Generally, plate heat exchangers are classified primarily based on their structure, that is, their shape. They can be divided into four main categories: ① Detachable plate heat exchangers (also called gasketed plate heat exchangers), ② Welded plate heat exchangers, ③ Spiral plate heat exchangers, and ④ Plate-rolled heat exchangers (also called honeycomb heat exchangers).
Welded plate heat exchangers are further divided into: semi-welded plate heat exchangers, fully welded plate heat exchangers, plate-shell heat exchangers, and brazed plate heat exchangers.
Other commonly used classifications include:
1. Based on the amount of heat exchange area per unit space, plate heat exchangers are considered compact heat exchangers, mainly compared to shell-and-tube heat exchangers, which typically occupy a larger area.
2. Based on process application, plate heat exchangers have different names: plate heaters, plate coolers, plate condensers, plate preheaters;
3. Based on flow combination, they are divided into single-pass plate heat exchangers and multi-pass plate heat exchangers;
4. Based on the flow direction of the two media, they are divided into co-current (parallel flow) plate heat exchangers, counter-current plate heat exchangers, and cross-flow (cross-flow) plate heat exchangers, with the latter two being more commonly used;
5. Based on the gap size of the flow channels, they are divided into conventional gap plate heat exchangers and wide gap plate heat exchangers;
6. Based on corrugation, plate heat exchangers have more detailed distinctions, which will not be elaborated here. Please refer to: Plate Heat Exchanger Plate Corrugation Forms.
7. Based on whether they are complete products, they can be divided into single-unit plate heat exchangers and plate heat exchanger units.
