KAPP WELDED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS:

KAPP WELDED PLATE 

HEAT EXCHANGERS: 

heatex® vs SHE & PHE

Heatex® vs Spiral – Range 1/3 

� Available with dimpled, 

studded and corrugated plate 

� Spacing: 

– Plate side from 3 to 10 mm for 

dimpled HXE, 6 to 25 mm for 

studded HXS, 5 mm for 

corrugated HXC 

– Frame side from 3 to 40 mm, 

free gap HXE 

� Plate dimension, from 150x150 

mm (HXE15) up to 1500x1250 

(HXE150/125) 

� Plate thickness:1.2 to 2.5 mm 

� Number of plates:10 to 200 

� Total area: 0.6 to 750 m² 

� Available with studded plate 

� Spacing: 

– From 5 to 50 mm on both 

side 

� Coil dimension, from 150 to 

2000 mm, max. body 

diameter 3000 mm 

� Coil thickness: 2.0/6.0 mm 

� Number of coil: 2 or 4 

� Total area: 1.0 to 500 m²


� Design pressure: -1/35 bar 

� Design temperature: -40/500°C 

� Material: 

– AISI304L/316L/904L 

– Duplex SAF22-05/SAF25-07 

– Ni alloy C276/C22/C2000 

– Titanium (forecast in 2009) 

– Tantalum 

� Design code: 

– PED97/23/CE 

– AD2000 

– ASME 

– SQLO 



� Material: 

– AISI304L/316L/904L 

– 254SMO 

– Ni alloy C276/C22/C2000 

– Titanium 

– Monel 

– Incoloy 825 


– PED97/23/CE 

– AD2000 

– ASME 

– SQLO


� Plate concept: frame plate (HXS 

& HXC) and pressure plate 

available (HXE) 

� Stress rate & elongation: 

– HXS: no elongation neither stress 

on plate profile, bending edge 

10% 

– HXE: dimpling & bending max. 

10% 

– HXC: 35% 

� Mechanical cleaning: 

– HXE: extremely easy on free gap 

side, difficult on plate side 

– HXS: easy on both side 

– HXC: not possible 

� Plate concept: frame plate 

� Stress rate & elongation: Low 


– On both side but with blind 

channel

1. Shape comparison 

Heatex® Dimple Type vs Spiral Type 

Dimple(Embossed) Type 

- One is Dimple/Other is Free Gap 

- More Compact (m2/m3) = 150 

Spiral(Studded) Type 

- Both side = Stud 

- More bigger (m2/m3) = 100

2. Plate comparison 


- Intensification : 2 to 6 

- Forming on Plate 

- Spot welding between Two Plate 

(withstand the pressure) 

- no limitation on flowrate 



- Intensification : 1.5 to 3 

- Stud welded on Plate 

- No setting between Two Plate 

- Flowrate limitation (max. coil 2 

meters x spacing 25 mm)


- Nusselt Number(Turbulent flow) 


3. Technologies Comparison 

A x 0.023Re^0.8Pr^0.33 

A = 2/6 

-> More easy to make Turbulent flow 

-> More efficient 


- Nusselt Number(Turbulent flow) 

A x 0.023Re^0.8Pr^0.33 

A = 1.5/3.0 

- Lower tubulence


Plate pack is made as a shell and tube heat 

exchanger bundle: 

- dimpled plates are fitted into a end 

connecting plate as tube in tube sheet 

-Plate replacement possible as in a shell 

and tube HE 

- Repair possible as in a shell and tube HE 

- SHE consist of two parallel sheet-metal 

ribbons that are coiled in such a way as to 

form two separate channels. Welded-in 

spacers pins, the heights of which correspond 

to the desired channel cross-section, ensure 

precise spacing of the coils. 

