Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of plate heat exchangers all characterized by its compact design and high thermal efficiency

 A heat exchanger is a device that facilitates transfer of heat from one fluid to another. Some common types of heat exchangers are shell and tube, spiral, and plate heat exchangers.

    An increasingly popular type is the plate heat exchanger, which consists of many thin plates pressed together. The plates are stamped with grooves, so when they are placed together, the grooves create spaces or channels for the fluids to move through. The hot fluid will pass through the space created between plates 1 and 2, while the cold fluid will move between plates 2 and 3, the hot fluid between plates 3 and 4, with this alternating pattern continuing for the whole heat exchanger.

        The grooves are designed so that the fluid moves across the whole plate. This, combined with the large number of plates, creates a very large surface area. The grooves also ensure that the fluid is kept in a turbulent state. These two items both increase the rate of heat transfer, making the plate heat exchanger the most efficient style of heat exchanger.

    The refrigerant flows in laser-welded, sealed plate channels, and the brine in gasketed channels. The flexible modular design copes with fatigue stresses and ice formation. The semi-welded heat exchanger handles most refrigerants on the welded side and is particularly suitable for ammonia duties. Standard plate materials are stainless steel and titanium. Temperature range is -47°C to 150°C; pressure is up to 40 bar, depending on size.

    A heat exchanger can also be used with a chiller if what you are cooling is unusual or hazardous. We would design the chiller with glycol or water, and utilize a heat exchanger for the glycol to your fluid. This would keep the chiller a standard unit, and reduce the overall cost of the project.