Brazed Aluminium Plate-Fin Heat Exchangers

Brazed Aluminium Plate-Fin Heat Exchangers are very compact exchangers built to a high specification for use in air separation plants and a wide range of other petrochemical and refrigeration applications.

A brazed aluminium plate-fin heat exchanger (BAHX) comprises a block or core with flow passages separated by flat plates known as parting sheets. The edges of the flow passages are sealed by side bars. Secondary heat transfer surface, orfinning, is provided by sandwiching corrugated sheets (with the corrugations aligned with flow) between the parting sheets. The finning also gives strength to the block which is finished by brazing in a vacuum furnace.

Carefully-placed gaps are provided in the side bars to allow the fluid streams to connect with headers which are welded onto the block. Distribution devices are incorporated into the block to ensure that the fluid stream is spread evenly over the full width of the flow path. BAHXs are typically designed to handle several streams in the same exchanger although they are also excellent devices for two streams. The figure below illustrates part of a typical exchanger.

BAHXs can be built to withstand pressures up to and beyond 100 barg (1450 psig) and temperatures ranging from minus 269°C to plus 204°C (minus 452°F to plus 400°F).

Heat exchangers for Cryogenic Applications

SPP´s large heat exchangers are used in a wide range of cryogenic applications. For example, they are used in the petrochemical industry and in the production of highly purified gas for use in the steel and semiconductor industries.

These plate-fin heat exchangers under the Sumalex brand are renowned worldwide for their excellent performance.

SPP´s design and manufacturing of cryogenic heat exchangers is ISO 9001-registered and has been qualified by a number of quality assurance authorities including ASME of the U.S.A. and ML of China. Furthermore, the complete conformity of their products with the European PED and various Japanese codes proves their reliability.

High-Temperature Heat Exchangers

Responding to customer demand for compact, highly efficient heat exchangers resistant to hot and corrosive environments, SSP has developed plate-fin heat exchangers made of stainless steel for use in applications such as fuel cells, combined heat and power(CHP) systems, and ultra-high-purity gas production equipment. The benefits of introducing the plate-fin configuration to gas reforming reactors have also been demonstrated. SSP also supply plate-fin titanium heat exchangers for use in applications involving exposure to seawater and other highly corrosive environments.

Recuperators that significantly increase the efficiency of gas turbine generators are required to be compact, highly efficient, and reliable enough to withstand repetitive start-and-stop operations. SPP meets these severe design requirements with a range of highly efficient and well-engineered products. These products excel in an increasing number of demanding applications — such as fuel cells and CHP systems — situated in hot environments and harsh operating conditions.

LNG Vaporizers

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is an indispensable source of energy for industry and our modern way of life. SPP is a leading supplier of LNG vaporizers, which are required to re-gasification plant for city gas supply network. They  have supplied open-rack type LNG vaporizers — noted for being highly efficient, easy to operate, and easy to service — and submerged combustion-type vaporizers to LNG import terminals in Japan and the world

Therefore next time when  you have to  to handle several streams in the same exchanger consider design of BAHXs: it could be the proper solution!