Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
(OP)
An air compressor manufacturer is offering as an option titanium plate and frame heat exchangers for oil cooling with tower water vs. a traditional shell & tube heat exchanger. The application choice seems good overall, however, can anyone indicate their experience with package unit P&F oil coolers? Galvanic corrosion is a problem at our site, thus corrosion resistant metals and construction is a must for this application. The benefits seem to be low corrosion, low errosion, great heat transfer, and a small package (vs. a very large S&T HX). Downside seems to be bio-fouling and labor intensive regasketing for glue-in gaskets. Any real world experience with this issue would be appreciated.





RE: Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
RE: Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
This should be a pretty good service for a plate and frame and should be a lot smaller and less expensive than a conventional S&T exchanger. Get some references and talk to the users.
RE: Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
i have no idea where in the world you are BUT size for size Plate coolers are better.What you need to ask the person doing the piping design it to include a way that you can flush with chemicals both sides indepently,we have done this for many of our clients and maintain a program to assist them via a pressure drop calculation.The use of gaskets is critcal as Viton will out last neoprene but the costs well that depends what cooler it is.The units are availible with a larger gap between them for less fouling.
Talk to Alfa Laval as the do one there others the design you require gets you a few quotes.
best
Robert
RE: Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
Plate heat exchangers are used extensively in the dairy, brewery, food and other industries and have been for decades. They are terrific "machines", far more interesting than S&T exchangers.
Regasketting is no big deal. It gives you the opportunity to clean the plates at the same time. The flexibility fo PHEs allows the designer to include surplus capacity to cope with any degree of fouling. They can be expanded easily. The fouling side can be cleaned in place if desired. Design is very accurate and suppliers are very competitive. If I was still in the business, I'd be offering you a design and price.
JOM
Cheers,
John.
RE: Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
Best regards
Morten
RE: Titanium Plate & Frame Oil Coolers
You might want to check with APV Crepaco Inc., they have a Heat Transfer Handbook, that covers the details of plate heat exchangers.
Good Luck!
saxon