-- Leak occuring in central winding can not 

be repaired



4. Maintenance Comparison 

- Easy mechanical cleaning on Process side 

as channel is free rectangular short cleaning 

length, can see across the channel 

- Easy to open doors on both side thanks to 

hinges 

- It can be possible to Mechanical cleaning 

under both pipe line connected. (one door 

without nozzles) 

- More easy to find defective part in visual 

if any (all welding accessible) 

- More easy to Repair for Welded part 

defective if any (one plate can be replaced) 


- Mechanical cleaning difficult on both 

side, dues to spacers (studs) and 

channel is blind (not possible to see 

across, if coil is 1 meter, nearly 

impossible to clean at 1 m depth unless 

getting a very wide spacing (25 mm) 

which is not good for efficiency) 

- Need to dismantle nozzle before 

opening covers. 

- Difficult to find defective point if any 

- Repair not possible


- Good for Vibration shock 

- Good for external mechanical shock 

- No plugging risk because not contact 

point on process side 

- self venting and self draining 


5. Operating Comparison 


- Weak for Vibration shock 

- Weak for external&Internal 

mechanical shock 

-> It can be defective stud welded 

point & stud go through the next plate 

even though small mechanical shock. 

-Plugging risk due to studs 

- difficult to vent and drain due to 

winding coil


Hinges for easy opening 

One door per channel 

without nozzle, easy 

cleaning 

1 cover per side, not posisble to see 

across the channel 

Need to dismantle 

nozzle for cover 

opening before 

cleaning

Heatex® vs Plate Heat Exchanger 

(GPHE) 

HEATEX® 

PHE

Heatex® vs GPHE – Range 1/3 

� Available with dimpled, 

studded and corrugated plate 

� Spacing: 

– Plate side from 3 to 10 mm for 

dimpled HXE, 6 to 25 mm for 

studded HXS, 5 mm for 

corrugated HXC 

– Frame side from 3 to 40 mm, 

free gap HXE 

� Plate dimension, from 150x150 

mm (HXE15) up to 1500x1250 

(HXE150/125) 

� Plate thickness:1.2 to 2.5 mm 


� Total area: 0.6 to 750 m² 

� Available only with corrugated 

plate, gasketted type (GPHE), 

semi-welded (SWPHE) or free 

flow (FFPHE) 

� Spacing: 

– 2.6 to 4 mm for GPHE&SWPHE 

– 6.0 to 12.0 mm for FFPHE 

� Plate dimension, from 0.03 up 

to 4 m²/plate 

� Plate thickness: 0.4/0.8 mm 


� Total area: 1.0 to 4000.0 m² 

GPHE 

SWPHE 

FFPHE



� Material: 

– AISI304L/316L/904L 

– Duplex SAF22-05/SAF25-07 

– Ni alloy C276/C22/C2000 

– Titanium (forecast in 2009) 

– Tantalum 


– PED97/23/CE 

– AD2000 

– ASME 

– SQLO 


� Design pressure: 0/20 bar 

� Design temperature: 0/150°C 

� Material: 

– AISI304/316 

– 254SMO 

– Ni alloy C276/C22/C2000 

– Titanium (Ti-Pd) 

– Ni 200 


– PED97/23/CE 

– AD2000 

– ASME 

– SQLO


� Plate concept: frame plate (HXS 

& HXC) and pressure plate 

available (HXE) 

� Stress rate & elongation: 

– HXS: no elongation neither stress 

on plate profile, bending edge 

10% 

– HXE: dimpling & bending max. 

10% 

– HXC: 35% 


– HXE: extremely easy on free gap 

side, difficult on plate side 

– HXS: easy on both side 

– HXC: not possible 

� Plate concept: frame plate 

� Stress rate & elongation: 40% 


– GPHE/FFPHE: by dismantling 

frame, in most of the time 

gaskets are damaged and need 

to be replaced 

– SWPHE: only one side

Punching allow low stress forming, 

dimpled plates are spot welded 

together to form a channel which 

withstand the pressure. 

