Spiral plate polymer heat exchanger
Activities of Makatec GmbH & UPB
Dipl.-Ing. Mark Piper
Chair of Fluid Process Engineering
University of Paderborn
INTHEAT, Veszprém, July 08, 2011
Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Spiral (metal) plate heat exchanger (SHX)
Characteristics
 Application: recuperators, condensers, reboilers
 Flow arrangements: counter-current and cross flow
 Pressure limitation: pmax ≈ 20 bar
 Thermal limitation: due to hermetic seal
requirement
 Typical HTC-Values: 700-2500 W/m2K
( for liquid-liquid systems)
 Heat transfer area: up to 400 m2
Photo from: Martin, H.; Wärmeübertrager.
Georg Thieme Verlag, 1988
INTHEAT, 08.07.2011
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

VDI-Wärmeatlas, 8th Edition, Springer-Verlag 2006
Kuppan, T.: HEAT EXCHANGER DESIGN HANDBOOK. Taylor & Francis Group (2000)
Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Spiral (metal) plate heat exchanger (SHX)
Advantages
 Compact design
 Perfect counter-current flow
 Small driving temperature differences for heat transfer
 Turbulent regime at lower Reynolds numbers than in plane channels (curvature
effect)
 Low fouling
Disadvantages
 Pressure limitation
 Thermal expansion and deformation of the plates at large temperature
differences
Design
 Method is based on correlations e.g. Nu=f(Re,Pr) or LMTD correction factor, and
ξ=f(Re).
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 Kuppan, T.: HEAT EXCHANGER DESIGN HANDBOOK. Taylor & Francis Group (2000)
 Martin, H.; Wärmeübertrager. Georg Thieme Verlag, 1988
Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Makatec GmbH polymer SHX
Makatec SP-1600
 Materials:
Pressure hull: PU (Polyurethane) or epoxy-resin
Spacers: PP (Polypropylene)
Film (0.1 mm): Polymer depends on application
 Application: liquid-liquid heat exchangers (HX)
for aggressive fluids
 Flow arrangement: counter-current flow
 Pressure limitation: 6 bar
 Thermal limitation: 75 °C (greater
possible  100 °C)
 U-Value (1500 l/h): 1660 W/m2K
 Heat transfer area: 0.71 m2
INTHEAT, 08.07.2011
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
Deliverable D3.1. FP7-SME-2010-1 262205/INTHEAT.
Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Makatec GmbH polymer SHX
Advantages
 Application for corrosive and aggressive fluids
 HTC-values comparable to conventional plate heat exchangers
 Reduced investment costs
 Low weight
 Very thin polymer film (0.1 mm)
Disadvantages
 Currently low volume flow (dimensions limited by the currently available
manufacturing tool)
 Pressure difference across polymer film must not exceed 3 bar
 Max. pressure limited to 6 bar. Relatively large pressure loss.
 Temperature limitation
Design
 Currently no reliable calculation method available!
INTHEAT, 08.07.2011
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Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Working principle of the SP-1600
 Problem: Heat transfer characteristics unknown  design
methods not available
 Empirical correlation for the friction factor developed by Schock & Miquel (1987),
Da Costa et. al (1994). Comparison possibilities!
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INTHEAT, 08.07.2011
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Schock, G.: Miquel, A.: Mass transfer and pressure loss in spiral wound modules.
Desalination 64 (1987), p.339-352
Da Costa, A.R.; Fane, A.G.; Wiley, D.E.: Spacer characterization and pressure drop modelling
in spacer-filled channels for ultrafiltration. Journal of Membrane Science 87 (1994), p.79-98
Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Experimental apparatus at Makatec GmbH
 Currently: Measurement of pressure
loss for different spacer geometries
 Future: Measurement of heat transfer
for different spacer geometries
Flow developing region
51.5 cm
INTHEAT, 08.07.2011
Measurement points
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50 cm
28 cm
Water inlet
50 cm
Outlet
Chair of Fluid
Process Engineering
Work done – average measurements on Makatec SHX
≈ 1410 W/m2K
pressure drop / volume flow
U*A / volume flow
350
300
U*A (kW/K)
pressure drop (mbar)
400
250
200
150
100
50
0
500
700
900
1100 1300 1500
volume flow (l/h)
cold side
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warm side
1700
1900
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
500
700
900
1100 1300 1500
volume flow (l/h)
1700
1900