When Remi Claeys Aluminium (part of SAPA group) started to supply "special" orders for 5052 tubes more than 30 years ago, little was known about the use of aluminium tubes for the production of a vital resource: water. As time went by, water has become more scarce and the need for newer, better and cheaper technologies to produce fresh water has become a global challenge. High frequency welded aluminium tubes from Remi Claeys Aluminium–SAPA are part of this solution.
Remi Claeys Aluminium (part of SAPA group since 2004) was founded in 1949 and originally started as a manufacturer of steel tubes. Since 1963 however, the production of HF welded aluminium tubes started as core business.
With the ongoing developments in LT-MED desalination, the use of 5052 aluminium condenser tubes combines technological with economical advantages. The LT-MED technology offers superior thermodynamic efficiency compared to MSF, while the lower operation temperature reduces scaling. The lower temperature makes it also possible to use aluminium for the condenser tubes.
One of the major issues when selecting aluminium for condenser tubes of low-temperature MED plants, is the impact of corrosion on 5052-aluminium tubes. The reduced corrosiveness of seawater at lower temperatures combined with the use of de-aerated feedwater lowers the corrosion level significantly.
Commercial MED plants equipped with 5052-aluminium tubes have been running stable and reliable since more than 25 years, which confirms that well-engineered MED plants make use of all the technical and economical advantages offered by 5052 aluminium welded tubes. www.remi-claeys.be
