Product＆Business Model Category (Business Model) The award-winning technology

Agency of Natural Resources and

The business model was designed for this new energy conservation technology, which improves the heat transfer efficiency of heat
exchangers using Dropwise Condensation Technology to condense steam. In heat exchangers, a film of water on the metal acts as
a thermal insulator, which restricts heat transfer. With this new technology, instead of a film of water, the steam condenses into

Energy Commissioner’s Award

Improved Heat Transfer Efficiency through Dropwise Condensation Technology
droplets that are repelled increasing overall heat transfer by up to 30%. While the facilities remain in operation, it not only improves
production quantity and quality but also greatly decreases per-unit steam consumption, depending on the model. Water repellant
chemicals produce this effect when they are added to the steam line just before the targeted heat exchanger, which means this
technology can be adopted while production facilities stay in operation. In addition, the technology does not interfere with existing
water treatment systems, so it can be used for many applications, such as the dryer processes of paper mills, where it reduces
per-unit steam consumption by 5-10%. It has already been introduced to at least 70 systems in Japan and other countries.

Kurita Dropwise Technology

Easily applicable through the successive Providing this technology to a larger
addition of chemicals to the steam line just number of users through
before a heat exchanger* pay-per-performance package agreements.

Chemicals Monitoring Equipment Analysis

KURITA DW ingredients
Kurita Dropwise Technology
Water repellent film Pay-per- Pay-per- Pay-per-
Droplets performance performance performance
fee fee fee

Metal surface

*No interference with existing water treatment systems means that JIS-compliant water treatment may be performed.

Verification Results Application Example (drum dryer)

(with shell and tube heat exchanger)
8,000 ■ Conventional

Overall heat transfer coefficient U (W/m2, K)

3.8 Substantial

Steam consumption per unit of production

Period of the application of this technology ■ This technology
reduction
Kurita provides an first-in-industry 3.6 in steam
7,000 consumption
technology that improves the heat transfer efficiency of heat exchangers to 3.4 per unit of
production
help increase the operating efficiency of 6,000 3.2

3.0

production facilities and conserve energy. 5,000

30%UP 2.8

2.6
4,000
Heat Heat Higher heat
[Test Conditions] Shell: Stainless steel, ID 106mm,
2.4 Paper or printing paper manufacturing
Steam Steam OD 114mm, Steam 0.04MPa Tube: Copper, ID 17mm, Steam consumption: 280 tons per day
OD 19mm, L=1500mm, Cooling water RT, 12m/sec
2.2
transfer efficiency 0
0 7 14 A B C D E F G H I J K
Time(days) Production brand

Conventional treatment
Higher
Kurita Dropwise Technology
productivity
This technology is now being adopted At least 70 systems
Lower steam in many manufacturing processes. in Japan and overseas

Why not try to make more

consumption
Without water repellency With water repellency
During steam condensation, this technology transforms the water film YouTube video effective use of steam
acting as thermal barrier into droplets to increase heat transfer efficiency. at your factories?