5000 Series Aluminium

Unpainted aluminium hull applications

The aluminium GRIDCOOLER – Keel cooler is designed specifically for unpainted aluminium hull applications in fresh or seawater environments. 5000 series aluminium alloy was selected based on its compatibility with unpainted aluminium hulls and saltwater corrosion resistance. The alloy compatibility between the hull and keel cooler prevents pitting and avoids potential damage from interacting metals.

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GRIDCOOLER Keel Cooler’s

Technology

Fernstrum has continually evolved the GRIDCOOLER – Keel cooler’s design to improve efficiency and dependability. The rectangular one-piece header design has fewer joints for improved durability and provides greater flexibility in custom cooling solutions. Its design can be adapted into various configurations and shapes to precisely fit available space and cooling demands.

A typical keel cooler features a rectangular shaped tube bundle. Each copper-nickel keel cooler is torch brazed with 56% silver (content) braze wire to maximize the flexibility and durability of the unit. The higher silver content offers superior corrosion resistance, improving the dependability of the keel cooler and its ability to withstand harsher operating conditions. Critical braze joints are ultrasonically tested as an added measure to ensure the unit’s reliability.

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FERNSTRUM GRIDCOOLERS – Keel coolers

Applications

FERNSTRUM GRIDCOOLERS – Keel coolers stand out as the ideal choice for small and medium-sized vessels, catering to a wide array of ships including tugboats, barges, fishing boats, carriers, dredgers, supply vessels, ferries, ATB’s, landing crafts, Life boats. Keel coolers offer versatile temperature control solutions, serving various functions from cooling main engines, auxiliary engines, and bow thrusters to regulating air conditioning and hydraulic systems.

Our range of keel coolers provides flexibility in terms of size, shape, and configuration to meet specific cooling capacity requirements. The keel coolers are even capable to be curved to meets the hull of the vessel. FERNSTRUM GRIDCOOLERS based on years of dedication and engineering excellence to create these high-performance keel coolers.
This fuels our continuous efforts to enhance and optimize the mechanical design and thermal performance of our products, ensuring they meet the exacting demands of our valued customers, the evolving market, and classification societies globally.

Ensuring they meet the exacting demands

Marine Applications

Keel Coolers are suitable for the following vessel types

Tugboats
Fishing boats
Barges
Construction vessels
Carrier vessels
Offshore vessels
Small & medium tankers
Cargo Ships
Carriers
Dredgers
Ferries
ATB
Barges
Landing Craft
Life Boats
Patrol Boats
Pilot Boats
Push Boats
Recreational Boats
Semi-Submersibles (ATV & ROV)

General keel cooler key benefits

Eliminates on-board raw water pumps
No need for Seawater Circuit, piping or strainers
Can operate in icy conditions, silt or polluted waters
Low maintenance
There is no sand & silt buildup
Low operational costs

Design Specifications

The Stacked GRIDCOOLER Keelcooler; When faced with limited space or larger cooling requirements, a stacked GRIDCOOLER Keelcooler reduces the footprint of the keel cooler while providing greater heat transfer. The design is ideal for cooling larger engines, reducing the number of units required, or fitting into an existing application in the case of repowering.

Angled Tube GRIDCOOLER Keelcooler; An angled tube GRIDCOOLER Keelcooler optimizes the heat transfer for side mounted zero knot or stationary applications. The design exploits the natural convection current created by the heat exchanger. The unique position and angle of the tubes are crafted to maximize the flow of raw water between the tubes. This configuration also resists the collection of silt and other debris from building up on the unit.

Additional Customization Options are also possible when including a keel cooler to your vessel. Bending and/or Twisting of Unit, Extended Nozzle(s), Mounting Foot Pad(s), Side Venting, Support Plates Available on the Top or Bottom of the Unit or Vented Stud(s) are possible.

Selection of Materials