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Tank Fabrication (24)
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Heat Transfer (17)
Pharmaceutical (15)
Wine (7)
Chemical (6)
Food (6)
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Beverage (3)
Which Heat Exchanger Is Best? The Dairy Farm (3)
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Three Main Types Explained... Oil and Gas (2)
Personal Care (1)
August 30, 2019 | by Paul Mueller Company Engineering Staff Refrigeration (1)

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Heat exchangers all work by passing a hot fluid and a cold fluid across opposite sides of a
piece of metal. The heat from one fluid passes across the metal (which is thermally About Paul Mueller Company
conductive) into the other fluid without the fluids making contact. High fluid velocity, high Academy
turbulence, high surface area and a large temperature differential all contribute to more
Teaching and sharing ideas has long been
efficient heat transfer. However, different designs are more efficient than others depending
part of the rich heritage at Paul Mueller
on the application.
Company. We have almost a century of
quality craftsmanship guiding the way we
There are three common kinds of heat exchangers. They can all be effective in a variety of apply new learnings. Paul Mueller Company
heat transfer applications, but optimizing efficiency, cost and space depends heavily on the Academy is a collection point for those
particular process in which the heat exchanger is installed. This article explains the basic learnings, so we can collaborate and grow
qualitative differences between common heat exchangers to help you decide which is most more successful together. You will find
appropriate for your application. articles, blogs, guides, infographics and more
dedicated to furthering knowledge for all, in
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers the world of stainless steel processing
equipment solutions. We hope you enjoy!

Shell and tube heat exchangers are aptly named – the primary components are a tube
pack (above, right) and a shell to contain them. One fluid goes through the tubes, and the
second goes through the larger shell, surrounding the tubes. The prototypical shell and
tube heat exchanger has only one inner tube, and is typically used to teach engineering
students the basic concept of a heat exchanger. However, in practice, a pack of smaller
tubes is much more effective because it greatly increases the heat transfer surface area
(and has a minor positive effect on turbulence to boot).  

The shell and tube heat exchanger in the photo above has about twelve times the
efficiency than a hypothetical single-tube heat exchanger of the same size. However, there
is a disadvantage to smaller tubes – if the fluid in your application is very viscous or has
particulates, it can foul up the tube and undermine the heat transfer process.
Shell and tube heat exchangers dominated the heat exchanger market up until the latter
part of the 20th century, as plate heat exchangers began to replace them in many industrial
and most HVAC applications.

Due to their simple design, they also hold a prominent place in engineering curricula
around the globe. They have many advantages that helped them earn those achievements.
First, they’re relatively cheap – they’re essentially just a bunch of tubes. Also, due to their
hydro- and aerodynamic design, they can support higher operating temperatures and
pressures than your typical plate heat exchanger, which, due to its compactness, has to
change the direction of flow many times per cycle. This also means that the pressure drop
from input to output is smaller, which can save on energy costs.

Despite the advantages, plate heat exchangers are becoming preferred due to better heat
transfer (we’ll see why in a moment), easier maintenance and cleaning, modularity and
compactness.

Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger (Plate Heat

Exchangers)

Plate heat exchangers are constructed with a series of plates held together in a large
frame. There are two inputs and two outputs, and the spaces between plates alternate
between the two liquids (hot, cold, hot, cold, etc. as shown above, right). This design lends
itself to very high heat transfer efficiency due to large surface area – much higher than a
shell and tube heat exchanger taking up similar space. Plate heat exchangers are also
much easier to clean and maintain, because they’re designed to be relatively easy to
disassemble and inspect. Also, if there is a defect in a plate, you can simply remove two
plates and put the unit right back in service at slightly lower capacity while you wait for
replacements. Shell and tube heat exchangers do not share this luxury.

While all plate heat exchangers have corrugated plates, they can differ by how they seal
the plates together. In ascending order of leak resistance (and price), plate heat
exchangers can be gasketed, brazed or welded. Gaskets, while more susceptible to failure
under pressure, are inexpensive and easy to replace. They also offer the indispensable
benefit of modularity – a gasketed plate heat exchanger can be completely disassembled,
and plates can be added to increase capacity at any time. If a plate heat exchanger is
brazed or welded, it’s very difficult and expensive to add plates after the fact. In general,
gasketed plate heat exchangers are preferred in industrial settings where flexibility is
paramount. Welded plate heat exchangers are rare due to the increased cost, but brazed
plate heat exchangers are common in HVAC settings where replacement is easier than
maintenance.

Dimple Plate/Plate Coil Heat Exchanger

Although its market share is much less than that of the previous two categories, dimple
plate/plate coil technology is the best solution for applications where one of the fluids isn’t
moving. It’s also useful in retrofit applications, such as waste heat recovery that wasn’t
accounted for in the initial blueprints. In general, this is a good option for passive heating or
cooling a storage tank (such as a bright beer tank or dairy tank) where refrigeration or
heating would otherwise be expensive.

The premise is very simple – two steel sheets are spot-welded together, then inflated to
make channels between the plates for fluid to flow. Due to its simplicity and low-cost
materials, dimple plate/plate coil technology can generally be customized to any particular
application. The most prevalent application is tank jackets for beer and dairy tanks, but
sections of dimple plate can also be cut to fit inside a tank and submerged in the stored
liquid for efficient heat transfer.

Dimple plate/plate coil offers the best of both above kinds of heat exchangers – it’s cheap,
customizable and compact, but can withstand incredibly high pressures and temperatures
due to design and materials. It can also be added as an afterthought to many industrial
processes, most notably to cut energy costs or comply with environmental regulations.

Which option is right for your application?

Plate Heat Exchanger
PHEs are overtaking shell and tube options in many sectors due to compactness, efficiency
and ease of maintenance. If you need to efficiently heat or cool a fluid that is part of your
existing process then plate heat exchangers may be the right solution for you. Learn how
the construction and materials used in PHEs make them a great heat transfer source when
tight on floor space.

OVERVIEW OF PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER TECHNOLOGY

Dimple Plate/Plate Coil

For high pressure/temperature applications that rule out the use of a traditional plate heat
exchanger, a passive heat transfer application customized to fit your existing tank may be
the best solution. Learn how dimple plate can be added to your tank to increase efficiency
and save space at the same time.

MANY USES OF CUSTOM HEAT TRANSFER

 
 Topics:
Heat Transfer

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