In this configuration the spiral heat exchanger is always in a vertical position. The compactness of the Alfa Laval SHE Type 2 and the fact that it is mounted vertically allows it to be installed with a very small footprint compared to the equivalent shell-and-tube unit and reduces supporting structures and piping complexity.
The Alfa Laval SHE Type 2 has a cross-flow rather than counter-current flow. Because of the good channel gap on the condensing side there is generally a very low pressure drop on the condensing circuit, therefore it is ideally suited to vacuum condensation duties.