Alfalaval ViscoLine - VLC 104 User manual

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INSTRUCTION MANUAL
ViscoLine
™
- VLC
Hygienic Tubular heat exchanger
CIP and water heating

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TO THE USER
1. HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION
1.1 Safety precautions
1.2 Plant integrity
2. TECHNICAL DEFINITIONS
3. VLC TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
3.1 ViscoLine™ -VLC Multitube heat exchanger description
3.2 Technical data for Multitube unit VLC
4. MEDIA REQUIREMENTS
5. INSTALLATION
5.1 General
5.2 Pre-installation work
5.3 Installation personnel
5.4 Storage
5.5 Unloading and transportation
5.6 Unpacking and inspection
5.7 Positioning and assembly
6. COMMISSIONING
7. OPERATION
7.1 Operating personnel
7.2 Start, operation and stop procedures
8. MAINTENANCE
8.1 Preventive maintenance
8.2 Changing gaskets on the VLC
8.3 Cleaning
8.4 Trouble shooting
11. SPARE PARTS

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TO THE USER
This instruction manual is the instant guide to your Alfa Laval equipment.
Alfa Laval recommends that you study this manual carefully before attempting to
install and operate the equipment described in the manual. In particular you must
observe all hazard notices and other health and safety instructions at all times and in
full. You should also ensure that the manual is always available to those who install,
operate, maintain and repair the equipment.
Furthermore it is important that you:
-Keep this instruction manual and other associated documentation for the life of
the equipment.
-Promptly incorporate all authorized amendments issued by Alfa Laval.
-Pass the documentation on to any subsequent owner or user of the equipment.
ViscoLine™-VLC Guarantee
ViscoLine™-VLC Guarantee.
1) Our modules have a mechanical guarantee of 12 month.
2) Material guarantee.
Alfa Laval guarantee 316L and 304 material when :
- Using hot water above 80 degC water must have between (8-9)mg/l chloride.
- Using hot water below 80 degC water can have 100 mg/l chloride.
- When the percentage of salt content in the product formula is lower than 0, 5%
3) Design guarantee:
We can only guarantee the thermal performance when:
- Product data, duty and our thermal calculation has been confirmed by the customer

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1. HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION
This instruction manual contains important hazard information. The hazard
information is prioritised into Warning and Caution notices, all of which appear in this
chapter. The appearance of a warning symbol elsewhere in this manual means that
you must refer to the appropriate Warning or Caution notice in this chapter before
proceeding. The warning symbol is:
Before attempting to unpack, install and operate the equipment you must read this
chapter and pay particular attention to all the Warning and Caution notices. Failure to
do so could result in serious injury to personnel or damage the equipment.
All personnel who operate and service the plant must be well trained on the
equipment and familiar with its modes of operation.
WARNING NOTICES
These describe hazards to the health and safety of personnel, including the risk of
immediate danger to life and of serious or minor personal injury.
Each Warning notice specifically states the nature of a particular hazard and the
means by which it can be avoided. Warning notices are presented in the style of this
notice.
CAUTION NOTICE
These describe hazards to the physical integrity of the equipment. Each Caution
notice specifically states the nature of a particular hazard and the means by which it
can be avoided. Caution notices are presented in the style of this notice.
CAUTION!
1.1 Safety precautions
High temperatures and pressures
This equipment uses hot/cold media for the transfer of heat. During operation and
until the equipment has cooled, surfaces may attain high temperatures. Remain
outside the hazardous area, regard all pipe work as hot and watch for leakages at all
times.
WARNING!
WARNING!

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During the operation of this equipment, high pressures may be present within the
plant. Remain outside the hazardous area and watch for leakages at all times.
The hazardous area is defined as one metre around the unit in all directions.
During the maintenance and repair work, shut off the main supply of heating/cooling
and product to the unit and allow the plant to adjust to atmospheric pressure and cool
down before commencing work. Inform the operator and other concerned personnel
about the work that you intend to do. Post suitable warning signs at appropriate
locations around the hazardous area.
Hazardous substances
The solution used to clean this equipment may contain substances such as caustic
soda (sodium hydroxide NaOH) or nitric acid (HNO3). Protective clothing, goggles
and gloves must be worn in accordance with the manufacturers instructions
whenever there is a risk of exposure to these chemicals.
High pressure during cleaning in place (CIP)
High pressure will develop if the cooling medium is locked into the heat exchanger.
Ensure that the valve arrangement of the plant is such that high pressure cannot
develop, or install an adequate pressure relief valve.
Cooling media containing glycol should be drained out of the heat exchanger during
CIP of the product path since, in addition of the risk of excessive pressures, at higher
temperatures some media attack the stainless steel.
Heavy equipment
Handle the contents with care, when unpacking crates containing Alfa Laval
ViscoLine™ equipment. These equipments are heavy and, if handled carelessly,
they may fall and cause major injuries to persons in close proximity.
1.2 Plant integrity
CAUTION!
Service and maintenance
The service and maintenance of this equipment must be carried out at regular
intervals in accordance with the procedures given in chapter 5.
WARNING!
WARNING!
WARNING!

