• MARINE THERMAL MANAGEMENT

Corrosion-Resistant Heat Transfer Solutions for Marine Applications

API Heat Transfer supports commercial vessels, naval ships, and offshore platforms with a broad portfolio of shell and tube, plate, and air-cooled heat exchangers — engineered for saltwater service, continuous duty, and the tight layouts of marine engine rooms.

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Construction

Corrosion-Resistant Materials & Designs

Applications

Seawater Cooling, Engine & Auxiliary Systems

Portfolio

Shell & Tube, Plate & Air-Cooled Solutions

Brands

Basco, Schmidt, Airtech

THE MARINE CHALLENGE

Marine environments present some of the most unforgiving conditions for thermal management systems — saltwater corrosion, constant vibration, high humidity, and continuous duty cycles where failure far from shore is never an option.

Saltwater Corrosion.
Continuous Operation.
Failure Is Not an Option Far From Shore.

Saltwater Corrosion & Material Integrity

Seawater cooling circuits expose heat exchanger materials to one of the most corrosive environments in industry. Equipment must be engineered from the ground up for saltwater service — not adapted from land-based designs — to deliver the long service life marine operators require.

Seawater-rated construction

Tight Engine Room Layouts

Marine engine rooms leave little room for oversized equipment. Heat exchangers must deliver full thermal performance within constrained installation envelopes — while remaining serviceable and accessible for maintenance in port and at sea.

Compact, serviceable designs

Continuous Duty & Reliability

Commercial vessels, naval ships, and offshore platforms operate continuously across long voyages and extended deployments. Every component in the cooling system — from engine jacket water to lube oil cooling and auxiliary process loads — must perform without fail.

Continuous duty — far from shore

A COMPLETE PORTFOLIO FOR MARINE SERVICE

API supports marine applications with a broad range of technologies across the Basco, Schmidt, and Airtech platforms — selecting the right configuration, materials, and design for seawater cooling, engine systems, auxiliary circuits, and onboard process loads.

Basco Shell & Tube for Seawater & Engine Cooling

Basco Type 500, OP, hub-design HT and AHT units, and custom TEMA exchangers built for seawater and engine jacket water cooling service — combining corrosion resistance with the structural durability marine applications demand.

Schmidt Plate Heat Exchangers for Auxiliary & Process

Schmidt gasketed, semi-welded, and all-welded plate heat exchangers widely used for auxiliary cooling and onboard process systems — delivering high thermal efficiency in compact, serviceable configurations.

Custom TEMA Exchangers

Custom-engineered TEMA shell and tube designs for specialized marine duties — built to exact dimensional, material, and performance specifications for vessels and offshore platforms with unique thermal requirements.

Airtech Air-Cooled Solutions

Airtech aluminum bar and plate and microchannel air-cooled exchangers supporting packaged cooling systems and auxiliary equipment where space, weight, and cooling medium flexibility are priorities.

PROVEN ACROSS MARINE APPLICATIONS

Marine segments and applications we support.

Commercial Vessels

Engine cooling, lube oil cooling, and auxiliary system heat exchangers for commercial shipping vessels — engineered for continuous seawater service and long intervals between dry-dock maintenance.

Continuous Seawater Service, Long service life

Commercial shipping

Naval & Defense

High-reliability thermal solutions for naval vessels — built to meet stringent defense specifications for corrosion resistance, shock tolerance, and continuous operational readiness.

Defense-Grade Reliability, Mission-critical performance

Naval & defense

Offshore Platforms

Heat exchangers for offshore oil and gas platforms — supporting engine cooling, process system temperature control, and utility circuits in some of the harshest saltwater environments in the world.

Corrosion-Resistant Construction, Offshore-rated

Offshore oil & gas

Auxiliary & Onboard Process

Schmidt plate heat exchangers for auxiliary cooling loops, onboard process systems, and utility circuits — compact, serviceable solutions for the secondary thermal loads that keep vessels operating efficiently.

Compact, High-Efficiency Design, Auxiliary system ready

Onboard process

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Marine heat transfer applications and API Heat Transfer solutions.

What heat exchanger solutions does API Heat Transfer supply for marine applications?+

API Heat Transfer supplies shell and tube, plate, and air cooled heat exchangers for commercial marine, naval, and offshore applications. Common marine duties include main engine jacket water cooling, lube oil cooling, fuel oil heating, seawater service exchangers, and central fresh water coolers. Products are engineered to meet the space, weight, and reliability requirements of marine installations.

Are API Heat Transfer marine heat exchangers designed for seawater service?+

Yes. API Heat Transfer offers marine heat exchangers specifically designed for seawater-side service with corrosion-resistant materials including 90/10 copper-nickel (CuNi), 70/30 CuNi, titanium, and super duplex stainless steel. These materials resist biofouling and the corrosive effects of seawater at operating temperatures. Shell designs are per TEMA standards with marine-grade corrosion allowances.

Does API Heat Transfer supply heat exchangers for naval and defense marine vessels?+

Yes. API Heat Transfer has a long history of supplying heat exchangers for naval applications including defense vessels, submarines, and military support ships. Products can be manufactured to MIL-SPEC requirements and designed for shock, vibration, and acoustic emission compliance. Domestic U.S. sourcing for ITAR-sensitive programs is available from our Buffalo, NY manufacturing facility.

What classification society certifications are available for API Heat Transfer marine products?+

API Heat Transfer marine heat exchangers are available with type approval and certification from major classification societies including Lloyd’s Register, DNV, ABS, Bureau Veritas, and ClassNK. Specific certification requirements are accommodated during the design and manufacturing process, and full documentation packages are provided.

Can API Heat Transfer supply heat exchangers for LNG and gas carrier vessels?+

Yes. API Heat Transfer supplies heat exchangers for LNG carriers, gas tankers, and LPG vessels including cargo vapor condensers, boil-off gas coolers, fuel gas heaters, and cryogenic service exchangers. Materials and design standards are selected for the low-temperature and cryogenic conditions of LNG service.