The possible place of heat exchanger installation should be selected in a proper manner. Energy efficiency of the heat exchanger is provided by placing in conditions that provide the most efficient heat transfer, and also due to increase in the area of heat transfer surfaces. Industrial heat exchangers have rather large dimensions, and installation is accompanied with special equipment to be used.
The main characteristics that determines the performance of a heat exchanger is thermal efficiency coefficient. The thermal efficiency coefficient of the heat exchanger depends on the following factors:
- Relative humidity;
- The temperature difference at the inlet and outlet;
- Medium flow rate;
- Type of device — tubular, rotary, OPT;
- Heat transfer area of the heat exchanger;
- Volume of the processed medium;
- Direction of media motion – direct flow, counterflow or cross-flow.
The heat exchanger operation principle is based on the heat transfer between the incoming and outgoing flows through the separating wall. The highest efficiency of recuperators is ensured by the use of ribbed metal panels. This principle is used in heat exchangers of the new generation of OPT.
The power of the OPT heat exchanger can be changed by increasing or decreasing the number of channels for passing a medium. The fins on the plates increase the area of heat exchange surfaces and can reduce the flow rate of the medium (with decrease in the dimension of the channel), which contributes to improving the performance of the device. Thus, when conditions change (lower temperature outside the room), you can add additional panels and reduce the distance between them, in this case the temperature of the incoming streams will increase to the desired level.
Having made a decision to install a heat exchanger in a production or other site, it is necessary to first calculate the required parameters to ensure optimal temperature conditions. The best option would be a recuperator made on the base of the calculations mentioned above.