Heatex® vs GPHE– Fabrication 1/3 

Pressing give a chevron profile to 

every plate which can get different 

angle, wave pitch or depth 

Gasket allows tigthening with 

external and avoid fluid mixing (ring 

gasket)


Every single dimpled plate channel 

(rectangular tube) is inserted into a end 

connecting plate (tube sheet) 

Dimpled plate 1.5/2.0 mm thick form the 

plate side with the « plate sheet », free 

gap between plate form the rectangular 

tube on frame side 

Plates are fitted into a frame made of a 

fixed plate (1), a removable rear plate(2). 

Plates are sliding on a up guide bar (4). 

Plate pack is tightened through bolts (7) 

Corrugated plates 0.6/0.8 mm thick 

form channel with contact points


Plate pack consist in dimpled 

plate welded on the “plate 

sheet”, every plate is 

independent, free of expansion 

(U plate design thermal 

gradient higher then 200°C). 

Every channel can be repaired 

or replaced 

Every fluid flows between two plates, in 

counter current flow, with generally parallel 

distribution, inlet on the up port hole, outlet 

from the down port hole, and inversely for the 

other fluid.

Heatex® vs GPHE 

Strengths & weaknesses 

�Easy mechanical cleaning from the ideal 

free gap rectangular channel on HXE type 

to the studded channels on HXS. 

�No plugging risk, spacing up to 40 mm 

�HXE type can offer one channel 

completely free gap, without any contact 

points nor retention which is requested 

for cGMP plants (FDA request) 

�Low stress rate for HXE and HXS 

avoiding upgrading material for pitting 

corrosion 

�Good thermal fatigue resistance 

particularly thanks to U plate concept 

�Thermal expansion possible as every 

plate is independant and even free with U 

plate concept 

�All welding are accessible, plate sheet 

to plate channel easy to repair 

�Plate channel can be replaced one by 

one. 

�HXE & HXS has lower efficiency 

compared to GPHE 

�HXS very expensive compared GPHE 

�Plugging risk due to contact points 

�Retention due to contact points (leak 

point for FDA) 

�High stress rate on the plate, 

increasing the corrosion risk (pitting!), 

plate 0.6 mm – 40% = 0.36 mm!!! 

�Limited pressure and thermal fatigue 

resistance due gaskets 

�Temperature limit use 150°C 

�Pressure limit use 18 bar 

�High maintenance cost (spare parts) 

�High thermal efficiency 

�Very price-competitive 

�Extension possible 

�Cleaning possible by dismantling the 

frame and removing plates


Case study: the problem 

� Customer Rohm&Haas 

– Fluid to be cooled: Visquous emulsion 

(300 mPa.s) with aromatics contents 

– Service side: cooling water at 27°C 

– Duty: 1025 kW 

– Hot side: from 95°C down to 45°C

� HEATEX ® HXE50 – 70 m² 

� 140 plates 

� Kvalue= 478 W/m².°C 

� Price= 59000 € 

� Weight= 3200 kgs 

� Plate pack AISI 316L 

� Frame CS lined 

� Doors gasket PTFE on process, 

EPDM on water 

720 mm 


Case study: Solutions 

2050 mm 

� FH40 – 30.8 m² 

� 78 plates 

� Kvalue = 1060 W/m².°C 

� Price= 9500 € 

� Weight= 610 kgs 

� Plates AISI 316 

� Gaskets Viton 

� Frame CS, rubber liner port hole 

560 mm 

1579 mm


Case study: Results 

� Customer preferred solution: 

GPHE FH4O (under budget constraint) 

� Every 2 months opening for cleaning 

� Production losses not estimated 

� Maintenance cost: 2400 € 

� Set of spare part gaskets: 8800 € 

� Yearly maintenance cost: 67200 € 

� Conclusion: Heatex pay back 10 months!!!

KAPP WELDED PLATE HEAT EXCHANGERS:

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