Application: 

If your company uses heat exchangers for the manufacturing process, you just need to get acquainted with our equipment!

On the basis of filled out data acquisitions within 1-2 days, commercial quotations on plate-type heat exchangers with technical characteristics and outline drawings are prepared. Time of manufacture of gasketed plate heat exchangers is from 1 to 4 weeks, subject to availability of plates sizes on stock.

Plate-type heat exchangers are characterized by their long period of operation and easy execution of routine maintenance.

The service life of the first unit being out of service – joint packing – is up to 10 years. Operating term of fins is 20-25 years. The cost of replacement seals is in the range of 15-25% of the cost of plate-type heat exchanger, that is more economically of the similar process of replacing the brass tube block in shell-and-tube exchanger, that is 80-90% of the cost of unit. 

The main components of plate-type heat exchangers are:

- Plate pack 1, consisting of a number of plates in accordance with the requirements for heat transfer surface.

- Seals on the plates, which provide reliable insulation of channels from each other, and the lack of flows and leaks. Seals also determine the direction of flow inside the heat exchanger.

- Frame 6, which covers the plate pack via stationary plate 2 и pressure plate 3, which is sustained by means of tightening bolts 5.

- Connector 4 for the inlet and discharge of coolants are usually located on the fixed plate heat exchanger. In case of multipass flow, the nipples are located on stationary and pressure plates.

Thanks to precise manufacturing and rational design, gasketed heat exchangers can be easily disassembled for inspection, mechanical cleaning of surface or or replacement of plates and seals. The unit can be easily assembled into a single block. This process can be repeated as many times as it is provided by the construction of apparatus.

We offer three standard types of frames with lateral compressive bolts that can be easily installed.

- Frames for extra long plate packs

- Frames for short packets with the length of 250 mm.

- Frames with small types of plates and the average length of packet.

- The modular type of construction also allows you to consistently adapt to new operating conditions.

Operating principle

- Plate-type heat exchanger – is a device in which, in which the heat transfer is carried out from the hot coolant to the cold (heated) medium. Heat exchange surface is formed from thin plates with corrugated surface. The corrugated surface of the plates increases the turbulence of operating surface flows and increases the heat transfer coefficient.  The sequence of profiled plates with holes for the passage of the medium forms a "package" of heat exchange channels. Nearby plates form channels that carry alternatively hot and cold heat transfer fluid through the plate pack.

- Since the seal arrangement and product flow zone are identical for each of the second plate, thereby two separate systems for medium flow are created (standard variant). For the purpose of heat exchange, both coolants flow through alternate channels.

- Heat transfer plates can be made of over-alloyed, acid-resistant steel or titanium. Joint packing of gasketed plate heat exchanger are mounted on the plate so that after assembly and compression of plates, two systems of hermetic bar-to-bar channels are formed in the apparatus, which are isolated from each other. Both systems of bar-to-bar channels are connected with all the collectors and then with connections for inlet and outlet operating environments, located on the pressure plates.

- Gaskets direct the coolants between the plates, so that, from one side, the plate should be washed by the heating medium and on the other the heated one. Gaskets provide pressurization for heat exchanger, excluding the environments mixing.

- The plate pack may be composed of only one type of profile or a combination of different plate profiles. If different profiles coal plates in one package are used, it is possible to receive more than one type of channel geometry. Alternation allows to avoid unjustified increase in dimensions and cost of plate-type heat exchanger.

- Plates with different profiles have their own characteristics with respect to heat transfer and hydraulic resistance.

- Ensuring of a given power is achieved with surface area of heat exchanger with a certain number of plates and gaskets, gathered in package. One of the major advantages of welded plate exchangers is an increase of the surface area of the heat exchanger by adding plates and gaskets. Depending on the required power, existing temperature charts allowed differential pressures, the required number of heat exchanger plates is calculated. Package, which is formed of gaskets and plates, is contracted with pressing plates and is located between the two guides, and is tightened to a certain size by tightening bolts.

- The plates in the package are flipped one by one through 180°, which creates a grid intersection of corrugation peak and supports the plate under the action of different pressure in  media, therefore, while contraction of the plate pack, the channels are formed, through which the fluid flow, involved in heat exchange. The type of plates corrugation and their number, installed in a frame, dependent on the operational requirements to welded plate exchanger. The material from which the plates are made can vary from low-cost stainless steel to various alloys capable to operate with aggressive media. Materials for the manufacture of gaskets also vary depending on the application of welded plate exchangers. Various polymers of various natural or synthetic rubbers are commonly used.

