Fully Welded Plate Heat Exchangers
For all these types, plates are laser welded together to form a plate pack, which is then mounted inside a traditional cylindrical shell for the Plate and Shell heat exchanger or bolted together in a frame for the other types.
Compared to shell and tube heat exchangers, welded units take up significantly less space and when exotic materials are required for the application, these units are significantly cheaper than the Shell & Tube heat exchangers.
Components
Heavy Duty Application
- Maximum Operating Temperature: 400°C
- Maximum Work Pressure: 35 bar
Compared to S&T HE
- Compact (up to 3-4 times less heat transfer area) which can save big when exotic materials are to be used.
- Smaller footprint.
- Lower operating and maintenance costs.
Compared to Gasket PHE
- No rubber gaskets are used thus lower maintenance cost and less chance of external leaks.
- Capable of operating at much higher operating temperatures & pressures.
The plates of the fully welded Heat Exchangers are thicker than the plates of a Gasket type Plate Heat Exchanger, this allows for welding the plates together. Our standard thicknesses are 0.8mm and 1.0mm, standard plate materials are 304L or 316L, however more exotic materials can be used. The Welded Plate Heat Exchanger has a channel gap of 5mm and combined with turbulent flow, fouling is less prominent compared to S&T HE’s for the same application.
Another feature is the special design between connections and plate entry eliminating “dead zone” in the corners of the plates. These dead zones are often seeding points for fouling and sedimentation.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Depending on the configuration of the Heat Exchanger, either one side or both sides can be opened for cleaning, inspections, and maintenance.
Advantages
Cost effective, small footprint and light weight compared to Shell & Tube HE’s
Very close temperature approach achievable, up to 1 degree Celsius
Max operating temp. 400 C
Max operating pressure: 35 bar
Low energy consumption due to low hold up volumes and quick response to process fluctuations
Easy to maintain
Compact and light design results in simple, economical installation
