Centrex Technical Sales

Plate & Frame Heat Exchangers

Alfa Laval has a full range of heat exchangers catering for every need, however large or small. Alfa Laval is your assurance of compactness, ease of installation, low maintenance costs, high energy efficiency, confidence and flexibility. In other words, reliable operation, unsurpassed operating life span, fast return on investment and low cost of ownership. The key to heat exchanger efficiency and ease of operation lies in the design of the plates. Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers are designed to maximize energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate of up to 95 percent in collaboration with a gentle product treatment. But design is also about materials and durability. Alfa Laval heat exchanger plates are made from corrosion-free materials with the lowest thermal and mechanical fatigue on the market. Compact and easy to clean Alfa Laval heat exchangers offer high capacity in a compact format. Costeffective and user-friendly technology based on decades of development and experience, Alfa Laval heat exchangers are your assurance of uniform, highquality performance day after day, year in and year out. Clean In Place (CIP) dramatically reduces downtime when cleaning eventually becomes necessary. The challenge is straightforward process control that ensures precise temperatures and precise speeds. Heat exchangers from Alfa Laval have proved their superiority in facilitating high and uniform product quality.

Working principle

The plate heat exchanger consists of a pack of corrugated metal plates with portholes for the passage of two fluids between which heat transfer will take place. The plate pack is assembled between a frame plate and a pressure plate and compressed by tightening bolts. The plates are fitted with a gasket which seals the channel and directs the fluids into alternate channels. The number of plates are determined by the flow rate, physical properties of the fluids, pressure drop and temperature program. The plate corrugations promote fluid turbulence and support the plates against differential pressure.

Frame

The plates and the pressure plate are suspended from an upper carrying bar and located by a lower guiding bar, both of which are fixed to the support column. On the largest type some tightening bolts are equipped with ball bearing washers in order to facilitate opening and closing of the unit. The frame is designed for mounting on a floor only. Standard feet are fixed. One unit can contain several heat exchangers, separated by connection plates with interchangeable connections.

Plates

The corrugation of the plates provides a passage between the plates, supports each plate against the adjacent one and enhances the turbulence, resulting in efficient heat transfer. Corner ports and gaskets are arranged so that the two media flow through alternate channels. The plates have a chevron pattern for maximum strength at high working pressures. Different chevron designs are available, in order to obtain optimal high heat transfer and low pressure drop. A unique distribution area provides an even flow over the plate surface. The Alfa Laval hanging system enables easy handling of the plates in the frame and together with the corner guiding a strong plate pack. The plates are reversible and have parallel flow, which means only one type of plate is needed.