Salt Energy Storage Solutions
Alfa Laval's Once Through Steam Generators are Efficient
Colin Smith — November 4, 2025Alfa Laval’s Once Through Steam Generators integrate the functions of an economizer, evaporator, steam drum, and superheater into a single compact, fully welded shell containing a helical coil bundle, enabling sequential preheating, evaporation, and superheating of feedwater as the heating medium flows counter‑currently in the shell side. The design emphasizes a small footprint and modularity for small to mid‑scale thermal energy storage and power‑to‑heat systems, with a HeliCoil spiral‑wound tube geometry that increases heat transfer area while accommodating thermal expansion to reduce mechanical stress under cyclic operation.
The product features a FlexOp water separation and recirculation system for stable operation at low loads (down to 5%), an integrated ElectroStart electric preheating system for rapid warm‑up and pressurization, and operational modes that include once‑through, warm‑up, and low‑load circulation to ensure responsiveness and tube cooling during start‑stop cycles. Alfa Laval positions the units for molten‑salt and thermal‑oil based storage applications where reduced hold‑up volume, fast start‑up, serviceability, and lifecycle reliability are priorities for modular thermal energy storage deployments.