Packaged Plate Heat Exchangers – Uses & Applications

At Mibec we offer a range of plate heat exchangers from Cordivari, in this short article we take a look at some of the applications and usage together with the key components in their construction.

Cordivari plate heat exchangers are used in domestic and industrial applications and in particular they’re suitable for Domestic Hot Water (DHW) production and in district heating applications. They are also commonly used for the heating of swimming pools and can integrate with a number of different energy sources such as traditional boilers, biomass and solar thermal systems. Plate heat exchangers are often utilised where the linking of systems, may be difficult or where different types of water need to be kept separate. Indeed outside of the renewables heating industry these products can be used with a wide range of liquids including beer, wine & spirits, milk, vinegar, glycol and a wide range of industrial chemicals.

Plate heat exchangers consist of thin hollow metal sheets with the empty space inside acting as a passageway for the fluids. These plates alternate in a ‘sandwich’ pattern with each alternative plate connected to a different source of liquid (for example one with heating water containing glycol and the other with DHW). The individual separate fluids spread along the planes of the plate with the arrangement of the gaskets such that they allow only one type of fluid, for example DHW (to be heated) to spread over one plate, whilst the other type of fluid, say heating water from a district heating scheme, spreads over the plate adjacent to it thereby exchanging the heat.

Our range of Cordivari plate heat exchangers are available in many different sizes, and offering heat outputs from 10kW to 1800kW. Made from 316L grade stainless steel, our range of plate heat exchangers offers exceptional quality, reliability and performance. Key components in their construction include a sturdy blue painted mild steel frame (not in contact with the fluids), guides for heat exchanger plates, bolts and screw nuts (again not in contact with fluids) in galvanized mild steel, the plates themselves (the part in contact with fluid) in 316L stainless steel, together with high quality EPDM Gaskets. Our plate heat exchangers are designed for the uses stated on Art.3.3 of PED 97/23/CE. In particular, they are intended to be used with non-hazardous liquids with steam pressure at maximum operating temperature not exceeding 0.5 bar above normal atmospheric pressure. In terms of water pressure the units can operate at 10 bar (with a 16 bar version on request) and a maximum temperature of 110degC. The plate heat exchangers are extremely versatile and can easily be dismantled for maintenance and cleaning. The modular construction allows the user to change the configuration of the exchanger if needed even after a period of use.

At Mibec we offer a full free of charge specification service covering the whole of the UK, designed to support architects, specifiers, contractors or consultants, helping you to select the right heating solution to meet your needs. Please feel free to email or call our support department on 01782 959170 where one of our highly trained advisers will be happy to help you with any heating component queries.