- Usually single-pass heat exchangers are used, allowing to organize the 100% counter-flow for both products. In this case, all connections are located on fixed plate, which ensures easy connection during installation.

- Multipass heat exchangers become more economical, in case low value of temperature difference or, if this difference should be fully utilized.
This is achieved by the number of moves, which gives almost 100% counter-flow of both coolants. Nipples may be located on both plates.
The systems of heat exchangers are designed according to the latest concepts of thermodynamics, and this makes it possible to take into account such factors as the behavior of the flow, the pressure curve and the intensity of the heat transfer in accordance with the properties of the product.

Advantages

- The use of plate-type heat exchangers provides the following advantages:

- Different plates for different products

- Low pressure losses in the heat exchangers.

- Heat transfer efficiency is up to 96%

- There is no negative impact on the quality of the product

- Pasteurization at the rate up to 100 000 liters/hour

- High strength with low hydraulic resistance

- Special materials for plates and gaskets

- Low cost

- Low internal volume

- Compactness of apparatus due to the high heat transfer coefficient.

- Easy increase or decrease of thermal rating. Plate-type heat exchangers may be adapted to changed process conditions. If conditions change, the plates can be easily added or removed. This eliminates the need for extra cost. 
Easy maintenance and inspection. Plate-type heat exchangers can be quickly assembled and disassembled for maintenance and repair.

- Cost cutting due to its high efficiency, low cost, small size and easy operation.

- High heat transfer efficiency with relatively low hydraulic losses
due to turbulence caused by the shape of plates. Special seal configuration avoids mixing of media during operation. In some parts, both liquids are separated by double seals. Additional security is provided by the passage for leakage.

- No glue seals (LOCK-IN system). Relevant seals mounted in the groove and fixed by bulging-in, allow to achieve a high resistance to pressure and and to carry out quick and easy replacement of seals.

- Small volume of fluid in the plate-type heat exchanger is the reason for the low weight of unit. This allows a quick start and stop of the entire system in comparison with usual heat exchangers.

- Compact design. Plate-type heat exchangerrs are six times and more lighter than tube-and-shell heat exchangers at the same power. For example, to create a 200 m2 heat exchange surface the plate-type heat exchanger of 3 м lengthwise, 2 м in height and 1 м in width is needed. For shell-and-tube exchanger with the same heat load, 600 m2 heat exchange surface would be required.

- A wide power range of plate-type heat exchangers: from a few kW to ten Mega Watts per unit.

- For the production of plates, the stainless steel of Krupp plants production is used.

- Standard thickness of plates is 0.5 and 0.6 mm. On request- 0.8 mm.

- It is possible to supply plate-type heat exchangers on request using plates of titanium, titanium-stabilized palladium, nickel, tantalum (for corrosive medium), hastelloy. 

- The plates are exposed to electropolishing. This significantly reduces the probability of formation of cracks and scale deposits.

- Due to the high turbulence of the fluid flow formed by grooving and quality polishing of heat transfer plates, the pollution of the heat exchange surfaces is minimized.

- Plate-type heat exchanger cleaning requires less work than other types of heat exchangers; 

- Do not require thermal insulation and special foundations.

- Wide range of variants for design of heat exchangers. 

- The service life of gasketed plate heat exchangers is up to 30 years - subject to requirements for water, proper installation and timely maintenance.

- Supply of individual plates and / or seals to them.

- The original design of the frames, plates or gaskets and original technological solutions in the production of units provide guaranteed reliability of their work. 

- As the plate material, the stainless or acid-resistant steel may be used; no risk of corrosion due to the possibility to choose the right plates material.

- Special seal configuration prevents the mixing of media in the operating process. In some parts, double seals separate both liquids. Additional security is provided by the passage for leakage (it is easily possible to correct and detect the leaks).

- The temperature difference of the heating and heated flows is from 1 0С.

- Individual calculation of each plate-type heat exchanger according to the original program of the plant - manufacturer allows you to choose the configuration in accordance with the hydraulic and temperature modes for both circuits.

Quality 

Development, design and manufacture of plates is certified by by the Board of Technical Management (TÜV CERT/Germany) in accordance with DIN ISO 9001/EN 29001.

Maintenance operation

Plate-type heat exchangers are distinguished by their long period between servicing and easy execution of routine maintenance. Whatever the problem – whether it is a matter of the inspection or power control– our organization is always ready to take care of your plate-type heat exchanger.