Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers
Businesses are putting more effort into reducing their environmental impacts on the world. Focusing on energy conservation plays an important role in such a thing. Plate and frame heat exchangers are used by different industries for heating and cooling applications such as dairy, food, beverage, chemical, and pharmaceutical due to their heat transfer efficiency and reduced operating costs. This article will cover the basic advantages of these machines, compare the different kinds of heat exchangers, as well as provide maintenance and cleaning tips.
How Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers Work
The primary function of a plate heat exchanger is to enable the transfer of heat between two fluids without them coming into direct contact. An increase in heat transmission efficiency is possible by transferring energy between two fluids at different temperatures, allowing energy to be moved within the system before leaving. This is especially beneficial in situations where there is a possibility of contamination or when the fluids have different characteristics.
Gasketed plate heat exchangers use high-quality gaskets and designs to seal plates and protect against leaks. Their plates are easy to remove, clean, expand, and replace while reducing maintenance costs. This makes them ideal for use in food and pharmaceutical processing where there is a very high emphasis on sanitary conditions.
Benefits and Advantages of Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers
Plate and frame heat exchangers offer versatility, easy maintenance, repair, and swapping of plates for changing heat transmission or fluid movement needs. They also provide excellent thermal efficiency, using less space due to the large surface area produced by stacked plates. These heat exchangers can be easily rearranged or swapped out for better efficiency.
A flat plate heat exchanger is a compact design with a high heat transfer coefficient, allowing it to have a thermal capacity up to five times greater than a shell and tube heat exchanger. Its compact configuration allows for easy cleaning and maintenance, and its heat transmission capacity can be easily increased or decreased by adding or removing plates. Additionally, flat plate heat exchangers are ideal for temperature control, as they can handle small temperature fluctuations between hot and cold fluids, ensuring optimal performance.
Common Applications of Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers
Prepared Foods
Plate and frame heat exchangers transmit heat from one surface to another while avoiding unpleasant tastes and sensations by preserving the natural properties of the ingredients. They are used in many product applications of high-viscosity liquids, including the heating of soups and sauces, the preservation of food particles, and the cooling of ketchup and mustard. Examples of prepared foods that benefit from heat exchangers include marinara sauce, Alfredo, ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce.
Beverages
In the beverage industry, plate and frame heat exchangers can maintain consistent temperatures, produce high-value products with longer shelf lives, improve quality standards, and reduce cleaning and maintenance costs. These machines are used to pasteurize and cool energy drinks and soft drinks, fill hot and cool beverages, treat bottled water, and pasteurize standard and pulpy fruit juices. Examples of this common use include:
- Fruit Juice
- Tea
- Sports drinks
- Water and flavored water
- Sodas
- Wine
Brewing
Plate and frame heat exchangers also play a role in brewing beer. They speed up the process of cooling pasteurized beer more efficiently while balancing heat transfer and fluid flow. These devices are useful for
Preparing the beer for fermentation, heating and cooling the beer wort, and cooling the wort.
Dairy
In the dairy industry, heat exchangers are used to cool dairy products while reducing operating costs. They are helpful for pasteurizing milk and cheese and are also used in producing household products like milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream.
Maintenance and Cleaning Tips for Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers
To maintain your heat exchanger, first have mechanical professionals disassemble it by shutting it down and turning the valves off for all fluids. Loosen the heat exchanger’s bolts and slide each moveable head back, exposing the heat plate pack. Number all plates in reverse order and display them at the top of each plate.
Clean the plates by removing gaskets, washing them with soap and water, and removing loose debris.
Test the plates for cracks and pinholes by visually inspecting them and performing a dye test. If more than 10% of the plate pack contains defects, replace the plate.
Before reinstalling the plates, it’s important to inspect and prepare them. Clean and prepare the plate frame by inspecting the nozzle area, fixed and moveable heads, guide rail attachment points, and polishing severe defects. Load plates directly into the frame, check for weld zones, corrosion, and defects, and install port rings.
Verify the heat exchanger by hydro-testing it for leaks by flooding it with water, allowing the water to run, raising the pressure, air-drying the outside, and inspecting the plate pack for drips. Common causes of leaks include debris in the gasket groove, old gaskets, defective gaskets, and holes in a plate.
Key Points About Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers
Companies in industries such as dairy, brewing, chemical, and pharmaceuticals are prioritizing energy conservation. Plate and frame heat exchangers are used for the benefits of efficient heat transmission and low running costs. They improve the effectiveness of your routine production processes, from heating and cooling to pasteurization, which lowers operating costs and boosts your bottom line.
Are you interested in learning how a heat exchanger might help your company? Speak with our staff of equipment specialists to explore your options and select the ideal item for your needs.
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