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Plate and Frame Heat Exchangers

From the Geo-Heat Center Quarterly Bulletin Vol. 9, No.3, Winter 1986

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PLATE AND

FRA~~E

HEAT EXCHANGERS

Gary Hulbert APV CREPACO, INC. 16641 Valley View Avenue Cerritos, CA 90701
Introduction Geothermal water often contains impurities that can foul, scale, corrode or otherwise contaminate a system. In such applications the energy from the "dirty" geothermal water may be transferred to "clean" loop water. To avoid loss of utility this transfer of heat must allow the clean water's temperature to closely "approach" the geothermal water's temperature. For such applications the plate and frame heat exchanger was tailor made. History The idea for a plate and frame heat exchanger was patented a century ago. However, the first commercially successful design was developed in 1923 by Dr. Richard Seligman, the founder of the Aluminum Plant and Vessel Company Ltd., the company now known worldwide as APV. Commercial development of the plate heat exchanger resulted largely from the ability for high heat transfer rates at low differential temperatures; precisely the feature that makes the plate heat exchanger so popular in geothermal applications. The original machine consisted of cast gun metal plates enclosed in a frame similar to a fllter press (Fig. 1). In the early 1930's the introduction of pressed thin gauge stainless steel plates produced a machine that has developed into the modem plate and frame heat exchanger. Design The plate and frame heat exchanger consists of a frame which holds a series of closely spaced thin gauge plates. The plates are clamped between a fixed head and movable follower (Fig. 2). The plates have corner ports for fluid flow; gaskets around the perimeter of the plate contain and direct the fluid (Fig. 3) . In a typical application (Fig. 4) the fluid flows in a bottom port, up .every other plate and out a top port while the cold fluid flows in the other top port down every other plate and out the other bottom port. This true counter current flow allows for the close "approach" temperatures achieved in the plate heat exchanger. Figure 2.-Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger

Figure I.-Dr. Richard Seligman with the Fi~t Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger GHC QUARTERLY BULLETIN, WINTER 1986

Figure 3.-Various Sizes and Designs of Plates.

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GENERAL FORMULA'S

Q = (U) (A) (LMTD) Q = [FLOW (lb/hr)] [T (0 F)]

TR

TM LMTD

WHERE: Q = HEAT TRANSFER (BTu/HR) U = HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT (BTu/HR F. FT. l) A = AREA OF EXCHANGER (FTl) LMTD = AVERAGE OF APPROACHES API-AP2 In (APlIAP2) API = GREATER APPROACH IF API = AP2 THEN = LMTD T = TEMP. CHANGE OF FWlD. (oF) TM = GREATEST TEMP. CHANGE. (oF)

Figure 4.-Counter-Current Flow through a Plate and Frame Heat Exchanger

How To Specify Since the design of the plate varies from size to size and manufacturer to manufacturer and improvements are constantly being made, we recommend that you contact a manufacturer for advice in preparing your design and specification. Included with the article are some general formula's and examples which should help an engineer understand the basic principles surrounding the selection of a heat exchanger. One of the most crucial areas to be considered in the selection of a plate and frame heat exchanger is the material of construction for the plates. The plates are made of thin gauge material, are highly stressed (both in manufaaturing and in operation), and have hundreds of metal to metal contact points per square foot. These facts combined make the plate highly susceptible to various forms of corrosion, including pitting, crevice corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. Since plates are thin to allow for high heat transfer rates the allowable corrosion rates are extremely small. Therefore, it is very important that the proper metal is selected. Corrosion is a very complicated subject and it is best to ask for ad-

EXAMPLE 1: 100 GPM GEOfHERMAL WATER 190-+160 OF 100 GPM LOOP WATER 185'-155F Q = [50,000 lb/hr.] [30F] = 1.5 x 106 BTu/HR API = 190-185 = 5oF. AP2 = 160-155 = 5oF. THEREFORE LMTD = 5F. LMTD = 5oF. TM = 30F. TR = 6 FOR U = WOO A = 300 FTl

vice from experts to specify the materials of construction for a given application. APV has extensive experience in preventing corrosion, particularly in the plate heat exchangers, and are willing to help. One note of caution, 304 stainless steel is the cheapest material available for plates, it is also the most susceptible to corrosion. We strongly recommend the 304 stainless steel not be used for plate construction in geothermal applications. Another area a system designer must specify is how close can the cold water's temperature approach the hot water's temperature and at what cost. A quick look at the formula's included with the article shows an inverse relationship between the approach and the surface area needed; the smaller the difference between the hot water's inlet temperature and the cold water's outlet temperature, the larger the surface area (and larger the price). To strike a balance between cost and performance we recommend that you contact a manufacturer and ask for several budget prices at different approach temperatures. When properly selected the plate and frame heat exchanger can provide an important trouble free part of your geothermal system.

EXAMPLE 2 100 GPM GEOfHERMAL 190-+160 OF 136.4 GPM LOOP 177..-155 OF Q = [50,000 lb/hr.] [30F] or [68,200 lb/hr.] [22 OF] = 1.5 x 106 BTUIHR APt = 190 - 177 = 13 OF. AP2 = 160 - 155 = 5F. LMTD = 8.37 TM = 30F. TR = 3.6 FOR U = 1000 A = 179 FTl

RULES OF THUMB: I) PRESSURE DROP OF FWID THROUGH THE PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER SHOULD BE I 10 3 TIMES THE TR. ~. 2) U = 700 - 1200 FOR WATER
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GHC QUARTERLY BULLETIN, WINTER 1986