Ten Advantages of Plate Fin Heat Exchangers over Other Heat Exchangers
Release time:
2021-04-26 15:38
Source:
Many clients are familiar with plate fin heat exchangers, but they don't fully understand their advantages. So, what are the advantages of plate fin heat exchangers compared to other heat exchangers?
1. High heat transfer coefficient: The inverted corrugated plates create complex flow channels, causing the liquid to exhibit rotational three-dimensional flow within these channels. This results in a high heat transfer coefficient at low flow resistance (generally Re=50~200), generally considered 3~5 times that of shell and tube exchangers.
2. Larger average temperature difference, smaller temperature difference at the tail end. In shell and tube heat exchangers, the two liquids flow in the tube side and shell side respectively, generally in a cross-flow pattern. The average temperature difference correction factor is mostly smaller, while plate fin heat exchangers are mostly parallel or counter-flow, with a correction factor generally around 0.95. Furthermore, the flow of hot and cold fluids in plate fin heat exchangers is parallel to the heat transfer surface, without lateral flow, thus promoting the development of plate fin heat exchangers.
3. Small footprint: Plate fin heat exchangers have a compact structure. The total heat transfer area within the unit volume is 2~5 times that of shell and tube heat exchangers, achieving the same heat transfer without the need for embedded or removable maintenance space often required by other designs. Plate fin heat exchangers occupy approximately 1/5 to 1/8 the space of shell and tube heat exchangers.
4. Easy to change the total heat transfer area or stage configuration. Increasing or decreasing the number of plates increases or decreases the total heat transfer area; changing the order of plates or replacing multiple plates can achieve the specified stage configuration and integrate new heat transfer conditions, which is generally not possible with shell and tube heat exchangers.
5. Plate fin heat exchangers have a plate thickness of only 0.4~0.8mm, while shell and tube heat exchangers have a heat transfer tube thickness of 2.0~2.5mm. The shell of a shell and tube heat exchanger is much heavier than the structure of a plate fin heat exchanger, generally only about 1/5 of the net weight of a shell and tube heat exchanger.
6. Lower cost with the same raw materials. With the same total heat transfer area, the price of a plate fin heat exchanger is about 40%~60% lower than that of a shell and tube heat exchanger.
7. Convenient manufacturing: The heat transfer plates of plate fin heat exchangers are made by stamping, with a high degree of standardization and allowing for mass production. Shell and tube heat exchangers are usually manufactured manually.
8. Easy to clean: Frame-type plate fin heat exchangers. By loosening and clamping the foundation bolts, the plate bundle can be loosened and the plates removed for cleaning, which is very convenient for heat exchangers that require frequent cleaning.
9. Low thermal damage: In plate fin heat exchangers, only the shell plates are exposed to the air, and heat dissipation damage can be ignored, eliminating the need for insulation measures. However, shell and tube heat exchangers have high thermal damage and require more insulation.
10. Small size: Plate fin heat exchangers are 10%~20% the size of shell and tube heat exchangers. And due to the smaller gap between the heat transfer surfaces and the uneven heat transfer surface, the working pressure damage per unit length is larger, so the working pressure damage is greater than that of traditional smooth tubes.
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