Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

What is a Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger and How Does It Work

What is a Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

A brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE) is also known as a brazed heat exchanger. It is a highly efficient, compact, and versatile device used for transferring heat between two fluids. It consists of a series of thin, corrugated plates that are stacked and brazed together using a copper or nickel alloy.

Thin rectangular channels are formed between various plates, and heat exchange is carried out through the plates. This design creates a large surface area for heat transfer, resulting in high thermal efficiency and low-pressure drop.

BPHEs are widely used in a range of applications such as HVAC, refrigeration, industrial processes, and renewable energy systems, etc. They offer several advantages over other heat exchanger types, such as easy maintenance, low fouling, and high resistance to pressure and temperature.

Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers can be used for a range of functions in a heating or cooling system – they can act as condensers, evaporators, oil or gas coolers, and be used for other functions that involve the transfer of heating or cooling.

How Does a Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger Work

The BPHE principle is constructed as a package of corrugated channel plates between the front and rear cover-plate packages. The cover-plate packages include sealing plates, blind rings, and cover plates. Connections are mounted on the cover plates and can be customized to meet specific market and application requirements.

During the vacuum-brazing process, a brazed joint is formed at every contact point between the base and the filler material. This design creates a heat exchanger that consists of two separate channels or circuits.

Sealing plates are used to seal off the space between the cover plate and the first and last channel plates. The number of cover plates varies, for example with the type and size of BPHE and its pressure rating. Some BPHEs have a blind ring to seal off the space between the channel plate and cover plate. In others, the blind rings are integrated into the cover plate and first/last channel plates.

There are different BPHE product categories depending on material combinations and design pressures. The standard plate materials are AISI 316 stainless steel, S, vacuum-brazed with a pure copper filler, C, or a nickel-based filler, N. For demanding applications, the plates can be made of SMO 254, stainless steel with a higher content of molybdenum.

Production Process of a Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

The production process of brazed plate heat exchanger mainly includes:

A. Raw Material Reserve

B. Plate Pressing

C. End Plate Pressing

D. Stacking Compaction

E. Vacuum Furnace Brazing

F. Leak Test

G. Pressure Test and Other Processes.

Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger Plates and Channel Types

Certain BPHEs are available with different types of channel plates where the herringbone pattern varies. The benefit of different herringbone patterns is that the hydraulic and thermal characteristics of the BPHE can be modified. For example, two BPHEs can have the same pressure drop on both sides despite different flow rates.

The fluids can pass through the heat exchanger in different ways. For parallel flow BPHEs, there are two different flow configurations: co-current and counter-current.

Co-current flow
Counter-current flow

There are several different versions of the channel plate packages. Examples include:

Dual-circuit BPHE
Two-pass BPHE, which corresponds to two units connected in series.
Dual-over-two-pass BPHE

Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

Find Out More on our HFM Youtube Channel regarding the BPHE Production Process

Advantages of HFM Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger

Compact – Our brazed plate heat exchanger are extremely compact compared with other technologies. The carbon footprint can be as little as 10% of that of a shell and tube heat exchanger or half that of a gasket plate heat exchanger.

Efficient – With no need for gaskets or supporting equipment, about 95% of the brazed plate heat exchanger material is used to transfer heat. The highly turbulent flow also enables you to use small temperature differences efficiently.

Reliable – The robust construction of brazed plate heat exchanger requires no gaskets, eliminating their risk of leaking. This means stable thermal and hydraulic performance, with minimal maintenance and operational downtime. At HFM, we strictly adhere to the highest standards of quality and safety, ensuring all of our products meet the rigorous requirements of GRG, FDA, and SGS certifications.

Flexible – The brazed plate heat exchanger’s compact size uses space efficiently and makes the system design more flexible. Larger installations can be constructed unit by unit via standard doors and elevators, and it is easy to expand capacity when demand increases.

Cost-effective – You will save on energy, maintenance, spare parts, and installation. The life-cycle cost over 15-20 years can often be half that of a corresponding gasket solution.

Self-cleaning – Our brazed plate heat exchanger are normally self-cleaning, thanks to highly turbulent flows. In applications with a high risk of fouling or scaling, Cleaning in Place is easy without disassembly. Read more about plate heat exchanger cleaning.

Customized – By combining plate design, materials, and connections from standard components, we keep lead times short while still maximizing output in your specific application