Plate-Fin Heat Exchangers – find manufacturers and suppliers

Fin heat exchangers are effective and versatile

Fin heat exchangers consist of tubes made of copper, stainless steel or aluminium. Copper or aluminium fins are pressed onto these tubes. The tube connections are brazed in the case of copper and aluminium, and welded in the case of stainless steel. They sit in a frame made of stainless steel, galvanised sheet steel, copper or aluminium. By changing the tube arrangement as well as the tube diameters, the materials, the size and spacing of the fins, this heat exchanger can be adapted to very different requirements.

What are the advantages of a finned heat exchanger?

• Plate-fin heat exchangers have a good efficiency.
• The pressure drop within the heat exchanger is relatively low.
• They offer high mechanical strength.
• These heat exchangers can be cleaned throughout.
• They are suitable for a wide range of applications.

These media can be used in heat exchangers

The main media used inside the tubes of heat exchangers are water, water-based brines, glycols and refrigerants such as R744, R507A, R134a or R404A. In the case of copper and aluminium tubes, care must be taken to ensure that the medium does not attack the tubes. In addition, the maximum permissible operating pressure must not be exceeded.

Possible operating modes of these heat exchangers The finned heat exchanger

can be used as

• Air cooler
• Air heater
• Evaporator
• Condenser
• Recooler

used as a heat exchanger. In this case the heat exchanger can cool from liquid to liquid, from liquid to air, from air to liquid and from air to air. Plate-fin heat exchangers are used for heat transfer in air conditioning, heating, ventilation, and numerous industrial processes.

Plate-fin heat exchangers as condensers

In condensers, a gaseous medium is compressed and thus heated. It transfers this heat to a second medium. The cooling causes it to liquefy. This type of plate-fin heat exchanger is popular in heat pumps and refrigeration systems. They are an ideal choice when energy is to be recovered in the low temperature range or the space for the heat exchanger is limited.

Plate-fin heat exchanger as direct evaporator

These heat exchangers operate with low heat differences. A liquid refrigerant absorbs energy and evaporates in the process. These heat exchangers are often used in heat pumps that extract energy from the environment

What should be considered when buying?

These heat exchangers are divided into evaporators and condensers on the one hand and coolers or heaters on the other. Evaporators work with a refrigerant, coolers with water or a cooling brine.

Each unit is designed for defined operating conditions and specific performance ranges. These are, for example

• the air volume
• the refrigerant
• the temperature difference
• the installation position

If the actual operating conditions differ significantly from these, this can affect the proper functioning of the heat exchanger.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different materials?