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CAUTION!
Inferior water supplies
The circulation of water of inferior quality within Alfa Laval ViscoLine equipment may
result in the accumulation of deposits and cause the malfunction of vital components.
The water supplies to the equipment must comply in all respects with the
specifications given in this instruction manual.
CAUTION!
Plant usage and modification
If you intend to use the plant for products that have different characteristics than
those originally specified you must consult Alfa Laval before making any changes to
the design or operational duty, otherwise you may endanger yourself and others, and
risk damage to equipment.
CAUTION!
Ice damage
In chilling operations where there is a potential risk of freezing the product, the
growth of ice may damage the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™ tubes. Ensure that the plant is
equipped with adequate sensing devices for such applications.
CAUTION!
Chlorination of equipment
Chlorine is sometimes used as a growth inhibitor in cooling water systems. However
it may have a detrimental effect on the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel and
reduce the lifetime of the equipment.
Water that has a low pH value (high acidity) increases the risk of corrosion in the
heat exchanger and pipe work.
CAUTION!
Damage during unloading/transportation
Handle the contents with care, when unpacking crates containing Alfa Laval
ViscoLine™ equipment. Handle the contents with great care in order to avoid
scratches or other damage to metal surfaces.
CAUTION!
Damage to the media inlet/outlet and connectors
Do not use a wire brush to clean the media inlets and outlets of a heat exchanger or
the connecting pipe work, otherwise damage to these components will result.

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2. TECHNICAL DEFINITIONS
Tubular heat exchanger: Consist of an external shell and multiple inner tubes
used to transfer heat from one fluid to another. Multi
-tube VLC type, is a variant of VLM and particularly
used for water and CIP solution heating with steam
as service media.
The number of the tubes used, vary according to
the thermal duty and flow rate to be handled.
Tube: It is the product pipe
Shell: It is the media pipe
Corrugations: These are the deformations on the tubes.
Hard Corrugations (example of an 16 mm tube)
Bellow: Thermal compensator.

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3. VLC TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
3.1 ViscoLine™-VLC Multitube heat exchanger description
The ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchanger operates on the classic shell and tube
principle, with the product flowing through a group of parallel tubes and the service
medium between and around the tubes. Turbulence for efficient heat transfer is
created by helical corrugations on the tubes. The shell tube is smooth. This type of
unit is ideal for the heating of water or CIP solutions by means of steam, heat
exchange applications to process low and average viscosity products. Products can
contain fibres and small particulates. Moreover VLC is also suitable for general
heating and cooling applications.
The basic principle of the Multitube VLC heat exchanger is shown in below.
Figure 1. Graphic Representation of the flow pattern in ViscoLine CIP unit
The heat exchanger is formed by a tube bundle (welded at both ends onto flat tube
plates) inside a smooth shell. External surface of these straight corrugated tube
bundle constitute the heat transfer surface. The product medium is supplied and
flows inside the tubes of the bundle and the service medium between and around
these tubes, counter-current to the product flow. Each exchanger has a bellow; the
purpose is to absorb the thermal expansion.
The Multitube VLC is designed for single pass operation, with all inner tubes
connected in parallel and in counter-current flow to the service medium. Multitube
VLC units are recommended to be used as single equipment in a system to satisfy
the thermal duty. However it is possible to connect two or more VLC units in series or
parallel when using steam/water (hot or cold) as a service media.
The Multitube VLC units are recommended to be installed vertically or
preferably with a 10°inclination to the floor, in order to ensure draining the
service media during start-up.
The VLC unit demands very little maintenance except for the union and flange
gaskets which need to be replaced at regular intervals. (see Figure 2 for location).

