Plate Frame Heat Exchangers

Description

Plate Frame Heat Exchangers is small, light and compact.  Has Various gaskets.

This heat exchanger is especially suitable for pressure up to 50 bar and temperatures from -50℃ to 200℃.

Design of the Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger

The Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE) is a specialized design well suited to transferring heat between medium- and low-pressure fluids. Welded, semi-welded and brazed heat exchangers are used for heat exchange between high-pressure fluids or where a more compact product is required.

In place of a pipe passing through a chamber, there are instead two alternating chambers, usually thin in depth, separated at their largest surface by a corrugated metal plate. The plates used in a plate frame heat exchangers are obtained by one piece pressing of metal plates. Stainless steel is a commonly used metal for the plates because of its ability to withstand high temperatures, its strength, and its corrosion resistance.

Sealing of the Plates

The plates are often spaced by rubber sealing gaskets which are cemented into a section around the edge of the plates.  The plates are pressed to form troughs at right angles to the direction of flow of the liquid.  The liquid runs through the channels in the heat exchanger. These troughs are arranged so that they interlink with the other plates.  This causes it to form the channel with gaps of 1.3–1.5 mm between the plates.

The plates are compressed together in a rigid frame to form an arrangement of parallel flow channels with alternating hot and cold fluids.  The plates produce an extremely large surface area, which allows for the fastest possible transfer.  Making each chamber thin ensures that the majority of the volume of the liquid contacts the plate, again aiding exchange.

The Troughs between the Plates

The troughs also create and maintain a turbulent flow in the liquid to maximize heat transfer in the exchanger.  A high degree of turbulence can be obtained at low flow rates and high heat transfer coefficient can be achieved.

As compared to shell and tube heat exchangers, the temperature approach in a plate heat exchangers may be as low as 1 °C whereas shell and tube heat exchangers require an approach of 5 °C or more.

Therefore, for the same heat exchanged, the size of the plate frame heat exchangers are smaller.  Also, this is because of the large heat transfer area by the plates.

Furthermore, by the increase and reduction of the heat transfer area is simple in a plate heat-exchanger.  This is done through the addition or removal of plates.

What are the advantages of a Plate Frame Heat Exchangers?

• • High heat transfer efficiency
  • Compact structure
  • Easy installation
  • Easy Deinstallation
  • Durability

Other heat exchanger types that may fit your requirement are Brazed Type and Shell and Tube.