Plate Heat Exchanger

A plate heat exchanger is a special kind of heat exchanger, that can transfer the thermal energy of a liquid on to another medium. A plate heat exchanger consists of layered and undulatory plates. Between the different layers of plates are gaps, that allow the different mediums to flow through.

Per layer is a cold and warm medium channeled through the gaps. The warm medium heats up the plates, which in turn transfers the heat onto a colder medium.

Therefore, is a plate heat exchanger a popular method to extract thermal energy and to save on the heating costs. It is especially effective for companies with larger production facilities and with high energy consumption. For example, are industrial bakeries and metal processing companies main benefits of the plate heat exchanger from exodraft.

Another form of a heat exchanger is the tube heat exchanger. Both forms of heat exchangers work after the same principle. However, they are fundamentally different in their design and construction style.

Thus, it can be difficult to choose the right form of heat exchanger. Therefore, we will explain in the following section the main differences and functions of the different heat exchanger designs. Additionally, will we illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of the different heat exchangers.

If you have questions regarding plate heat exchanger or you are not sure, which product form is the best solution for your setting and specific circumstances, then contact us now and get a non-committal consolation. We will find the best solution for you!

Even though plate heat exchanger and tube heat exchanger work after a similar principle, they are fundamentally different in their design.

In contrast to tube heat exchangers, consists a plate heat exchanger of multiple layered plates, that are more compact and efficient than the tube design, as they have a bigger surface to absorb and transfer the heat on to the other medium.

The plates in a plate heat exchanger are made out of stainless steel. Therefore, the usage of a plate heat exchanger is ideal for food or in pharmaceutical productions. A plate heat exchanger is in two different construction styles available: Bolted and brazed plate heat exchanger.

Brazed plate heat exchangers are the most common and used form of plate heat exchanger. Because of the compact construction form are brazed plate heat exchangers especially efficient. The different plates are brazed together with up to 180°.

The brazed plates form flow channels, that concentrates heat and that makes the heat transfers on to the plates and to the colder medium more effective.

The stainless-steel plates are commonly brazed together with nickel or copper. Copper brazed plate heat exchanger can be used for nearly all applications. However, nickel brazed plate heat exchangers are commonly used for distilled water or other more aggressive forms of liquids.

Brazed plate heat exchangers can be used for temperatures up to 200°C and can withstand an operating pressure of up to 38 bar.

The unique design and construction style of a brazed plate heat exchanger creates a current inside the heat exchanger, that has a self-cleaning effect on the surface of the plates. Thus, the overall maintenance of a brazed plate heat exchanger is lower than other heat exchanger designs.

Bolted plate heat exchangers are especially suitable for bigger cooling systems with a strong current and medium volume that gets channeled through the gaps between the bolted plates.

The different plates are held together in a frame with clamping bolts. Thus, the disassembly and cleaning of bolted plate heat exchanger are relatively easy.

Furthermore, is there the possibility to add additional plates to the heat exchanger, which can increase the performance and effectiveness of the bolted plate heat exchanger.

Special forms of seals between the bolted plates create internal spaces, where the medium can flow through. An advantage of a bolted plate heat exchanger is that they can withstand overall a higher pressure and temperature.

A plate heat exchanger has many advantages. We listed in the following section the most important advantages of a plate heat exchanger.

• Compact design
• A cheaper alternative to other stainless steel heat exchanger construction styles
• Guarantees high stability and operability, even at high pressure
• Especially suitable for bigger cooling systems, heating system, food or pharmaceutical productions
• Costs less than a tube heat exchanger
• Low maintenance

A plate heat exchanger has a more compact design and thus can be used in more different application areas. Additionally, have the plates a higher surface and thus, can absorb and transfer more heat energy from the medium

Thus, a plate heat exchanger has a higher compactness and a higher heat transfer coefficient. At the same time, there is a reduced pressure within the plate heat exchanger.

exodraft is a leading manufacturer of heat exchangers for many years. The accumulated experience helped exodraft to develop heat exchangers that meet the need of the customers. exodraft produces high-efficient brazed heat exchangers in stainless steel, that can reduce your heating costs massively. Additionally, that heat exchangers from exodraft be used in multiple applications areas.

This is a clear advantage in comparison to other standard heat exchangers on the market, that in most cases do not meet fully the needs of the customers.

The focus of exodraft’s current research and development is the optimization of the plate heat exchanger design for the application in special circumstances, where the use of conventional plate heat exchangers would be inappropriate. For example, has exodraft develop a gas-liquid heat exchanger with an asymmetric current.

exodraft offers a unique plate design within the heat exchanger that can control the temperature at the surface of the plates while filtering out most of the heat energy. Plate heat exchangers from exodraft are already used in many companies.

Combined with the asymmetric design of the exodraft heat exchanger, which reduces pressure drops, remains the exodraft plate heat exchanger as the first choice for all customers who want to benefit from a dynamic, robust and reliable plate heat exchanger.

Contact us for a non-binding consultation.