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Flange Gasket
Union Gasket
Figure 2. Gasket locations on VLC unit

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The ViscoLine™-VLC unit has the same thermal features as the ViscoLine™ VLM.
The only difference is that the tubes will have DIN flange connections on service
(Shell) side, and SMS Unions on product side as a standard design.
For the VLC tubes that are mainly used for heating CIP solutions, we have a well
defined product range of 4 designs. These 4 designs will cover most of the capacities
that we will find in the food industry for CIP.
3.2 Technical data:
There is a CE label on each heat exchanger; stating the type, serial number, year of
manufacturing, fluid group, inlet and outlet temperatures, volume, design pressure,
design temperature, testing pressure, maximum temperature of operation and the
test pressure date. These labels are the main technical specifications for the heat
exchanger.
Manufacturer Alfa Laval (India) Limited
Std. Design pressure Tubes: 1600 kPa (232 PSI) - 16 bar
Shell: 1100 kPa (159 PSI) - 11 bar
Design temperature -20/190 °C (-4/374°F)
Actual temperature limits vary due to different requirements in
the pressure vessel codes.
Dimensions Tubes: Ø16 mm
Wall thickness: 1 mm
Quantity: 20, 31, 37
Shell: Ø104, Ø129, and Ø154 mm
Length: 2 m
3 m (only with Shell Ø154)
Material Tube: stainless steel AISI 316L
Shell: stainless steel in AISI 304
Pressure vessel Approved for the specified
pressure/temperature range
Connections Tubes: SMS Union
Shell: DIN flanges
Approx. Weight
VLC Type Empty Weight (Kg) Filled Weight (Kg)
VLC 104 45 60
VLC 129 63
80
VLC 154 75
100
VLC 154 – 3 m 97
134
Optional designs not applicable

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4. MEDIA REQUIREMENTS
This section of the technical manual describes, in general terms, the recommended
quality criteria for the media services.
Steam supply for the ViscoLine™-VLC
General requirements for the steam supply
The steam supply to the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchanger plant must
conform to the following general requirements:
•The steam supply must be of good quality and free from condensate and air.
•The outside diameter of the steam supply lines must exceed that of the steam
piping within the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™ unit.
•The steam supply line must be equipped with a pressure controller in order to
maintain a constant feed pressure.
•Condensate traps must be provided in close proximity to the process line in order
to produce dry steam.
•A master shut off valve must be installed in the steam supply line.
•The steam pipes must be insulated.
•Before connecting the steam supply to the process line, the steam pipes must be
blown clear with repeated blasts of steam for a period of 5 to 10 minutes.
Characteristics of the steam supply
Quality dry saturated steam
Humidity maximum 5% condensate
PH 7.0 to 8.5
Chloride maximum 8 parts per million (ppm)
Solid particles none
Turbidity maximum 3 ppm KmnO4
Potassium and sodium maximum 0.01 mg/kg
Iron maximum 0.02 mg/kg
Copper maximum 0.003 mg/kg
Nitrogen dioxide maximum 0.02 ppm
Conductivity 0.3 µS
Organic matter none
Condensate (C)
The condensate system should be designed to the same capacity, pressure and
temperature demands as those given for a steam generating system.
Water
There are three different types of water supply used in a plant: namely drinking
water, product water and service water.
Drinking water
The drinking water supply should be used for cleaning and as product flush water
also. The quality of this water supply must comply with the guidelines of the World
Health Organization (WHO), or the Drinking Water Directive of the European
Economic Community (CEE). For more specific data contact Alfa Laval. The pipe
work of the drinking and cleaning water supply must be equipped with master shut off
valves. The supply must remain constant.

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Refer to the label attached to first page of this manual, and to the customized label
on each heat exchanger.
Product water
Product water is used for the reconstitution of product concentrates. The quality of
the product water must be such that it does not affect the essential characteristics of
the heat exchanger and its minimum requirements should comply with the guidelines
and directives of the WHO and EEC.
Service water
Service water is used for cooling, sealing water, tower water and boiler feed water. It
must be clean and without solid particles. The service water must be free of iron and
manganese and must not contain excessive chlorine.
Service water must be soft and should be de-hardened if necessary. If relatively hard
water is supplied (corresponding to 10°dH or 12.5°e), lime deposits will accumulate
within devices such as valves. Deposition accelerates at high temperatures, and the
severity of the effect is directly proportional to the hardness of the water. In addition
the cleaning process is adversely affected and the consumption of detergents is
increased.
Water that has a low pH value (high acidity) increases the risk of corrosion in the
heat exchanger and pipe work. The pH value of the water supply must remain within
the range pH 7 to pH 8.5.
The risk of corrosion is also increased by water that contains a high concentration of
chlorine and/or chloride. The water supply must contain less than 0.2 ppm chlorine
and less than 50 ppm chloride. Corrosion accelerates at high temperatures.
ViscoLine™-VLC Guarantee.
1) Our modules have a mechanical guarantee of 12 month.
2) Material guarantee.
Alfa Laval guarantee 316L and 304 material when :
- Using hot water above 80 degC water must have between (8-9)mg/l chloride.
- Using hot water below 80 degC water can have 100 mg/l chloride.
- When the percentage of salt content in the product formula is lower than 0, 5%
3) Design guarantee:
We can only guarantee the thermal performance when:
- Product data, duty and our thermal calculation has been confirmed by the customer
The pipe work of the steam supply must be equipped with master shut off valves.
The supply must remain constant within the specified pressure band temperature
parameters.

