What Is a Plate Heat Exchanger? How It Works and Where It Is Used

A plate heat exchanger (PHE) transfers heat between two fluids using a stack of thin, corrugated metal plates. The fluids flow through alternating channels formed between the plates, so heat passes from the hot fluid through the plate wall into the cold fluid without the two streams mixing. The corrugations create turbulence, which dramatically increases heat transfer in a small footprint.

Each plate has gasket grooves or brazed/welded seals that direct one fluid up the odd channels and the other fluid down the even channels. Because the plates are thin and the flow is turbulent even at low velocity, plate heat exchangers achieve very high heat transfer coefficients and close temperature approaches — often within 1–2 °C of the opposing fluid.

Gasketed plate heat exchangers can be opened for cleaning and expansion. Brazed plate units are compact and sealed for refrigerants and high pressures. Fully welded and semi-welded plate units handle aggressive media and higher temperatures. The right type depends on pressure, temperature, fluid and maintenance needs.

Plate heat exchangers are used in HVAC and district heating, food and dairy pasteurization, breweries, marine cooling, chemical processing, swimming pools, heat pumps and energy recovery. They suit clean liquid-to-liquid duties where efficiency and compact size matter.

Shanghai Jiangxing manufactures gasketed, brazed and welded plate heat exchangers and sizes them free from your process conditions. Send your media, temperatures, flow and pressure to Evan, jxmike@shheatex.com, or WhatsApp +86 173 1725 8304.