What is the working principle of a plate heat exchanger? What points should be noted during selection?
Working Principle of Plate Heat Exchanger A plate heat exchanger is composed of stamped stainless steel plates with concave and convex corrugations. Adjacent plates are assembled at a 180° reversed orientation. The ridges and grooves between neighboring plates form staggered contact points, which are vacuum-welded to build a high-pressure resistant staggered flow channel system for high-efficiency heat transfer between hot and cold media.
For fluid flow inside the plate heat exchanger, cold medium flows through one channel and hot medium flows through the adjacent channel. Cold and hot fluids alternate between channels to achieve sufficient heat exchange and maximize heat transfer efficiency.
Features of plate heat exchangers:
Compact size, light weight, attractive appearance and high efficiency.
Stainless steel plates, rust-proof and corrosion-resistant.
High temperature and pressure resistance, long service life, energy saving and environmental protection.
Key Points for Plate Heat Exchanger Selection
First, confirm the process temperature and pressure according to your working conditions, and decide whether to choose gasketed or fully welded type.
Select plate heat exchangers with wide flow channels between plates if large-size particles exist in the medium.
For the fluid side with small temperature difference, avoid excessive velocity at the connection ports to meet pressure drop requirements.
The main parameters to consider when selecting plate heat exchangers include temperature, material and pressure.
If the working medium is steam, special heat exchange equipment is recommended instead of conventional plate heat exchangers.
For plate area selection, larger plates are preferred. Large heat load can be achieved with fewer plates. Small plates in large quantities will reduce heat transfer efficiency.
