The 'new Kid' On The Block Goes Mainstream

摘要

Twenty years ago, when an HVAC engineer went to select a heat exchanger, it was assumed that a tubular-type heat exchanger would be the most appropriate. The most popular selections were shell-and tube, shell-and-coil, and co-axial. Gasketed plate heat exchangers existed, but generally were limited to large installations with low operating pressures (example - free-cooling from a cooling tower). Then a new kid moved onto the block - the brazed-plate heat exchanger (BPHE).rnThis strange-looking device was offered with promises that seemed just too good to be true: low-cost, highly compact design, stainless steel construction, good pressure ratings, and reasonable pressure drops. Most engineers were skeptical - how could this device that was one-fifth the size of the "industry standard" and lower in cost give the same performance? Thus acceptance of the "New Kid" was slow.