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5. INSTALLATION
5. 1 General
Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchangers are delivered in wooden crates. For
rapid and easy installation on site these units are supplied with counter fittings on
product and service media side. It is merely necessary to position the units correctly
and connect the product and media supplies as described below.
Before installing a Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC unit, carefully read the warning and
caution notices in chapter 1. Take all necessary precautions to guarantee the safety
of personnel and avoid risk of damage to the equipment.
5. 2 Pre-installation work
Site preparation
Prior to the delivery of Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC, the premises should be made
ready to receive the equipment. Check that doorways and passages are of sufficient
width to allow the equipment crates to pass, and that they are free of obstructions.
Before positioning any equipment, ensure that the floor and ceiling height is of
sufficient measure.
Services
To assist the installation and save time, steam, water and air supplies should be
installed in advance as per the VLC general arrangement drawing. Connection sizes
of these services to the VLC units should be ensured during order confirmation.
Ensure that the services fully accord with the technical specifications given in
Sections 3 and other related equipment documentation.
5. 3 Installation personnel
The personnel who install Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchangers must meet
the following professional criteria:
TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas):
•At least three years previous experience working with similar installations
including argon gas welding with stainless steel thin-walled material. Proven skills
in reading installation and isometric drawings.
Utility welder and erector:
•At least three years experience working with similar installations including arc and
gas welding of, for example, steam and compressed air pipe work. Proven skills
in reading installation and isometric drawings.
WARNING!

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5. 4 Storage
If the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC equipment is to be stored prior to installation then it
must be kept under Class B conditions, namely under a roof in a ventilated building
that has a dry floor. This avoids damage or deterioration of the equipment during
storage.
5. 5 Unloading and transportation
The most convenient method of unloading and transporting crates containing Alfa
Laval ViscoLine™-VLC equipment is to use a fork lift with widely separated forks.
The crate is approx 2 or 3m in length depending upon the unit selected. If a suitable
fork lift with side separated forks is not available, use one fork lift at each side of the
crate. The centre of gravity and strapping points are marked on each crate.
5. 6 Unpacking and inspection
To avoid the risk of damage, the crates containing the VLC units must be opened
and unpacked in the presence of a Alfa Laval representative and that of a customer.
To unpack each crate, proceed as follows:
1. With the crate in an upright position, remove its lid.
2. Unpack easily accessible parts at the top of the crate.
3. Support the sides using a fork lift or similar and lower the sides of the crate so
that they are unfolded. The remaining unit is therefore supported on the bottom
panel of the crate and is easily accessible.
4. Unpack the remaining unit.
5. Check each separate item of delivered equipment against the packing lists
attached to the crates. Report any missing items to Alfa Laval immediately.
6. Carefully examine each separate item of delivered equipment and ensure that it
is complete and undamaged. Report any damage to Alfa Laval immediately.
7. Dismantle and safely dispose of the equipment crates.
5. 7 Positioning and assembly
Heavy equipment
When unpacking the crates containing ViscoLine™-VLC units, handle the contents
with care. These units are heavy and, if handled carelessly, they may fall and cause
major injuries to persons in close proximity.
Before installing an Alfa Laval ViscoLine™ heat exchanger plant, carefully read the
warning and caution notices in chapter 1. Take all necessary precautions to
guarantee the safety of personnel and avoid risk of damage to the equipment.
WARNING!
WARNING!

