GPHE Selection Guide
Finding the right gasketed plate heat exchanger for your application doesn't have to be difficult. The main differences are explained below.
If you prefer to speak to an experienced plate heat exchanger engineer, we're ready to assist with your selection based on your specifications.
Choose the option below that best describes your needs:
- GPHEs for standard duties - heating, cooling, heat recovery, condensation, and evaporation
- GPHEs for HVAC applications that are AHRI certified
- GPHEs for refrigeration with aggressive media (ammonia)
- GPHEs for fluids with particles
- GPHEs for evaporation when concentration and viscosity of media are high
- GPHEs for condensation of vapor under vacuum
- GPHEs for highly corrosive media
For standard duties
Industrial gasketed plate heat exchanger's versatility allows it to be designed and configured for applications ranging from relatively simple duties with low requirements to very demanding duties with the highest requirements on both performance and documentation. The models are used for heating, cooling, heat recovery, condensation, and evaporation. However, if you're working with an HVAC application, you'll likely want to choose an AHRI certified plate heat exchanger.
Typical applications:
Learn more about Industrial gasketed plate heat exchangers
AHRI certified for HVAC applications
The AlfaQ range is similar to the Industrial range, except they're certified according to the AHRI Liquid to Liquid Heat Exchangers (LLHE) Certification Program which ensures thermal performance according to manufacturers’ published specifications in the HVAC market.
Typical HVAC applications:
Learn more about AlfaQ AHRI certified plate heat exchangers
For refrigeration with aggressive media
Use Semi-welded gasketed plate heat exchangers as evaporators and condensers for refrigeration systems, when gaskets are not suitable for one of the process media. Semi-welded heat exchangers alternate welded channels and traditional gasketed channels and can also take a higher design pressure compared to fully gasketed plate heat exchangers.
Typical applications:
- Dairy, brewery and vineyard production
- Marine
- Fishing vessels and fish processing
- Meat and poultry processing
- Chemical and pharmaceutical industries
- Cold and frozen storage
- Food retail outlets
Learn more about Semi-welded gasketed plate heat exchangers
When you have fluids with particles
WideGap gasketed plate heat exchangers are designed for fibrous fluids and for fluids containing coarse particles. The wide gaps between plates allow fibers and particles to easily pass through the heat exchanger with minimal clogging.
Typical applications:
Learn more about WideGap gasketed plate heat exchangers
Evaporators - when concentration and viscosity of media are high
AlfaVap semi-welded heat exchangers are rising film plate evaporators and are suitable when concentration and viscosity of media are high.
AlfaVap works when the temperature differential between the hot and cold fluids approaches as low as 4.5°F meaning that lower grade steam and more effects in series can be use in an evaporation system compared to the shell-and-tube systems.
Typical applications:
- Sugar refinery evaporation systems
- Starch and Sweetener evaporation systems
- Bioethanol and caustic evaporation
Learn more about AlfaVap plate evaporators
Condensing of vapor under vacuum
AlfaCond plate condensers are specifically designed for condensing of vapor under vacuum. They're an alternative to direct condensers when condensate recovery is the goal and when there are space constraints. Non-condensables are removed from the condensate outlet pipe and led to the vacuum system.
Typical applications:
- Caustic evaporation systems
- Ethanol condensers in bioethanol plants
- Pan vapor condensers in sugar refineries
- Turbine condensers in small power plants
- An alternative to barometric condensers in beet and cane sugar processing
- Fine and specialty chemicals
Learn more about AlfaCond plate condensers
For highly corrosive media
Diabon plate-and-frame heat exchangers are used for tough corrosive media, combining high-efficiency heat transfer benefits with the exceptional corrosion resistance of graphite material.
Diabon is a dense, synthetic resin-impregnated high quality graphite with a fine and evenly distributed pore structure, and can be used with corrosive media up to 390°F.