Plates:

A plate category heat exchanger, as described in below figure, consists of plates alter of tubes to divide the hot and cold fluids. The hot and cold fluids alternate among every of the plates. Baffles direct the flow of fluid among plates. Since each of the plates has an extremely large surface area then the plates give each of the fluids along with a very large heat transfer area. Thus a plate category heat exchanger, as compared to a same sized tube and shell heat exchanger that is capable of transferring much more heat. This is because of the larger area the plates give over tubes. Because of the high heat transfer efficiency of the plates then plate type heat exchangers are commonly very small while compared to a tube and shell type heat exchanger within the similar heat transfer capacity. Plate type heat exchangers are not hugely used since of the inability to reliably seal the large gaskets among each of the plates. Since of this problem then plate type heat exchangers have only been used within small, a low pressure application like as on oil coolers for engines. Therefore, new improvements within gasket design and whole heat exchanger design have permitted a few large scale applications of the plate type heat exchanger. Since older facilities are upgraded or newly designed facilities are built, big plate type heat exchangers are replacing tube and shell heat exchangers and becoming more general.

Figure: Plate Heat Exchanger