This heat exchanger essentially works in the same way as an ordinary shell and tube unit, but is more efficient because plates have been used instead of tubes. The plates are laser/TIG welded together to form a plate pack, which is then mounted inside a traditional cylindrical shell.
This system can offer substantial savings over conventional shell and tube exchangers due to the efficiency of the plate pack compared to a system of tubes. Operational advantages of the plate and frame heat exchanger include:
- No gaskets
- High working temperatures up to 250°C
- High working pressure up to 25 bar
- Small liquid hold up volume
- Small space requirement (takes up only 30% of the space of a traditional shell and tube unit)
- The plate pack is much more easily serviced and repaired than the components of a shell and tube exchanger.