Design Of Plate Heat Exchangers Research Articles

Single-Phase Flow Pressure Drop Analysis in a Plate Heat Exchanger

Pressure drop characteristics of a gasketed commercial plate heat exchanger configured for single-phase water-to-water flow application are presented. Isothermal pressure drop data are provided for two symmetric 30°/30°, 60°/60° and a nonsymmetric 30°/60° (mixed) chevron plate configuration in the plate heat exchanger. Reynolds number was varied from 500 to 2,500. The experimental data are found to be a strong function of chevron angle and Reynolds number. Experimental results show that mixed plate configuration can be a choice in optimizing the plate heat exchanger design for improved performance. Based on experimental data, correlations are presented for estimation of friction factor.

Experimental and numerical investigation on the exergy and entransy performance of a novel plate heat exchanger

There has been increased attention on various types of plate heat exchangers because of their high efficiency and compactness. This article presents an investigation of heat transfer and fluid flow performance of a novel plate heat exchanger based on numeric studies and experimental tests. Parameters of the novel plate heat exchanger are analyzed and discussed. The thermo-hydraulic transfer performance of different plate heat exchangers is comprehensively analyzed using the exergy and entransy principle. The results indicate that the novel plate heat exchanger has better thermo-hydraulic transfer performance than the smooth plate heat exchanger. The result of this study provides a paradigm for the optimal design of plate heat exchangers.

The Effect of Plate Spacing in Plate Heat Exchanger Design as a Condenser in Organic Rankine cycle for Low Temperature Heat Source

Abstract Plate spacing is one of variable that influences plate heat exchanger (PHE) design as a condenser in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system. The rises of plate spacing have effects to channel cross sectional area, channel velocity, equivalent diameter, and Reynold number at hot and cold fluid sides in PHE. Those parameters affect the total heat transfer area and total pressure drop that influence the PHE condenser performance. This paper investigated the detail effect of the plate spacing increments in the final total heat transfer area and total pressure drop design result. The plate spacing in design calculation method is varied and the other independent variables are assumed to be constant. The design was conducted by calculating condenser capacity at both sides and both zones, estimating overall heat transfer coefficient, and calculating heat transfer area and plate film coefficient. Analysis continued by calculating overall heat transfer coefficient that has small percent of error with the estimated overall heat transfer coefficient, calculating pressure drop, total plate number and total heat transfer area. The result of calculation shows that the rises of plate spacing increase the total heat transfer area and decrease the cold and hot fluid total pressure drop. The rises of plate spacing increase channel cross sectional area and equivalent diameter, and decrease channel velocity and Reynold number at zone 1 (without phase change) and zone 2 (with phase change). Therefore, the increment of heat transfer areas is unpreferable and the decrement of pressure drops is preferable.

An Alternative Algorithm for Optimal Design of Plate Heat Exchangers

Due to the complex geometry of plate heat exchangers and thus a large number of variables affecting the performance of the exchangers, the design of these types of exchangers is quiet difficult. However, unlike the shell and tube heat exchangers which contain available data of design procedures, the design of plate heat exchanger is a monopoly of some certain manufacturing companies that make the problem even worse. In this paper, the objective is to minimize the number of plates in plate heat exchanger; in order to achieve that, a simple and yet efficient mathematical model is introduced for determination of the pressure drop and heat capacity of a plate heat exchanger in single- and multipass state and also a program was defined for determination of optimal solution based on this simple mathematical model for given operational constraints and plate type. In the end, the optimal solution will be compared to the answer of CAS200 commercial software and also it is shown that the effect of the start and end plates and transverse distribution in optimal solution is considerable.

Design of the Plate Heat Exchanger

The plate heat exchanger is an ideal heat exchange equipment for liquid - liquid, liquid--gas, it has the characteristics of high heat exchange efficiency, low heat loss, compact structure, small occupation area, convenient installation and cleaning, wide application, long service life etc.. So the design of plate heat exchanger in the relevant state industrial construction is a very important link,

Optimal design of plate heat exchangers

In the current paper, it is presented an algorithm for the optimization of heat exchange area of plate heat exchangers (PHE). The algorithm is based on the screening method. For each kind of plate, subject to certain constraints, optimal configurations are found – in case they exist – which present the lowest number of plates and, consequently, the smallest area. Each of these found configurations have local optima characteristics. For all kinds of plates considered, their respective local optima are determined. Comparison of all obtained local optima gives a global one. The differential equations, which are generated in the model development, are solved analytically. A case study is presented to test the applicability of the developed algorithm. Results show coherency with the literature.

