Plate heat exchangers are heat exchangers made up of a series of metal plates with a certain wavy shape stacked together, used for various applications such as heating, cooling, evaporation, condensation, sterilization, and waste heat recovery. Below, the editor from Shaanxi Hongwei Environmental Protection Water Supply Equipment Co., Ltd. discusses common issues and their solutions in the daily maintenance and usage of plate heat exchangers.

One: Daily Maintenance of Plate Heat Exchangers: Plate heat exchangers are static equipment that are not prone to damage. Routine checks should include verifying that the inlet and outlet temperatures, pressures, and flow rates are within the design range; if not, adjust the operating conditions accordingly. Also, inspect for any signs of leaks, drips, or spills in the plate heat exchanger.

Section 2: Common Faults of Plate Heat Exchangers and Their Solutions:

One, the plates of the plate heat exchanger have become misaligned. For plate heat exchangers that are multi-pass, long-term in use, and subject to changes in medium flow and pressure, plate misalignment is prone to occur. Once misaligned, external leakage often occurs quickly; while some may not leak immediately, they pose a hidden risk of leakage, necessitating timely attention. The primary causes of misalignment include: deformation of the heat exchanger plates; and the sealing gaskets of the plate heat exchanger have slipped out of their grooves. The solution is to promptly replace the deformed plates and the slipped gaskets.

In the absence of maintenance equipment on-site, a simple method for dealing with plate heat exchangers is to remove damaged and leaking plates in pairs. If the quantity is not excessive, the reduction in flow paths is relatively minor, and the reassembled plate heat exchanger can continue to be used without significantly impacting production.

Three, there is a leakage phenomenon in the plate heat exchanger. Due to the longer sealing periphery and thinner plates of the plate heat exchanger, leakage may occur during operation. The leakage phenomenon can be divided into two types: internal leakage and external leakage.

Internal leakage in plate heat exchangers. This refers to the leakage of two media within the heat exchange equipment, where the high-pressure side medium leaks into the low-pressure side due to some cause. This leakage is often not easily detected in time. The main causes of this leakage are perforations, cracks, and corrosion in the plate heat exchanger plates. The method to detect this leakage is to regularly conduct chemical analysis of the low-pressure side medium, judging from the changes in its composition.

2. Plate Heat Exchanger Leaks. This refers to the leakage of the medium inside the plate heat exchanger equipment to the external space. This type of leakage is generally easy to detect, with the main causes being worn-out gaskets, corrosion, or deformation of the plates. When such a leakage occurs, it is important to promptly mark the leaky area and open the equipment to replace the gaskets or plates.