Plate Heat Exchanger-GPE Series

Product Overview

Graham plate heat exchangers consist of a series of corrugated plates hung from a carrying bar and clamped between fixed and movable heads. The heat transfer plates are normally manufactured in stainless steel, but are available in other materials. Each heat transfer plate is fitted with an elastomeric gasket, which seals and distributes the process fluids. The heads, normally referred to as channel covers, include connections to permit the entry of the process fluid into the plate pack.

The channel formed by two adjacent plates is the key to the plate heat exchanger's high efficiency. The hot and cold fluids are distributed through alternate channels in a counter-current arrangement. This counter-current flow provides for maximum thermal efficiency. The flow pattern induces turbulence at very low Reynolds numbers, which also contributes to high heat transfer rates. Units are custom selected to effectively optimize the available pressure drop.

The fluid shear stresses in a plate exchanger are much higher than those of a tubular exchanger. This tends to keep the channels in a plate exchanger much cleaner. For clean services, the normal practice is to provide units designed for 100% of the surface area required. For fluids which foul, plate exchangers can be provided with 5-10% excess area.

Plate heat exchangers are well suited for applications which require close temperature approaches. (The approach temperature is defined as the hot fluid outlet temperature minus the cold fluid inlet temperature.) Units can achieve temperature approaches as close as 2 degrees F.

Plate and frame exchangers offer the highest efficiency mechanism for heat transfer available in industry today. Note that plate exchangers are limited when high pressures, high temperatures, or aggressive fluids are present. In those cases, a Heliflow exchanger should be selected. See Heliflow Heat Exchangers.

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