Chevron plate heat exchanger optimization using efficient approximation-assisted multi-objective optimization techniques

This article presents a comparison between different multi-objective optimization approaches that can be used to efficiently optimize the design of different thermal systems and components. Plate heat exchanger optimization is taken as case study to compare the different optimization techniques. The plate heat exchanger flow channel geometry is optimized to maximize the thermal-hydraulic performance of the heat exchanger. The thermal-hydrodynamic characteristics of single phase turbulent flow in chevron-type plate heat exchangers with sinusoidal-shaped corrugations have been analyzed using a commercially available computational fluid dynamics tool. The computational domain consists of a corrugation channel, and the simulations adopted the shear-stress transport κ-ω model as the turbulence model. The analysis of even a single design is computationally expensive, and hence, approximation techniques are used to speed up the optimization process. Exhaustive search, offline approximation-assisted optimization, and online approximation-assisted optimization are compared to optimize plate heat exchanger design. For both approximation techniques (offline and online), design optimization is performed using the multi-objective genetic algorithm based on metamodels that are built to represent the entire design space. In offline approximation, globally accurate metamodels are built, which requires adding samples in the entire design space. However in online approximation-assisted optimization, samples are added just to improve metamodel performance in the expected optimum region. Approximated optimum designs are verified using computationally expensive actual computational fluid dynamics simulations. Finally, a comparison between exhaustive search and offline/online approximation-assisted optimization is presented with guidelines to apply both approaches in the area of heat exchanger design optimization. The methods presented in this article are generic and can be applied to optimize different types of heat exchangers, electronic cooling devices, and other thermal system components.

Numerical and experimental analysis of composite fouling in corrugated plate heat exchangers

This paper provides a numerical and experimental analysis on precipitation and particulate fouling in corrugated plate heat exchangers with different geometric parameters which are plate height, plate spacing, and plate angle. The Realizable κ–ε model with non-equilibrium wall functions is used in the 3D numerical simulation considering the realistic geometries of the flow channel to obtained Nusselt number and wall shear stress, while Von-Karman analogy is used to obtain mass transfer coefficient. Numerical analysis is verified by experimental study. The predicted influence of fluid velocity in fouling resistance is compatible with experimental data that it can help to optimize the design of plate heat exchangers. This investigation significantly simplifies the fouling analysis of complex flow fields and can be used to assess the fouling potential of corrugated plate heat exchangers.

Experimental determination of fouling factor on plate heat exchangers in district heating system

This paper presents the results of experimental research on 8 plate heat exchangers. Their purpose is to heat water for radiator heating system and domestic hot water. Measurements were carried out in 4 substations in district heating system in Belgrade (Serbia). The main achievement of this research was that the fouling factors were determined experimentally, and the found values can be used further on in design of plate heat exchangers in district heating systems.

Construction, performance, and thermal design of plate heat exchangers

Much of design data for plate heat exchangers remain proprietary. A step by step methodology for determination of the exchanger size and internal geometry from the knowledge of process data is scarce. Commercial computer codes do not give the user accessibility to mathematical modelling. Engineers do not usually understand the terminology and geometry of these exchangers. This article presents a manual method for thermal design of plate heat exchangers based on physically meaningful estimations, calculations, and comparisons. When there is no close agreement, it may be necessary to change one or more of the design parameters, i.e. channel (passage) velocities, wall temperatures, or corrugation inclination angle. Considerable skill and judgment is required by the thermal design engineer at this stage to decide how the tentative design should be changed to provide a rapid solution. The experienced design engineer is often able to judge on the final decision from the first or second trial designs.

The effect of flow arrangement on the pressure drop of plate heat exchangers

For the optimal design of plate heat exchangers (PHEs), an accurate thermal–hydraulic model that takes into account the effect of the flow arrangement on the heat load and pressure drop is necessary. In the present study, the effect of the flow arrangement on the pressure drop of a PHE is investigated. Thirty two different arrangements were experimentally tested using a laboratory scale PHE with flat plates. The experimental data was used for (a) determination of an empirical correlation for the effect of the number of passes and number of flow channels per pass on the pressure drop; (b) validation of a friction factor model through parameter estimation; and (c) comparison with the simulation results obtained with a CFD (computational fluid dynamics) model of the PHE. All three approaches resulted in a good agreement between experimental and predicted values of pressure drop. Moreover, the CFD model is used for evaluating the flow maldistribution in a PHE with two channels per pass.

Experimental Investigation on Port-to-Channel Flow Maldistribution in Plate Heat Exchangers

Experiments have been conducted to analyze the flow and pressure distribution in a plate heat exchanger by measuring local port pressure distribution in a commercial plate heat exchanger. Flow rate in channel and channel pressure drops are evaluated by measuring the pressure inside the inlet and exit ports at different locations for different port dimensions. In these experiments, the measurement of pressure is done without disturbing the fluid flow inside the port. This technique also offers the option of manipulating port size without changing the plate characteristics. Direct experimental measurement provides the scope for eliminating other effects, such as gasket, end losses, and improper wetting of channels from the flow maldistribution effect. The measurements indicate the existence of non-uniform flow distribution that increases with flow rate and decreases with port diameter. Results clearly show that it is important to consider the flow maldistribution for better design of plate heat exchangers.

