Industrial heat exchangers are systems that are used to transfer heat energy between fluids, like a car’s radiator. There are various types of heat exchangers that are used in a wide range of industrial applications, one of the most versatile is called a plate and shell heat exchanger.
What are plate and shell heat exchangers?
Plate and shell heat exchangers combine the technologies of tube heat exchangers and plate heat exchangers. They are highly efficient and require no rubber gaskets. Individual precision-stamped metal plates are laser welded together to form “cassettes”, and then, the cassettes are welded together to form “platepacks”, which accommodate heat transmission. The platepack is then inserted inside the shell, which is either bolted shut or permanently welded shut.
How do plate and shell heat exchangers work?
Plate and shell heat exchangers work via concurrent liquid flow, meaning one medium passes along the platepack side and another along the shell side. One medium passes into the shell, and then, runs along the outside of the heat-transference cassettes. Another medium passes through precision-cut portholes that run through the cassettes concentrically. This results in the warmer medium passing heat to the cooler medium without the media ever being combined.
What are plate and shell heat exchangers used for?
Plate and shell heat exchangers are used for numerous industrial applications including:
- Refrigerators, condensers, and evaporators
- Water treatment and agricultural industries
- Large food processing plants
- Petrochemical industry
- Air treatment facilities
- Power plant industry
Our professional millwrights and manufacturers can design and build plate and shell heat exchangers to withstand extreme pressure and temperature. We also specialize in manufacturing boilers, tanks, silos, and other large industrial equipment.
