How to Calculate Pillow Plate Heat Exchange Area?

We can use this math formula to figure out how much area is used for heat transfer in a pillow plate heat exchanger. The formula is

Q = K×F×△t.Q stands for how much heat the pillow plate heat exchanger has to deal with.

△t is the difference in temperature that we figure out using a special way called "logarithmic temperature difference".

K is a number that tells us how well the pillow plate heat exchanger can move heat.

F is the area where the heat is transferred in the pillow plate heat exchanger.

1. First, figure out the heat load QThe heat load of a Pillow Plate Heat Exchanger is like a "heat job" you want to get done. Let's say you want to warm up a cup of cold water to a certain hotness, or cool down a cup of hot water. The amount of heat that has to be moved during this is the heat load. In factories, this heat might be used to make a liquid hot enough for a reaction, or to cool down the hot liquid after the reaction so they can do the next step of making things.

2. Find out the heat transfer temperature difference △t (logarithmic temperature difference) of the pillow plate heat exchanger The heat transfer temperature difference of the pillow plate heat exchanger is like the "push" that makes heat move. Usually, we use something called the logarithmic temperature difference to figure out how strong this "push" is. In our heat exchangers, the fluids flow in a special way called counter - current. It's like two people walking towards each other. One person is a hot fluid, and another is a cold fluid. The hot fluid starts out really hot when it comes in and gets cooler when it goes out. The cold fluid starts out cold when it comes in and gets warmer when it goes out. This way of flowing makes heat move better.We calculate the logarithmic temperature difference to measure how well the heat is moving more exactly. This helps us design the heat exchanger better. When we calculate it, we have to think about how the temperature changes all the time. It's not just as simple as taking the hot fluid's starting temperature and subtracting the cold fluid's starting temperature. That's because the temperature keeps changing inside the heat exchanger.The counter - current way we use makes the temperature difference between the hot and cold fluids bigger at every place in the heat exchanger. So, on average, it gives us a better "push" for moving the heat.

3. Pick the right heat transfer coefficient K for the pillow plate heat exchanger The heat transfer coefficient K of the pillow plate heat exchanger is kind of like how easy it is to drive on different roads. The material we use to make the heat exchanger is important. Most of the time, we pick stainless steel. The way heat moves through the stainless steel plate matters. If the plate is thick, it's like the road is bumpy and heat takes longer to get through. So, the K value might be small. But if the plate is thin, it's like a smooth road and heat can move faster, so the K value might be big.The shape of the bulged part where the fluid flows is also a big deal. If the shape makes the fluid swirl around inside, like when there are lots of whirlpools in a river, heat moves really fast and the K value is big. That's because the swirling mixes the hot and cold parts together, making heat move quicker. Some "roads" (the flow channels) are wide, so heat moves fast and the K value is big. Some are narrow, so heat moves slow and the K value is small.We can figure out the K value by looking at what worked before. It's like an old driver who knows which roads are easy to drive on. Or we can do experiments. It's like going out and trying different roads to see how smooth they are.

4. At last, figure out the heat exchange area F of the pillow plate heat exchanger First, we've already found out the heat load Q of the pillow plate heat exchanger, the heat transfer temperature difference △t, and the heat transfer coefficient K. Now, we can use these numbers to calculate the heat exchange area F of the pillow plate heat exchanger. But we need to be a bit careful. After we get the number for the heat exchange area, we multiply it by another number. This number is called the margin coefficient. Usually, it's between 1.10 and 1.25. Why do we do this? Well, in real life, things can change. Maybe the speed at which the fluid is flowing changes a little, or the temperature of the fluid goes up or down a bit. If we make the heat exchange area a little bigger, we can be sure that the heat exchanger can still do a good job of moving heat around.

If you want to ask our engineer to help you to caculate the heat exchanger area F, just click here to contact us.