PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER BASIC KNOWLEDGE

Heat Exchanger is a system or a device which is used to transfer heat from one medium to another medium.

Mainly we used three types of heat exchanger.

Plate Heat Exchanger

It is a type of Heat Exchanger where we use metal plates to transfer heat from hot fluid to cold fluid.

There are mainly four types of plate heat exchanger.

Plate Heat Exchanger Consist of several components as follow.

Liner – Liner is use to avoid direct contact with fluid and fixed plate, It can be a metal lining or Rubber lining ( Same as heat exchanger gaskets material)
Fixed Plate – It is a thick MS plate remain fixed with Heat Exchanger frame and giving support to Heat transfer plates and used to tightening the Plates with the help of bolts.
Carrying Bar – It is metal bar or a tube used to hang the heat transfer plates on it, it helps to align the plates properly in Heat Exchanger.
Tightening Bolt – It is long bolts use to tightening the plates in Heat Exchanger.
Pressure Plate – It is a tick movable MS plate giving support to Heat transfer plates and use to tightening the Plates with the help of bolts.
Heat Transfer Plate – It is the main component of a plate heat exchanger, it is a metal plate with corrugation and thickness can be 0.4mm to 0.8mm, it is transfer heat from one medium another medium without mixing the two medium. Plates makes channels where fluid flows.
Guiding Bar- It is a metal bar or a tube used to guide the hanged plate on carrying bar and it also help to align the plates properly in Heat Exchanger.
Gaskets – Each heat transfer plates fitted with a gaskets and it is used to seal the channels and give direction the fluid to alternate channels.

Most of the cases SS316L is used but depending on application SMO, Nickel, Titanium, Alloy C276 is also have uses.

Most of the cases NBR is used but depending on application HNBR, EPDM, FKM, CR, PTFE, VITO, NBR-HT is also have uses.

Plate Heat Exchanger have application is several industries like

For Gasketed plate Heat Exchanger Maintenance following steps involve

Need to measure plate pack length (Frame plate inner side to presser plate inner side length)
Dismantle the Heat Exchanger and remove all plates.
Remove gaskets from plates.
Clean Heat Transfer plates properly, for different types of fouling need different types of chemical cleaning process. Chose chemical carefully otherwise it will damage the plates.
Always avoid using steel wool or brush for plate cleaning, it can damage the plates.
Apply gaskets again.
Rearrange the plates and assemble the Heat exchanger.
Maintain the plate pack length as befor.

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Plate Heat Exchanger is five times more efficient than a regular shell & tube heat exchanger, it can achieve very high delta T and it can work with very less approach temperature. Fluid flow through small corrugated channels and due to that fluid can achieve turbulent flow and mixed properly during flow.
As per need we can adjust the capacity anytime by adding or removing the plates.
Servicing is very easy, due to that it can maintain the efficiency for whole life.
Price is low because it need very less raw material compare to a shell & tube heat exchanger.
It’s size is very compact also need very less space for servicing.

Operating pressure is limited, standard operating pressure is 10 bar but it can go unto 15 bar in special cases.
Due to use of gaskets operating temperature is limited.
It is not suitable for gas applications.
Due to small flow path it can choke easily.
Pressure drop is higher than the shell & tube Heat Exchanger.

Q. In general case what Data Required to design a Plate Heat Exchanger?

Q. What Is SS cladded Heat Exchanger?

In food industry, Heat Exchanger all MS components covered with SS sheet to avoid direct contact with MS, it is called SS cladded Heat Exchanger.