As energy conservation becomes a major focus for plastic manufacturers in the Gulf, demand for plate heat exchangers (PHEs) will grow. As fundamental parts of many production processes, they allow excess heat to be re-used, thereby reducing energy bills. PHEs allow manufacturers to reuse heat, either within the processing system itself or by diverting the energy elsewhere.
Originally PHEs were used in the sterilisation and pasteurisation of dairy products, mainly milk. However, as the type of applications for which PHEs can be used has widened demand for them has doubled over the past 10 years. Today they are commonly used in heating systems on ships and in large buildings as well as in processing plants for heat recycling.
According to Jon Cutler, the material development manager at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions: “Heat is generated in all types of processing. In less environmentally aware times, heat was just pumped out of the processing system and wasted. That wasn’t good for energy conservation or the atmosphere. In power stations PHEs make it possible for the steam used for energy production to be diverted into heating offices and homes. On a ship, PHEs mean heat from its combustion engine can be used for air-conditioning and heating. In processing plants, PHEs ensure efficient energy use by recycling heat. When they are employed within a system, the overall heat loss can be extremely low.”
