHE exchangers who would be able to create an exchanger compliant with the stringent requirements of the ASME standard for ‘lethal’ gas applications by mid-2025.

The order got underway thanks to the commercial support of Tempco, and the intense work of the MCD team led in a few weeks to defining a PCHE concept capable of satisfying all the requirements posed by the ASME regulation as well as by the end user ENI, by Saipem (main contractor) and RINA (third party inspection body). In this regard, the great support of ICIM‘s ASME representative has been also as precious.

Tempco Microchannel Devices scambiatore PCHE di grandi dimensioni piattaforma offshore oil and gas

Rendering of the large PCHE heat exchanger for an oil & gas offshore plant

MCD is therefore working to create its first PCHE exchanger for an offshore Oil & Gas plant, which will be over 3 meters long and weigh more than 8.000 kg. The exchanger will be made up of 5 blocks of photo-etched plates, welded using diffusion bonding technology with welding seams of specific geometry, specifically designed to allow 100% control using gamma rays.

The sizing of the exchanger was supported by thermo-fluid dynamic tests on dedicated specimens. The acceptance tests will involve the ability to test a vessel capable of containing hundreds of liters of gas or water, and of managing flow rates of 200.000 litres/hour. The machining and metal-working systems that MCD acquired in 2024 proved to be perfectly suited to the order, including a cutting machine and a five-axis machining center for the mechanical processing of the blocks, both capable of working large dimension components, and a second chemical etching line which in six weeks will allow to create all of the 2.600 channeled plates necessary for the construction of the exchanger.

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Hydrogen, compact and efficient PCHE heat exchangers for green mobility

31/01/2025

We dedicate another article to illustrate the advantages offered by printed circuit PCHE heat exchangers for use in hydrogen refueling stations. As already explained previously, this innovative type of plate heat exchangers, created using a special diffusion bonding process for the thermal transfer pack and employing chemical etching for the layout of microchannels on the plates, is used in hydrogen refueling station to cool the gas in its different compression phases.

The possibility to work with extremely high pressures, up to 700 bar, guaranteeing high energy efficiency thanks to the micro-channel structure of the plates, also giving high desing freedom in order to customize the heat transfer circuits of the exchanger for specific application needs, leads to great reliability and durability of this type of exchanger. Essential characteristics in extremely challenging applications in the hydrogen industry, making it a potentially very interesting market for PCHE heat exchangers.

Tempco vantaggi scambiatori PCHE stazioni rifornimento idrogeno

Therefore, here are some other advantages that PCHE heat exchangers offer in this type of applications:

  • Compactness: their compact structure saves space, an important factor in hydrogen refuelling stations where space is limited.
  • High thermal efficiency: the microchannel configuration offers a high heat transfer surface area, improving heat transfer efficiency.
  • Versatility: PCHE heat exchangers can be used for a variety of fluids and operating conditions, making them highly adaptable to different cooling and heating needs.

In conclusion, PCHE heat exchangers are vital components in hydrogen refueling stations, helping to ensure a safe and efficient operation. Their ability to handle the heat generated during hydrogen compression, combined with their compactness and reliability, makes them a preferred choice for this application. As hydrogen infrastructure expands, the importance of this innovative technology will continue to grow, supporting the development of more sustainable and green mobility.

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Strength and resistance with thermoregulation in carbon fiber production

24/01/2025

Let’s go on with a series of videos dedicated to thermoregulation units and temperature control. Another interesting application of thermoregulating units is referred to carbon fiber production processes, or anyway carbon fiber structures.

Maybe not everyone knows it, but when a carbon fiber structure is realized it has to be ‘cooked’ inside special industrial ovens, and even if the ‘cooked’ term is not technically appropriated, this is in fact the proper function of this part of the production process. Once the carbon fiber part is molded, the chassis, a part of the car body, any kind of component made with carbon fiber is inserted in an oven in order to stabilize the resin and the structure and position of the carbon fibers, aimed at achieving the strength and the resistance levels required by the project.

These structures are then ‘cooked’ inside special dedicated ovens, that are able to reach high temperatures required to stabilize the resins. All of these ovens require some cooling systems, or anyway thermoregulating solutions. Yes, indeed, because in addition to cooling, also a thermoregulation function is required to allow the resin to reach its final stability.

Thermoregulating units are therefore employed to maintain the right process temperatures in these ovens. Furthermore, they are also required to ensure the proper final cooling: once the cooking process of the carbon fiber components inside the oven is completed, everything has to be properly cooled to return to normal ambient temperatures. Finally, there are even some processes where these units have an emergency function, and so these are aimed at cooling the oven in case there is a reaction that causes a temperature rise up, exceeding safety levels.

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Tempco presents the new site dedicated to the innovative PCHE heat exchangers

17/01/2025

Tempco is very pleased to announce the launch of a new website exclusively dedicated to PCHE heat exchangers, printed circuit heat exchangers (https://pche.it/en/). The peculiarities of this type of plate heat exchangers are in fact such and unique that they deserve a space of their own where it is possible to illustrate and explore all the potential applications of this innovative heat transfer technology.

For some time now we have been talking about thermoregulation and temperature control solutions that Tempco has developed thanks to the use of PCHE exchangers: from hydrogen refueling stations for sustainable mobility, to temperature control in fuel cell technologies in hybrid powertrains of the most advanced zero-emission yachts. Up to pioneering applications that lie ahead in the oil and gas sector and safe nuclear energy field, with fourth generation reactors.

