What Are The Applications of High Performance Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger
High performance printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is famous for its robustness with a higher rate of heat transfer. They are lighter and approximately 85% smaller than conventional tube and shell exchangers. Due to their unique design and characteristics, they ensure improved safety, lower operational and installation costs, and great performance. The best thing about a PCHE is that they are fully customizable as per the customers’ requirements. PCHEs are in use of several industries for highly demanding applications. They have become a highly efficient and compact solution for an array of oil, gas, energy, and marine duties.
The purpose of this article is to help you understand the importance and application areas of printed circuit heat exchangers. The information available in this article helps you decide why you should consider PCHEs instead of traditional heat exchangers.
Improved Sustainability with High Performance Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger
High performance printed circuit heat exchanger ensures improved sustainability in different applications. The reasons behind better sustainability are higher thermal efficiency, reduced footprint, reduced costs of structural support, and reduced weight. You can also ensure maximum uptime with simple maintenance of the unit. Therefore, PCHEs offer a smart solution to achieve sustainability in critical processes.
The printed circuit heat exchanger is a reliable, robust, and safe technology. Therefore, industries like marine, gas & oil, and energy sectors prefer PCHEs as the most suitable heat exchangers for different applications. A PCHE can work in temperatures between -320F (-196C) to 1472F (800C). These exchangers can also work in up to 14500 psi (1000barg) pressures.
It is the solid design of the PCHE that assists in dealing with fluid flow-induced vibration and fluid pressure pulse effects. A PCHE ensures the safest possible operation without extra safety accessories and pressure relief valves. Therefore, PCHEs are known for providing enhanced sustainability, which is so critical in marine and oil & gas applications.
Applications
The design of high performance printed circuit heat exchanger provides unparalleled efficiency and compactness in high-pressure and clean duties. In addition, PCHEs are ideal for applications where welded-plate-type heat exchangers are not capable to work efficiently. For instance, welded-plate-type heat exchanger cannot work where the design pressure ranges from the vacuum to 9430psiG (650barG). This is where the role of printed circuit heat exchangers becomes critical.
Here are the different use cases of PCHEs in the above-mentioned industries:
- Storage systems of thermal energy
- Supercritical CO2 power cycles
- Gas pre-heating in gas turbines
- Hydrogen fuelling stations
Apart from these above uses, there are various other examples where manufacturers choose PCHEs for their unique characteristics and enhanced sustainability.
Benefits of Using Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers
High performance and improved sustainability, as discussed above, are the primary benefits of using PCHEs. However, there are more benefits of using printed circuit heat exchangers instead of traditional heat exchangers. Here are the additional benefits of PCHEs that are critical for successful application in different industries.
- Notable savings in footprint, weight, volume, and costs of structural support
- The capacity range is so broad
- Design temperatures: Cryogenic – 1472F (800C)
- Design pressures: Up to 9430psiG (650barG)
- Remarkably higher rate of heat transfer that ensures the most ideal operating efficiency
- Safety in operations: No need for pressure relief valve
- Maximum uptime with easy maintenance
For the design pattern of the fluid channel, diffusion bonding assists in the full customization of the printed circuit heat exchanger. For the above-listed benefits, PCHEs have become the number one choice for a broad range of applications.
PCHE Working Principle
Printed circuit heat exchangers work with at least two media on the bonded plate’s opposite sides. There is also the possibility to achieve higher pressure flows on each side of the bonded plate. 3D or 2D pattern optimization can help you achieve the needed pressure drop and thermal length. High performance printed circuit heat exchanger has a complicated flow pattern. This flow pattern is engraved chemically on the material’s flat sheets.
Optimization of the flow pattern helps in achieving needed hydraulic and thermal characteristics according to the specific duties of customers. Moreover, the pattern of every circuit plat can be dissimilar, which gives the option of enhanced 2-phase behavior and asymmetric flows. After that, every single place is stacked into the diffusion and block bonded. This process occurs in a high-end furnace at high pressure and temperature.
It is also possible to create the needed heat transfer area (HTA) or thermal capacity by welding multiple blocks together. To finalize an HE (heat exchanger), outlet and inlet flow manifolds, and connections for customers and drain cleaning or ventilation welds on the core. You can achieve 9430psiG (650barG) in the 316L SST by following this configuration. Surface areas of heat transfer are customizable according to different requirements.
Other Types of Heat Exchangers
A printed circuit heat exchanger is one of the different types of heat exchangers available. There are a few other types also with unique characteristics and applications. The other common types of heat exchangers are as follows:
- Corrugated Tube Heat Exchangers
- Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers
- Plate Heat Exchangers
Tube heat exchangers offer advantages, such as higher heat transfer, compact design, minimum servicing costs, and minimal fouling. Scrapped surface heat transfers are appropriate for difficult applications, while plate heat exchangers are suitable for applications where the fluid viscosity is low without any particles. We further divide the above heat exchangers into sub-categories.
Final Words
PCHEs are an ideal replacement for ordinary heat exchangers when you require a pre-cooler with improved sustainability in different applications. They are especially useful where the design temperature and design pressure range are Cryogenic – 1472F (800C) and 9430psiG (650barG), respectively. Their capacity range is extensive and offers savings in structural support, weight, volume, and footprint. High performance printed circuit heat exchanger is also famous for safety, maximum uptime, and greater heat transfer rate. You should use PCHEs especially for the applications where you require the highest possible operating efficiency.
Keep visiting us, if you want to know more about heat exchangers and their different types. You can also contact us for more information on this topic.
