Read All About: Heat Exchangers

What is a Heat Exchanger?

A Heat Exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. Heat Exchangers are used for the transfer of heat or cold between two fluids for the purpose of heating the process, cooling the process or condensing vapours during the process. Heat Exchangers can also be known as Condensers, are pressure and temperature rated and can be horizontally or vertically orientated. They are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, natural gas processing, and sewage treatment. The classic example of a Heat Exchanger is found in an internal combustion engine in which a circulating fluid known as engine coolant flows through radiator coils and air flows past the coils, which cools the coolant and heats the incoming air.

There are several different types of Heat Exchangers in the process industry. These include: shell and tube, plate, spiral and air cooled and compoblock Heat Exchangers. A shell and tube Heat Exchanger has an external cylinder called a shell with internal tubes that run the length of the shell. There are tube sheets on each end of the tubes sealing the shell around the tubes and there are covers on each end called heads which can come in several configurations. Basic principal of operation is that one fluid flows through the tube and the other fluid flows around the tubes; the large number of tubes in the bundles offer extensive contact surfaces which facilitate quick and efficient thermal transfer. The fluid inside the tubes can flow in a single pass or multiple passes using baffles in the heads. Another type of heat exchanger is the plate Heat Exchanger. One is composed of multiple, thin, slightly separated plates that have very large surface areas and fluid flow passages for heat transfer. This stacked-plate arrangement can be more effective, in a given space, than the shell and tube Heat Exchanger.

There are three primary flow arrangements with Heat Exchangers: counter-flow, parallel-flow, and cross-flow. In the counter-flow exchanger, the fluids enter the exchanger from opposite sides. This is the most efficient design because it transfers the greatest amount of heat. In the parallel-flow version, the fluids come in from the same end and move parallel to each other as they flow to the other side. The cross-flow Heat Exchanger moves the fluids in a perpendicular fashion.

Heat Exchangers at Perry:

Perry Process Equipment Ltd are the largest stockists of used Heat Exchangers and Condensers for use in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries and can save you up to 70% when compared to the cost of a new unit. We have been buying and selling used equipment for over 80 years, so you can trust our expertise.



100s of Heat Exchangers in stock at UK site



We have 100s of used Heat Exchangers in stock including air cooled, fin tube, plate type, karbate, scraped surface, shell & tube, spiral heat, tube in tube, alloy, carbon and stainless steel. Our Heat Exchangers are available in horizontal or vertical orientation, in many diameters, dimensions and capacities.

You can find a wide range of high quality Heat Exchangers at our Newton Aycliffe site, from manufacturers including Aset, Thies, APV, Johnson Hunt, SSC, Zeta, Applied Fusion, Alfa Laval and Canzler.

View our inventory online or call us now on: +44 (0) 1325 315111.

To learn more about NEW Heat Exchangers manufactured by our affiliate, Perry Products Corp, whether in stock or fabricated to your specifications, click here to go to the Perry Products site.