Heat exchangers are commonly used in many industrial operations, as well as in automotive, energy and refrigeration applications. Despite the common use of heat exchangers in certain industries or environments, heat exchangers may seem mysterious to some. Let’s take a deeper look at what heat exchangers are and how they work.
What Is a Heat Exchanger?
Heat exchangers are pieces of equipment that are designed to transfer heat from one fluid to another fluid. This exchange can be designed to either provide cooling or heating. One common example of a heat exchanger is a radiator in an automobile. In the case of an automobile radiator, hot engine coolant is passed through the radiator fins where it is cooled by air flowing over the fins.
There are a variety of applications for heat exchangers in industrial settings. Some common situations might involve cooling water or oil that is itself used to cool equipment and provide refrigeration for other devices or facilities.
Types of Heat Exchangers
There are a number of types of heat exchangers. Which type is used for a particular project will depend on a number of factors, including available space, the type of fluid that needs to be cooled or heated, the desired input and output temperatures, flow rate and much more.
A double pipe heat exchanger is a simple design for an industrial heat exchanger, but requires a lot of space and is often not as efficient as other types of heat exchangers. Plate heat exchangers, for example, are designed with a series of plates that facilitate the transfer of heat as the fluid passes through the exchanger. Shell and tube heat exchangers utilize a series of tubes for fluid to pass through that are contained within an outer shell. There are also a number of other types of heat exchangers that are available or can be designed to meet your facility’s needs.
R.G. Smith Company has worked with many businesses throughout the Ohio region to design and install industrial heat exchanger systems. We also have an in-house fabrication shop that allows us to make custom boilers, chillers, chemical pipes and any industrial piping you may need as part of your facility construction, expansion or new system installation. Contact us today by calling us in Canton at 330-456-3415 or in Mansfield at 419-524-4778 to learn more about our heat exchanger and industrial piping services.
Leave a Reply