Steam Heat Exchangers

Steam Heat Exchanger Configurations

The two main steam heat exchanger configurations include:

Plate and Frame Steam Heat Exchangers

A plate steam heat exchanger contains corrugated metal plates and channels of flowing liquid. The plates provide a large surface area for the steam’s heat to transfer to the liquid.

The main advantages for this model include:

• High efficiency: Because the plate offers so much surface area to distribute heat, this type of heat exchanger can warm more units of fluid simultaneously.
• Compact footprint: Steam heat exchangers are significantly smaller than other models, making them ideal for facilities with limited space.
• Low maintenance: The plate design minimizes fouling, which reduces overall maintenance requirements.

Shell and Tube Steam Heat Exchangers

A shell and tube heat exchanger works by propelling hot steam through a metal shell while the fluid to be heated travels through closed tubes.

Some of the main advantages of shell and tube heat exchangers include:

• Durability: These models are highly resistant to thermal shock, which can help reduce maintenance and repair needs.
• Heating capacity: Shell and tube heat exchangers can quickly heat large volumes of fluid at extreme pressures and temperatures.
• Flexibility: Shell and tube steam heat exchangers can be designed in many different sizes and configurations to match your facility’s layout and operational requirements.