Hello my name is Romain Lanier and I am a Product Development Manager at Alfa Laval welded heat exchangers. In developing our DuroShell plate-and-shell heat exchanger, we listened to customers working with demanding duties about the challenges they faced. We understood that they needed new innovations that would provide more robust technology. One such innovation is our patented PowerPack™ construction, which enables improved fluid distribution increased mechanical strength and unparalleled fatigue resistance. The heart of PowerPack™ is two rugged distribution tubes that run the length of the plate pack and are welded to the end covers. These tubes are specially designed to take the bulk of mechanical forces rather than those forces impacting the heat transfer plates. DuroShell plates are well compressed before the tubes are welded keeping the plate pack fully compressed throughout the unit’s lifecycle. Combined, these factors lead to significantly greater fatigue resistance. PowerPack™ tubes also distribute the fluid more evenly over the plate – even in traditional “dead spots” behind the ports. This means more uniform temperature distribution which further reduces thermal expansion stress and fatigue while increasing thermal efficiency. This is how PowerPack™ makes DuroShell far more robust than conventional plate-and-shell designs. It’s another reason we call it plate-and-shell made tougher!