Application of numerical methods to study the effect of axial conduction in plates and flow channels on the performance of plate heat exchangers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to predict the plate heat exchanger performance when axial conduction in plates and in flow channels are present and fluids' viscosities are temperature dependent.Design/methodology/approachThe approach to achieve the objective of the paper is deriving the governing equations and developing a computer program based on finite differences to solve them. The governing equations become dimensionless defining reference values and then discretized using FTBCS and FTCS methods. To solve the governing equations, the flow channel is divided into small elements in axial direction. Physical properties are constant for each element, while viscosity changes from one element to another one.FindingsThe effect of axial conduction in plates as well as in flow channels on temperature distributions, are studied individually and simultaneously. The program is run under four different conditions, namely: no axial conduction, axial conduction in the plates and in the flow channels, axial conduction in the plates only, and axial conduction in the flow channels only.In all the above cases, temperature distributions are achieved and characteristic curves are plotted. The numerical results are validated by comparing them with those published in an established reference carried out ignoring the effect of axial conduction, using the same plate geometry and flow details.Originality/valueThis paper gives valuable information and offers practical help to plate heat exchanger design engineer in order to choose the proper material for the plates as well as the right service and product fluids.

Optimization design of plate heat exchangers (PHE) for geothermal district heating systems

Plate heat exchangers (PHEs) are an important part of a geothermal heating system. If titanium is the material used for the PHE, then the latter will cost from about 25–30% of the total cost of the heating system. This paper discusses the integrated optimal design of the materials, placement, size and flow-rate of a plate heat exchanger. With an input of data on the application technology, and economic and environmental parameters, a computer can be used to design the optimal placement, size and flow-rate of the PHEs. With this type of calculation, the computer can provide values for PHE size, flow-rate, flow paths and flow channels, with a minimum heat transfer area for a basic heat requirement. The paper also illustrates how the choice of PHE size, and the placement of the flow paths and flow channels influences the heat transfer area, producing a different design from that of a practical application (Tianjin, China). By optimizing its design, the PHEs will effectively be smaller than the real example given, with a consequent reduction in cost.

Optimal design of plate heat exchangers with and without pressure drop specifications

The traditional design method for plate heat exchangers (PHEs), either ε-number of transfer units ( ε-NTU) or logarithmic mean temperature difference method, involves many trials in order to meet the pressure drop constraints. This can be avoided through the developed design method, which takes the full utilization of the allowable pressure drops as a design objective. The proposed method is valid for the design situations with and without pressure drop specifications. In the case of the design with pressure drop specification, only one stream can fully utilize the allowable pressure drop. In the case of no pressure drop specification, allowable pressure drops can be determined through economical optimization. Compared to the previous design method, the proposed method does not require many trial iterations. Instead, all heat exchanger parameters, including plate size, number of passes, path, fluid velocity, etc., are determined in a straightforward way. Moreover, the suggested method can guarantee that the optimized values of allowable pressure drops can be fully utilized simultaneously by the two streams. In addition, the optimal corrugation angle is discussed for the most common chevron-type PHEs.

Optimum design of plate heat exchangers

The optimality criterion for the examined structures may have the form of the minimum production cost of these structures. In a number of cases, it is required to compare various variants of the plates. The simplest comparison method is based on the ratio.of the production costs of the compared structure variants. This method makes it possible to reduce the number of varied parameters and obtain sufficiently general results.

Flow distribution and pressure drop in plate heat exchangers—I U-type arrangement

An analytical study is made to calculate the axial velocity and pressure distributions in both the intake and exhaust conduits of plate heat exchangers, the flow distribution in the channels between the plates and the total pressure drop. The analysis shows that there is a general characteristic parameter ( m) for all the plate heat exchangers, which determines the flow behaviour. When m 2 is positive, the channel flow rates will decrease in the direction of the intake stream. When m 2 is negative, the channel flow rates will increase in that direction. In any case, the flow distribution tends to be uniform for low values of m 2 ( ≤ 0.01). If m 2 is kept equal to zero, the flow distribution will be purely uniform. The sign of m 2 may be controlled by the area ratio of the intake and exhaust conduits respectively, its magnitude is affected by the shape and the number of plates. The results show that very low flow rates or even no fluid flow might occur in some of the channels for large positive or large negative values of m 2. The analysis might be useful not only for the proper design of plate heat exchangers but also for many other technical systems with manifold flow distribution and collection problems.

Design of plate heat exchangers using the available pressure drop

Design of plate heat exchangers using the available pressure drop

Design of plate heat exchangers

Design of plate heat exchangers