Principle of PHE Heat Exchanger

The principle of a Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE) is founded on efficient thermal energy transfer between two fluids at different temperatures, utilizing a series of thin, corrugated metal plates stacked together to form channels. These plates, typically made from stainless steel or other alloys, are gasketed, brazed, or welded to create alternating hot and cold fluid passages without mixing. The highly turbulent flow induced by the plate corrugations is a critical aspect of the design, significantly enhancing the heat transfer coefficient and minimizing fouling compared to traditional shell-and-tube exchangers. This turbulence, combined with the large surface area compacted into a small volume, allows PHEs to achieve thermal effectiveness often exceeding 90%. The counter-current flow arrangement, where the fluids run parallel but in opposite directions, maximizes the log mean temperature difference (LMTD), driving highly efficient heat recovery. Operational parameters such as pressure drop, flow rate, and temperature approach are precisely managed by varying the number of plates, their chevron angle patterns (which can be high for high heat transfer/high pressure drop or low for the opposite), and the overall frame size. This modularity makes them exceptionally adaptable to a vast range of duties, from heating and cooling to heat recovery and pasteurization, providing a superior solution for optimizing energy usage in complex industrial processes.

Why Use PHE Heat Exchanger