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Positioning and assembly procedure
1. The VLC unit has to be preferably placed vertically or at least with a 10°incline to
the floor to facilitate product and service media drain.
2. Use pipe holders of suitable size to hold the VLC units onto a frame structure or
on a wall. Secure both ends of the VLC units firmly with the pipe clamps. Ensure
that the pipe holders are firmly secured to the frame/wall. It is also important that
the pipe holders are capable of handling the live weight of the VLC units.
3. Assemble the service media inlet pipe work.
4. If using steam as the service media always connect the steam supply pipe to the
top end of the VLC unit, in order to conveniently drain out the condensate if any,
before start-up and during operation.
We recommend following valves when using VLC units. The service media inlet
pipe work should be fitted with a shut-off valve (if required also a regulating valve)
succeeded by a non-return valve.
5. Assemble the service media outlet pipe work.
For safety reasons and proper operation of the VLC unit, please ensure to install
a condensate loop on the lower end of the service media connection when using
steam as a service.
6. Check that the gaskets in the service media inlet and outlet connections of the
VLC unit are correctly seated and that the nuts and bolts are firmly tightened
using a spanner.
7. Assemble the product inlet pipe work.
8. In order to have a counter-current flow, connect the product inlet pipe work to the
product inlet of the VLC unit connection located at opposite end of the service
media supply.
9. Assemble the product outlet pipe work.
10. Check that the gaskets in the product inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger
system are correctly seated in their respective grooves and that the unions are
firmly tightened using a spanner.
11. Test the installation for any leaks by passing water at ambient temperature on the
product and media side. Attend to leakages if any before starting up the system.
12. For safety reasons we recommend to insulate all pipe work on VLC shell side,
especially when using steam as a heating media.

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6. Commissioning
Commissioning of the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC unit is rapid and simple.
Nevertheless the work must be carried out by a skilled engineer in accordance with
the instructions given below.
Commissioning personnel
The personnel who commissions the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC unit must meet the
following professional criteria:
Commissioning engineer:
•A qualified process engineer with previous experience in the commissioning of
hygienic liquids processes. Proven skill in reading flow charts and a thorough
knowledge of local safety regulations.
Before commissioning a Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchanger unit, carefully
read the warning and caution notices in chapter 1. Take all necessary precautions to
guarantee the safety of personnel and avoid risk of damage to the equipment.
Commissioning personnel
To ensure that the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC installation is of the highest quality,
the following commissioning checks must be carried out:
1. Check that all supplies to VLC unit (media pressure and temperatures) are in
accordance with the requirements stipulated on the name plate placed on
each unit.
2. Flush the new pipe work thoroughly to ensure that no debris remains in the
installation and cannot obstruct valves and other devices.
3. Carry out a thorough pressurization check using water to ensure that there
are no leakages.
4. Ensure that there is no weld splatter from pipe work construction.
5. Perform a complete CIP operation to clean the product path thoroughly in
accordance with the instructions given.
WARNING!

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7. OPERATION
Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchangers are entirely mechanical devices
designed to be incorporated into process lines and similar installations. The
equipment must be operated by trained personnel in accordance with the instructions
given below.
7.1 Operating personnel
The personnel who operate the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC installation must meet
the following professional criteria:
Operators
•Knowledge of hygienic liquid processes and process equipment
•Prior to start up operators must read, and become familiar with, the information
given in this instruction manual.
Before operating a Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchanger unit, carefully read
the warning and caution notices in chapter 1. Take all necessary precautions to
guarantee the safety of personnel and avoid risk of damage to the equipment.
7.2 Start up, operation and stop procedures
To ensure the safe, easy and efficient operation of the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC
heat exchanger system, please follow the following guidelines:
1. Check that the required media supplies are available:
a. If water (pressure) is required, open the manual shut off valve SLOWLY to
avoid pressure shocks.
b. If steam (pressure) is required, open the manual shut off valve SLOWLY to
avoid pressure shocks.
2. Start the process line in accordance with the process line start up procedure.
3. Having started the plant, de-aerate the heat exchanger shell by means of the
relief valve on your installation. The presence of air within the heat exchanger
decreases the efficiency of the heat transfer and can contribute to accumulation
of deposits on the inner surface of the shell.
4. During operation of the VLC unit ensure to maintain the pressure and
temperatures
within the stipulated ranges as mentioned on the name plate.
5. When shutting down the plant, gradually close the service media stop valve and
ensure to drain out the condensate completely from the shell side. This needs to
be ensured when using steam as a heating media.
6. In an event that the equipment would not be used for a long time, make sure to
drain the product and service media within the VLC unit completely.
WARNING!

