To better comprehend the many types of heat exchanger, it is necessary to first understand what they are.
Heat exchangers are machines that transfer heat between two or more fluids having differing temperatures, such as liquids, vapors, or gases. Hence, the heat transfer process might be gas to gas, liquid to gas, or liquid to liquid, depending on the kind of heat exchanger used. So, a solid separator facilitates the exchange of fluids while preventing direct contact.
Heat exchanger type and construction materials dictate fluid compatibility. Standard exchangers suit common fluids, while corrosive ones demand materials like stainless steel.
Identifying heat exchangers involves considering construction, components, parts, and heat transfer method, guiding selection for specific applications, as they operate on similar principles.
Alaqua is a heat exchanger equipment supplier and other processing equipment in the United States, including evaporators, crystallizers, distillation, and solvent recovery systems.
Types of Heat Exchangers:
Identifying heat exchangers involves considering construction, components, parts, and heat transfer method, guiding selection for specific applications, as they operate on similar principles.
Parallel-flow Arrangements:
Hot and cold fluids enter, flow parallel, and exit together in a parallel-flow heat exchanger.
Counter-flow Arrangements:
Counter-flow heat exchangers have fluids entering at opposite ends, moving in opposite directions, and exiting at opposite ends, unlike parallel-flow exchangers.
Cross-flow Arrangements:
In a cross-flow arrangement, fluids can flow in perpendicular directions. The two major types are finned and unfinned tubular. Finned tube heat exchanger keeps fluids separate; the one between fins flows transversely to the tube direction. In an unfinned exchanger, heat exchange can occur in all directions, and the fluid can mix.
Counter-flow heat exchanger surpasses parallel-flow in heat transfer efficiency, as found by researchers comparing these two types. Furthermore, the temperature profiles of the two heat exchangers reveal two significant drawbacks in the parallel-flow design:
- A significant temperature differential between the two ends causes thermal strains.
- Cold fluid leaving the heat exchanger never surpasses the lowest temperature of the hot fluid.
When two fluids must be brought to approximately the same temperature, however, a parallel-flow heat exchanger is useful.
Latest Blog: Process of Evaporator and Condenser Coils To Cool Your Home
Heat exchangers’ heat transfer surfaces come in a variety of configurations. Here, heat exchangers are classified as Double pipe heat exchangers, Shell, and tube heat exchangers, or Plate heat exchangers depending on the heat transfer surface.
Double Pipe Heat Exchangers:
Double pipe heat exchangers are one of the most cost-effective heat exchangers in terms of design and maintenance, making them an excellent choice for small businesses.
In these heat exchangers, one fluid moves within the tube while the other moves outside. Although this type of heat exchanger is easy to build and maintain, their poor efficiency, along with the enormous amount of space they take up on big scales, has led contemporary businesses to choose more efficient heat exchangers such as shells and tubes.
Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers:
Shell and tube heat exchangers, widely used in the industry, feature various structural variations, categorized by the number of passes.
For pressures above 30 bar and temperatures beyond 260°C, shell and tube heat exchangers excel, handling high-pressure applications effectively.
Tiny bore pipes within the exchanger facilitate primary fluid flow; the shell encloses the tube bundle, and increasing surface area boosts heat transfer and electricity generation. And, his design utilizes tubes to augment the surface area.
Plate Heat Exchangers:
The heat is transferred between two fluids using metal plates in this sort of exchanger. Moreover, this type of arrangement is used in heat exchangers that employ air or gas, as well as low-velocity fluid flow.
In an internal combustion engine, a heat exchanger cools coolant in radiator coils as air heats incoming air, offering efficiency and cost advantages over shell-and-tube designs.
Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers:
Hence, several applications demand heat transmission to viscous or sticky materials. While, scraped surface heat exchangers, preventing product settling, offer the most effective heat transmission in such scenarios with scraping blades.
The scraped surface tube’s product enters a cylinder at the bottom. Hence, Blades in the product channel, within a cylinder, ensure consistent heat transmission by removing the product from the wall.
So, versatile materials ensure gentle scraping, preserving product quality and ensuring uniformity in surface exchangers, which can be positioned vertically or horizontally.
An electric motor spins a rotor with scraping blades on the inside. Therefore, rotors turn, guiding product through the heat exchanger to prevent damage; product enters at the bottom and exits at the top. Hence, we polished the heating surface for a high gloss.
Dimple Plate/Plate Coil Heat Exchanger:
Dimple plate/plate coil tech suits stagnant fluid scenarios, with a smaller market share. It’s applicable in retrofits, such as waste heat recovery.
Spot-welding and inflating two steel sheets economically create fluid-flow channels for passive heating or cooling of storage tanks. So, it’s adaptability to any application is possible due to its simplicity and the use of low-cost materials.
Dimple plate pieces in tank jackets or submerged in liquid provide versatile, cost-effective heat exchange for beer and dairy tanks.
Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers:
Hence, air-cooled heat exchangers are widely utilized in automobiles and other mobile applications where there is no fixed cool water source. So, a fan or the airflow created by the vehicle’s movement produces cool air.
Alaqua is heat exchanger makers and supplier worldwide along with other processing equipment based in the USA. Contact us today for queries and information!
