Why Titanium Is Ideal For Marine Applications
Why Titanium Is Ideal For Marine Applications Historically, wooden ships didn’t rust but they did rot; steel ships don’t rot but they do rust. There
February 2, 2024
Large ocean going Tuna Seiners require absolute reliability when it comes to freezing the catch. One full load of frozen tuna can sell for more than $2 million at the cannery. The Refrigerated Sea Water systems used to freeze the fish used traditional galvanized steel condensers and chillers. These heat exchangers did not hold up past 5 years. They were unreliable, replacement was very expensive, and a load of spoiled fish could cost millions of dollars.
Upon request from the “Big 3” corporate fleet owners, Starkist, Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea, ICE Products (now Titanium Marine) developed a line of Titanium shell and tube heat exchangers. These units were so effective that over the next few years other international tuna fleet owners adopted Titanium for use in their large (1,000 RTon) Ammonia Refrigerated Sea Water systems.
Cooling the main engines and the hydraulic deck machinery is also important in that you can’t fish if you can’t chase them. The shell and tube coolers supplied by the shipyard have always been “commercial off the shelf” Cu-Ni units and they just didn’t last more than a few years. Replacement exchangers had to be carried on board as spares, waiting for the inevitable heat exchanger failure.
Ultimately tuna boat owners around the world embraced Titanium heat exchangers for use throughout their vessels. Companies such as Fuji, Frabelle, Sajo, and Tri-Marine have all switched to Titanium as the material of choice. Service life is measured in decades, maintenance is reduced to a simple cleaning once or twice a year, and NO ZINC anodes are needed.
Your diesel main engines and generators need efficient cooling for long service life. Rejecting engine heat to the ocean requires thousands of gallons per hour of sea water flowing through the jacket water and turbo intercoolers. Traditional copper-nickel engine coolers will fail over time and can pump raw sea water INTO the engines and auxiliaries.
This type of failure can cost tens of thousands of dollars and months out of service. With titanium jacket water and turbo intercoolers, you will have the most robust heat exchangers available. Your engines will run cooler and your valuable assets will be protected.
Why Titanium Is Ideal For Marine Applications Historically, wooden ships didn’t rust but they did rot; steel ships don’t rot but they do rust. There
Learn all you need to know about Titanium, Titanium heat exchangers, and more! Titanium Marine Technologies has vast knowledge of marine applications and services.
