A plate and frame heat exchanger is a compact heat exchanger where thin corrugated plates are stacked in contact with each other, and the two fluids flow separately along adjacent channels in the corrugation. The closure of the stacked plates may be by clamped gaskets, brazed (usually copper brazed stainless steel), or welded (stainless steel, copper, titanium), the most common type being the first, for ease of inspection and cleaning.
Advantages
- Very compact design
- High heat transfer coefficients (2 – 4 times shell & tube designs)
- Expandable by adding plates
- Ease of maintenance
- Plates manufactured in many alloys
- All connections are at one end of the exchanger
- Good temperature approaches
- Fluid residence time is very short
- No dead spots
- Leakage (if it should occur) is generally to the outside – not between the fluids
- Low fouling due to high turbulence
Typical Applications
- Liquid/liquid heating, cooling or heat recovery, where one or both of the fluids may cause fouling
. 2.Vapour/liquid condensing, particularly at very low pressure and/or high-volume flow.