Seen on their own, heat exchangers like the XLGUHS look like something from a Star Wars movie. If you are in the business of steam condensers and tank coil heaters, however, XLGUHS brand is familiar. In a time when much of our world seems to be centered on digital technology, it may come as a surprise to some that there are still a number of jobs that require a thorough technical understanding of pressure valves, thermal energy storage, and other processes. In fact, there is a trend in the country right now to encourage high school graduates to learn a trade through an affordable two year associate’s degree program, instead of thinking that everyone needs to attend an expensive four year college.
From local television stations featuring high wage earning public utility workers who are making the most of their two year degrees to companies recruiting students right out of high school to enter a work apprenticeship, there are many ways that companies of all size are trying to get more workers. Consider these facts and figures about the heat exchanger industry and the the thermal management platform:
- The revenue of boiler and heat exchanger manufacturing in the U.S. in the year 2013 reached $7 billion.
- Parallel-flow or counterflow configuration, cross-flow configuration, and shell-and-tube configurations are the three types of heat exchangers.
- At a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%, the heat exchanger market is projected to reach $19.14 billion by 2021.
- Without corrosion or something to seriously damage the shell, the shell portion of the heat exchanger can often last 40 or more years.
- One fluid flows through tubes and second fluid passes around the tubes perpendicularly in cross flow heat exchanger.
- Both the tube side fluid and the shell side fluid flow in same direction in parallel flow heat exchangers. In this design, the two fluids enter the heat exchanger from the same end with a large temperature difference.
Finding the right career does not have to include a thousands of dollars in loans to attend an expensive four year college. For an increasing number of Americans, a trade school degree provides an opportunity to enter a profitable career working with temperature controllers, over the side heaters, and other industrial career options.