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Views: 20 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-03-25 Origin: Site
Brazing cold plates as well as copper tube plates have their own unique benefits and are used in various industries. In this post we will explain everything from a to z about these two specific cold plates: their definition, advantages, applications, and differences. Let's walk with us to understand the topic thoroughly.
Let’s dig into it, shall we?
Brazed plate heat exchangers are industrial components with the purpose to transfer heat, either removing heat from a cooling system or adding it to a heating system. These heat exchangers are built by brazing together specially corrugated steel plates with a highly diathermal filler material, usually copper or nickel.
Brazed plate heat exchangers can be assigned various functions in a cooling or heating system. They can act as condensers, evaporators, economizers, oil- or gas coolers, as well as other functions.
Copper tubing is most often used for heating systems and as a refrigerant line in HVAC systems. Copper tubing is slowly being replaced by PEX tubing in hot and cold water applications. There are two basic types of copper tubing, soft copper and rigid copper. Copper tubing is joined using flare connection, compression connection, pressed connection, or solder. Copper offers a high level of corrosion resistance but is becoming very costly.
Soft copper
Rigid copper
Soldered connections
Brazing connection
Compression connections
Flare connections
Crimped or pressed connections
In large diameters or small, for liquid or gas, for high- or low-pressure systems under a wide range of temperatures, you can depend on copper and reduce costs for any mechanical system.
Similarly, Brazed plate heat exchangers are industrial components with the purpose to transfer heat, either removing heat from a cooling system or adding it to a heating system. They can act as condensers, evaporators, economizers, oil- or gas coolers, as well as other functions.
During the brazing process, the filler metal flows into the gap between close-fitting parts by capillary action. The filler metal is brought slightly above its melting (liquidus) temperature while protected by a suitable atmosphere, usually a flux.
With MicroGroove technology, heat transfer is enhanced by grooving the inside surface of the tube. This increases the surface to volume ratio, mixes the refrigerant, and homogenizes refrigerant temperatures across the tube.
Tubes with MicroGroove technology can be made with copper or aluminium. Copper fins are an attractive alternative to aluminium due to the better corrosion resistance of copper and its antimicrobial benefits
Brazed plate heat exchangers are one of the most efficient ways to transfer heat. They are designed to provide unparalleled performance with the lowest life-cycle cost. Choosing brazed technology for your next heating or cooling project will bring many benefits, including savings in space, energy, and maintenance.
Compact – Our blazed plate heat exchangers are extremely compact compared with other technologies. The carbon footprint can be as little as one tenth that of a shell and tube heat exchanger or half that of a gasket plate heat exchanger.
Efficient – With no need for gaskets or supporting equipment, about 95% of the material is used to transfer heat. The highly turbulent flow also enables you to use small temperature differences efficiently.
Reliable – The robust construction requires no gaskets, eliminating their risk of leaking. This means stable thermal and hydraulic performance, with minimal maintenance and operational downtime.
Flexible – The compact size uses space efficiently and makes system design more flexible. Larger installations can be constructed unit by unit via standard doors and elevators, and it is easy to expand capacity when demand increases.
Cost-effective – You will save on energy, maintenance, spare parts, and installation. The life-cycle cost over 15-20 years can often be half that of a corresponding gasketed solution.
Self-cleaning – Our brazed plate heat exchangers are normally self-cleaning, thanks to highly turbulent flows. In applications with a high risk of fouling or scaling, Cleaning in Place is easy without disassembly. Read more about plate heat exchanger cleaning.
Customized – By combining plate design, materials, and connections from standard components, we keep lead times short while still maximizing output in your specific application.
Large diameter or small, there is a copper tube to fit every specification. Forced-circulation hot water heating systems use small and economical tube sizes with soldered joints and require less space for installation. In drainage systems, Type DWV tube has been used successfully for many years. Large-diameter tube, joined by soldering or brazing, is cost-effective for water distribution and for fire-protection risers in multistory buildings. Copper's superior hydraulic-flow characteristics permit precise tube and pump sizing.
It is good engineering practice to use one material for all components throughout a mechanical system. The more copper used in an installation, the more you can count on dependable performance. Copper is known for its reliability. It has been used for plumbing and mechanical systems since metals were first employed in these applications. And its popularity in heating systems is a further indication of copper's superiority to alternative materials.
Copper has stood the test of time to earn customer satisfaction and wide code acceptance. Copper, used for centuries, has gained new popularity in its modern form: light, strong, corrosion-resistant tube. Its long-lasting and maintenance-free characteristics make copper the leading choice for plumbing, heating, cooling and other mechanical systems.
Copper never requires painting for protection from corrosion. In addition, a thin film forms inside the tube, providing natural protection from corrosion. Copper's trouble-free service means satisfied customers. And its universal acceptability assures compliance with major building codes. Copper is safe, too. It will not burn or support combustion. So it will not carry fire through floors, walls and ceilings, and it will not decompose into toxic gases.
Copper's excellent corrosion resistance is an important reason for its choice in so many applications. Solar energy systems, for example, benefit from copper's resistance to both atmospheric and aqueous corrosion. For water distribution and fire sprinkler systems, copper tube's internal corrosion resistance results in superior flow capacity. When calculating flow capacities, other plumbing materials require additional allowances for corrosion, scaling, out-of-roundness and smaller internal diameter when compared size-to-size with copper.
Copper tube bores remain smooth, and internal diameters stay constant. Largely because of this, a copper fire sprinkler system can use smaller diameters to provide the same sprinkler coverage as a steel system—with significant savings in installed costs.
Copper conducts heat up to eight times better than other metals. In any application involving heat transfer—from radiant heating to snow melting to direct exchange, geothermal pump systems—copper's high thermal conductivity provides an advantage. Comparing copper, aluminum and steel, copper is by far the best conductor of heat. In solar energy systems, copper's superior thermal conductivity means that thinner copper sheet can collect the same heat as a much thicker-gauge sheet of aluminum or steel. And it means that copper collector tubes can be more widely spaced.
Copper adds to system integrity while lowering installation costs. Copper's workability can cut installation time and reduce labor cost. Tubes and fitting are easily joined metallurgically by soldering or brazing. And copper is so ductile that it can be formed—frequently right on the job site—to fit most design configurations. Because of copper's formability, it is often possible to eliminate elbows and joints. Since copper is rigid as well as readily formable, it adds to total system integrity even when subjected to adverse conditions.
The total of U.S. resources far exceeds the country's requirements. At present use rates, we still have reserves waiting to be mined that are plentiful enough to last thousands of years. In addition, there's another naturally occurring advantage that no other metal can match: ease of recycling. Almost half the copper used in this country comes from recycled scrap, which can be used over and over again.
Brazed plate heat exchangers are widely used in different industries and public property management including
residential heating,
air conditioning,
process
production,
refrigeration,
data center cooling,
marine and transport, among others
In mechanical systems of all kinds, copper does more than ever before. Today copper tube has proven superior for:
Underground water and gas services
Water distribution systems
Chilled water mains
Drainage and vent systems
Heating systems (including solar)
Fuel-oil systems
Oxygen systems
Non-flammable medical-gas systems
Moreover, copper is durable enough to embed in concrete without worry.
We are here to help. Please contact us if you need guidance choosing products and solutions for your project. You can also use our software to do your own calculations on plate heat exchanger sizing.
Winshare is a world-leading supplier of brazed plate heat exchangers for HVAC and industrial applications. Designed to make the most efficient use of energy, material, and space, the technology is quickly gaining ground around the world, with Winshare at the forefront of developments. Contact us today to get your desired quote.