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8. MAINTENANCE
The installation is practically maintenance free, thus eliminating any need for spare
parts, except the gaskets in the flanges and unions of the VLC units.
8.1 Preventive maintenance
Before commencing repair and maintenance of a Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat
exchanger unit, carefully read the warning and caution notices in chapter 1. Take all
necessary precautions to guarantee the safety of personnel and avoid risk of
damage to the equipment.
If you require assistance in maintaining the equipment, or if you have any questions
regarding the maintenance procedure, please contact Alfa Laval.
Maintenance intervals
Preventive maintenance primarily requires that the equipment is visually inspected
and that adjustments are made where necessary. The following inspection intervals
are recommended:
Weekly
Check all pipes for leakage.
Check all unions for leakage. Tighten the unions if necessary.
Check all flanges for leakage. Tighten the flanges if necessary.
Annually
Renew all gaskets (for unions and flanges). This must also be done if a leakage is
suspected. Check after changing the gaskets.
WARNING!

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8.2 Changing the gaskets on the VLC units
To exchange the SMS union gaskets, the hook spanner (for SMS unions) tool must
be used.
1. Disassemble SMS union.
2. Check the SMS union gasket for damage (cracks and crevices).
3. Clean the gasket groove on the union carefully before re-assembly. Look for
damage (scratches) at O-ring groove. If the damage is serious the SMS union
must be replaced. See section 9 for spare parts.
4. Exchange the gasket for a new item according to the spare parts list in section 9.
5. Assemble nut, liner and bend.
To exchange the flange gaskets the spanner tool must be used.
1. Disassemble the flange nut and bolts.
2. Check flange gasket for damage (cracks and crevices).
3. Clean the flange surface carefully before re-assembly. Look for damage
(scratches) If the damage is serious the flanges must be replaced. See section 9
for spare parts.
4. Exchange the gasket for a new item according to the spare parts list in section 9.
5. Assemble the flange set.
Note
In order to achieve good performance from the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC units it is
imperative that the correct quality of O-rings is used. See separate spare parts list in
section 9.
8.3 Cleaning (required only if processing liquid food using
the VLC unit)
To ensure that the Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchanger system remains in
good condition and to avoid infection of the product (in case you are processing
liquid food products), it is essential that the equipment is cleaned regularly. The
product side of the heat exchanger system should be cleaned at regular intervals.
Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchangers are designed to be cleaned in place.
Before cleaning a Alfa Laval ViscoLine™-VLC heat exchanger plant, carefully read
the warning and caution notices in chapter 1. Take all necessary precautions to
guarantee the safety of personnel and avoid risk of damage to the equipment.
WARNING!

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Cleaning the product path
The product path of the heat exchanger system shall always be cleaned with lye
and/or acid immediately after a production cycle. The product path should be
sterilized immediately before the next production cycle commences.
Cleaning flow rate
The flow rate for cleaning the product path should always be at least (1.5 to 2) m/s.
Under normal conditions the CIP velocity should never be lower than the product
velocity. An increased cleaning flow rate may be necessary under certain
circumstances; for example in heat exchanger systems used for products that have a
tendency to burn on - such as milk, protein and sugar products.
Refer to the table presenting different velocities for different multitubes and
monotubes.
Cleaning agents
The following cleaning agents are recommended by Alfa Laval:
NaOH
A solution of (1-2)% by weight of NaOH at a maximum temperature of 70°C. Dissolve
1 kg of caustic soda in 100 lit. of water or mix 2.2 lit. of 33% NaOH solution in 100 lit.
of water.
HNO3
A solution of 0.5% by weight of HNO3 at a maximum temperature of 70°C. Mix 0.7
litres of 53% (36°Be) nitric acid in 100 litres of water.
I n exceptionally severe cases such as milk sterilization plant, it is permissible to
exceed the concentrations specified above. However the cleaning recommendations
offered by Alfa Laval should always be observed.
Other detergents
In addition to caustic soda and nitric acid, detergents containing wetting and
complex-forming agents may be used also. However the maximum concentrations of
caustic soda and nitric acid stipulated above must be observed.
Detergents should be dosed gradually in order to avoid excessive local and
temporary concentrations; Hazardous agents must be handled according to local
demands.
Cleaning water
Clean water that is free of chlorides must be used for all cleaning solutions.
CIP cycles
Recommended cleaning intervals and the timing of the CIP cycles are shown in
Table below, where all times are given in minutes. Before commencing a CIP cycle,
ensure that no service media remain in the heat exchanger system. If necessary
drain the heat exchangers or, if the medium is steam, open a pressure relief valve.