Plate Heat Exchanger

Application Settings

Select application for appropriate defaults
Counter-flow is highly recommended for PHE

Primary Side (Hot Fluid)

Auto-fills properties below - still editable

Secondary Side (Cold Fluid)

Auto-fills properties below - still editable

Plate Geometry & Material

SS316: 0.5-0.6mm, Titanium: 0.4-0.5mm
Narrow: 2-3mm (high pressure), Wide: 4-5mm (high viscosity/fouling)
SS316: 16.3, SS304: 16.2, Titanium: 17.0, Hastelloy C-276: 9.1
Safety margin for fouling and future capacity: 10-20%
Clean water: 0.00002, Treated water: 0.0001, River water: 0.0003
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Plate Heat Exchanger Design

Plate heat exchangers consist of a series of corrugated metal plates sealed with gaskets. Hot and cold fluids flow in alternate channels, transferring heat through the thin plate walls. This calculator uses the NTU-Effectiveness method to size the exchanger for your specific application. Counter-flow arrangement is recommended for maximum effectiveness and is the standard for most HVAC applications.

Key Points:
  • Counter-flow provides the highest effectiveness (up to 95%) and is standard for HVAC
  • Plate thickness typically 0.4-0.6mm for SS316, 0.3-0.4mm for titanium
  • Channel gap 2-3mm for water applications, wider for viscous or fouling fluids
  • Fouling factor increases over time - include 10-20% design margin
  • NTU (Number of Transfer Units) indicates heat transfer size relative to fluid capacity
  • Effectiveness above 80% is considered good for liquid-to-liquid applications
Calculation Steps:
  1. Enter all required parameters
  2. Click "Update Calculation"
  3. Review results and analysis
Formula Variables:
Q Heat Transfer Rate (kW)
U Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (W/m²K)
A Heat Transfer Area (m²)
LMTD Log Mean Temperature Difference (°C)
NTU Number of Transfer Units (-)
ε Effectiveness (%)
Cr Capacity Ratio (-)
ṁ Mass Flow Rate (kg/s)