Heat Exchangers for Glycol Systems and Freeze Protection
How glycol changes heat exchanger sizing, why systems use a glycol loop, and how to specify a plate exchanger for glycol service.
Why systems use glycol
Glycol-water mixtures lower the freezing point of a fluid loop, protecting outdoor coils, solar collectors, chillers and cold-climate systems from freeze damage. A heat exchanger transfers heat between the glycol loop and the clean process or building water, keeping glycol only where freeze protection is needed.
How glycol affects sizing
Glycol has a higher viscosity and lower specific heat than water, which reduces heat transfer and raises pressure drop. A heat exchanger for glycol service needs more surface area than the same duty on pure water — typically 5–15% more depending on glycol concentration and temperature. Ignoring this leads to undersized units.
Concentration and material
State the glycol type (ethylene or propylene) and concentration (%) so the exchanger can be sized correctly. Stainless 316L plates with EPDM gaskets suit most glycol systems; EPDM is compatible with glycol while some other gasket compounds are not.
Glycol exchangers from Jiangxing
Shanghai Jiangxing sizes plate heat exchangers for glycol loops with the correct viscosity and pressure-drop correction. Send your glycol type, concentration, flow and temperatures to Evan, jxmike@shheatex.com, or WhatsApp +86 173 1725 8304.
Send your working conditions to Evan
Share your medium, temperatures, flow rate and pressure — Evan will return a thermal selection and indicative pricing after reviewing the available data.