Tempco PCHE printed circuit heat exchangers website home

The Fields of Application section of the site offers an overview of the cutting-edge industrial sectors where PCHE exchangers are already used. On the Features page of the website dedicated to Tempco PCHE heat exchangers it is possible to discover in detail the distinctive technical features of this exchangers technology, which, thanks to the solid state welding process called Diffusion Bonding, differ from traditional welded exchangers. Diffusion bonding in fact gives PCHEs exceptional mechanical and structural resistance, allowing them to be used in extreme operating conditions in terms of high pressures and temperatures.

The special technique of chemical etching of the plates, similar to that used in the electronics sector to create printed circuits, also allows to create customized layouts of the heat transfer circuits on the plates of these exchangers, with total design freedom to obtain high efficiency heat transfer circuits customized for individual applications. Furthermore, it offers the possibility of creating PCHE exchangers also in multistream mode, to manage different heat transfers simultaneously with different flow rates, pressure drops, pressure levels and temperatures.

We therefore invite you to discover and deploy together with Tempco the application potential offered by the new world of PCHE exchangers on the new dedicated page at https://pche.it/.

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Silicone based fluids in thermoregulating units

10/01/2025

Let’s go on speaking about thermoregulating units, and especially about a particular kind of heat transfer fluids, silicone based fluids. When they are employed?

First of all, let’s say these are highly expensive fluids. Compared to water or diathermic oil, they have a very higher cost. But there are some applications where it is necessary to employ them, because for example a process need to start from very low temperatures, where a mix of water and glicole becomes hard to handle because it becomes too much viscuous. Or even at too much high temperatures, where glicole water would start boiling and it’s not possible to pressurize the plant.

And so, we have to employ particular silicone based thermal transfer fluids, such as Therminol LT or Therminol D-12, that allow to work with very low temperatures and even with high temperatures, with atmospheric pressure circuits, and so not pressurized, but most of all, with a very low viscosity even at very low temperatures.

In fact, these heat transfer fluids keep a very smooth flowing at low temperatures allowing the use of pumps with relatively low power capacities and achieving an extremely efficient thermal transfer even at very low temperatures.

 

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Happy Holidays from Tempco, Merry Christmas and Happy New 2025!

18/12/2024

Happy Holidays from Tempco, for a Merry and Joyful Christmas and may everyone have a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025!

 

Tempco will respect the following Christmas closure: from the 23rd of December to the 06th of January.

From the entire Tempco team, our warmest wishes for these holidays! See you in 2025!

 

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Thermoregulation units, what determines the choice of carrier fluids in TCU

13/12/2024

Let’s start a series of videos focused on the characteristics and peculiarities of thermoregulation units. First of all, what is a thermoregulation unit.

These are thermal machines, someone calls them boilers, others call them TCU, thermal control units. In fact these are equipments that include a circulating pump, a heating system and a cooling circuit system and an electrical panel with a PID controller that maintains a fluid at a certain controlled temperature. This fluid is then aimed at regulating the temperature of a downstream industrial process. Overall, TCU are utilities serving industrial production processes.

There are several kinds of thermoregulating units, as seen in other videos: in Tempco we engineer thermoregulating units with electric heating, with steam heating as well as using different kinds of cooling systems.

But here let’s focus more on the topic of the fluids employed as carrier fluids, in other words, on the topic of the monofluid. Based on the project temperature level at which they are design to operate with, these units can employ a wide range of different kind of fluids: water for example at ambient temperature, and therefore with not pressurized circulating systems; pressurized water, when temperatures involved are up to 130-140° C; water with anti freeze additives, such as glycol, mono ethylene or propylene glycol, in case the temperature range starts with temperatures under 0° C; silicone oils or special oils, when the temperature range start under 0° C but we have to reach very high temperatures, and we also have to guarantee and maintain a smooth flow, with a low viscosity; and eventually, when working temperatures rise up, we can switch to diathermic oils.

Using diathermic oil, there are two kind of units: a first one that enables to reach temperatures up to 180° C, typically realized using sophisticated components of a certain kind, such as pumps with mechanical seals; or otherwise diathermic oil for temperatures up to 300-320° C. In this case, components are even more sophisticated, using for example magnetic drive pumps.

What determines the selection of a carrier fluid instead of another? As already said, it depends on the design range of temperature. Which means, with low temperature, glycol and anti freeze, water in case of ambient temperatures, up to 130° C; extreme temperatures, which means from -20 or -30° C up to high temperatures, silicone fluids or special fluids, typically oils; and finally, for very high temperatures, up to 180-300° C, diathermic oils.

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Cooling of burners in oxy-fuel cutting in steel mills

06/12/2024

In the steel mill sector, industrial plants producing semi-finished steel products such as billets and slabs require the presence of a cutting system to fit the products within the standard shipping dimensions for the loads of ferrous materials.

Tempco raffreddamento sistemi ossitaglio billette bramme free cooling
Cooling systems on burners are crucial in slab and billet oxy-fuel cutting plants for a series of reasons:

  1. Prevention of overheating: burners operate at extremely high temperatures. Without a proper cooling, they could overheat, causing structural damages or failure.
  2. Maintain efficiency: a properly cooled burner operates more efficiently. Cooling prevents excessively high temperatures from altering performance, maintaining a precise and constant cut.
  3. Safety: cooling reduces the risk of fire or explosion due to overheating, improving the safety of the entire system.
  4. Component life extension: a regular and controlled cooling reduces wear on burner components, extending the life of the system and reducing maintenance costs.

Cooling of burners in oxi-fuel system employs water for obvious, with dissipation that can often be carried out using free-coolers, as the temperature levels are not particularly high.

 

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TEMPCO researches and develops systems and solutions for cooling, heating, control temperature and heat exchange in different industrial processes.

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