Cross Flow Plate Type Heat Exchanger

Cross Flow Plate Type Heat Exchanger

Staggered flow plate heat exchanger consists of a series of metal plates with corrugated shape stacked together, forming a thin rectangular channel between various plates. Two kinds of fluids are in the adjacent plate channel flow, its flow direction is perpendicular to each other, in the flow process, the hot fluid will transfer heat to the plate, the plate and then transfer the heat to the cold fluid, so as to realize the exchange of heat. Because the flow direction of the hot and cold fluids are perpendicular to each other, it makes their heat transfer process in the heat exchanger more complicated and increases the efficiency of heat transfer.

Structural features

Corrugated plate sheet: usually made of stainless steel, aluminum alloy or copper and other metal materials, the surface has various shapes of corrugation, such as herringbone, horizontal corrugation and so on. The presence of corrugations increases the surface area of the plate, improves the heat transfer coefficient, and also enhances the strength and rigidity of the plate so that it can withstand a certain pressure.

Sealing gasket: Installed around the plate, it is used to seal the gap between the plates to prevent leakage of hot and cold fluids. The sealing gasket is usually made of rubber, silicone or PTFE, which has good sealing and corrosion resistance.

Frame and compression device: the frame is used to support the plate and sealing gasket, to ensure the structural stability of the heat exchanger. The compression device is used to press the plates and sealing gaskets to form a tight seal between them to prevent fluid leakage.

Inlet and outlet tubes: Located at both ends of the heat exchanger, they are used to connect the pipes of hot and cold fluids so that the fluids can enter and exit the heat exchanger smoothly.

Advantages

High heat transfer efficiency: Because the hot and cold fluids are flowing in a staggered flow, and the corrugations on the surface of the plates make the fluid form a rotating three-dimensional flow in the flow channel, which can produce turbulent flow at a lower Reynolds number, increase the disturbance of the fluid, reduce the thermal resistance, and the heat transfer coefficient is 3-5 times higher than that of the tubular heat exchanger.

Compact structure: the channel between the plates is narrower, and the surface area of the plates is larger, so under the same heat transfer power, the volume and footprint of the wrong-flow plate heat exchanger is much smaller than the tube heat exchanger, which saves space and facilitates installation and layout.

Strong flexibility: by changing the number of plates, arrangement and process combination, the heat transfer area and heat transfer performance of the heat exchanger can be easily adjusted to adapt to different working conditions. In addition, multiple staggered-flow plate heat exchangers can be combined together as needed to form a larger-scale heat transfer system.

High heat recovery rate: the general heat recovery rate can be as high as 90% or more, which can effectively utilize heat energy and reduce energy consumption.

Convenient cleaning and maintenance: the removable structure of the plate can be easily disassembled for cleaning and inspection, and timely removal of dirt and deposits on the surface of the plate to ensure the heat transfer performance and operational efficiency of the heat exchanger.

Application Areas

HVAC System: Used in air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems of buildings to realize heat exchange between air and air, air and water to regulate indoor temperature and humidity.

Industrial process cooling: In the industrial production process of chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, it is used to cool various process fluids, such as materials in the reactor, lubricating oil of the compressor, etc., to ensure the normal operation of the production process.

Power industry: It is used in power plants for turbine cooling, generator cooling and circulating water cooling, etc. to improve power generation efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

Automobile manufacturing: in the cooling system of automobile engine, the wrong-flow plate heat exchanger can be used to cool the engine coolant, lubricating oil, etc., to improve the performance and reliability of the engine.