Common faults of plate heat exchangers and their causes

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During operation in various civil and industrial heat exchange applications, plate heat exchanger devices often experience problems such as leaks, abnormal pressure or temperature levels, and blockages, which can be caused by improper operation or equipment wear and tear. Therefore, it is necessary for the operators or technicians on site to have knowledge of how to clean, repair, and maintain these heat exchangers, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the heat exchange system and thus enable normal operation in all relevant applications. The editor will introduce to you the common faults of plate heat exchangers and the reasons for these issues. 1. Leakage (1) Leakage during shutdown: The main cause is frequent start-up and shutdown operations of the plate heat exchanger; restoring it to normal operating conditions will resolve the issue ； (2) External leakage: The main causes include misalignment or deviation of the heat exchanger gaskets, separation from the sealing grooves, damage or aging of these gaskets, corrosion and deformation of the plates, uneven or insufficient clamping, as well as loose clamping bolts ； (3) Internal leakage: The main causes are aging or damage of the gaskets, as well as corrosion and perforation of the plates ； Leakage between the blind plate and the clamping plate: The main reason is that the blind plate has been punctured by a hard object. 2. Abnormal pressure drop: (1) The pressure drop is greater than the designed value ； (2) Actual flow rate is greater than the design value ； (3) Blockage in the inter-panel passage ； (4) Blockage at the inlet of the plate corner hole. 3. Abnormal heat exchange temperature: (1) Excessively high outlet temperature on the hot side: The main causes include an undersized design, insufficient heat exchange area, a flow rate on the hot side that is higher than the designed value, scaling of the plates, blockage of the plates, or a low flow rate on the cold side. (2) Excessively low outlet temperature on the cold side: The main causes are low flow rate on the hot side or a temperature below the design value, as well as fouling or blockage of the plates. During the operation of a plate heat exchanger, when a fault occurs, it is necessary to analyze the cause of the fault and address it promptly to ensure the proper functioning of the heat exchange equipment.