Accu-therm plate heat exchangers provide highly efficient heat transfer solutions whether processing simple fluids, or semi-viscous products. Ideal for cooling or heating clear liquids such as, but not limited to, process water, wine/juice, milk, beer, pool water, and condenser water. This style of gasketed, plate and frame heat exchangers are considered to be the ultimate in compact footprint, value for money and efficiency. Our technical support team sizes each exchanger for your specific applications and these heat exchangers can be selected from models designed for flow rates as low as 200 litres/hour, increasing up to 1.2 million litres/hour. Where product streams have particles larger than 1mmØ it may be better to use a Dimpleflo Shell & Tube heat exchanger.
Available with Stainless Steel components and frames, Accu-Therm Plate Heat Exchangers are designed to provide hygienic and low maintenance operation to food and beverage manufacturers and removes the need for the chemical laden epoxy coatings or spray paints essential for traditional mild steel frames. The all stainless steel plate heat exchanger construction has several other advantages over traditional powder coated frames, including low maintenance costs, aesthetics; elimination of painting and a sanitary finish with high corrosion resistance. Teralba plate heat exchangers include plate materials such as 304 grade and 316 grade stainless steel and titanium to provide corrosion resistance.
Teralba Industries manufactures these heat exchangers using local and imported components, and has a huge range of inventory held in stock ready to assemble to your requirements. This allows Teralba to offer plate heat exchangers to the Australian & New Zealand markets, with competitive pricing, short lead times and efficient after sales service. These products complemented with the Teralba range offers the industry endless combinations for solutions to heat transfer duties.
A heat exchanger transfers heat energy from one fluid (gas or liquid) to another without letting the two fluids mix. In an ideal heat exchanger, both fluids emerge from the outlets at a uniform temperature with no energy loss or contamination. Nothing comes closer to the perfect heat exchanger than a plate heat exchanger (PHE). Let’s explore how plate heat exchangers work and what sets them apart from other types of heat exchangers:
A plate heat exchanger consists of several plates pressed together to form channels between them, where fluids can flow and exchange heat. The highly conductive plates are packed in a tight stack, with adjacent plates separated only by a thin gasket, leaving a 1.3–1.5 mm clearance.
The hot fluid flows over one side of the plate while the cold fluid flows on the other side in a counter-flow movement, enabling indirect heat transfer. The sealing gaskets stop the two fluids from mixing and guide the inlet and outlet flows.
There are generally two types of plate heat exchangers: gasketed plate heat exchanger (GPHE) and brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE). They both work in the same way, but instead of having gaskets, the plates in a BPHE are permanently soldered or welded together. BPHEs are ideally designed for high pressure and temperature heat transfer applications that would otherwise damage the gaskets in a GPHE.
Due to their compact design and excellent efficiency, plate heat exchangers have numerous applications in various industries. You’ll often find an industrial plate heat exchanger heating and cooling fluids in petroleum, chemical, and heavy machinery manufacturing plants. PHEs are also commonly used in pharmaceuticals and food processing facilities. Some electronics and machinery such as HVAC systems use PHEs in their internal heat pumps and cooling systems.
PHEs are the most efficient heat exchangers for most heat transfer applications. Our plate heat exchangers can achieve a 90+ per cent operational efficiency. The wide plate and narrow flow channels ensure both fluids spread thinly over a large surface area. The herringbone-pattern corrugation on each heat exchange plate encourages turbulence flow and further increases the heat exchange surface. The plates are designed to be as thin as possible but also rigid and highly thermally conductive.
Pressure drops, leaks, low heat transfer efficiency, and unpredictable flows are some of the tell-tale signs of a blocked heat exchanger. Get your equipment checked and repaired immediately if it shows any signs of damage or clogs. PHEs also require regular servicing and maintenance to prevent clog build-ups and maintain optimal performance.
Teralba Industries is a family-owned plate heat exchangers manufacturer based in New South Wales, Australia. We design, build, and instal reliable, high-quality plate heat exchangers for every application and industry. We also provide heat exchanger spare parts and maintenance services. Contact us online or call us on 1300 20 70 20 to learn more about our quality products and services.
For further information or to obtain a heat exchanger selection and quotation please email your requirements through to our experienced heat transfer engineers at: sales@teralba.com or phone: 1300 20 70 20
