Gasket – Free Heat Exchangers for Resilient High Performance Buildings
The heating and cooling of residential and commercial buildings consumes vast amounts of energy every year.
With building standards at an all-time high, the production of resilient, high-performance buildings is common practice for all construction professionals. Low-carbon energy schemes in Europe and in particular the UK make it essential for the industry to conform to energy-efficiency standards and practice. Because of this, district heating networks are becoming increasingly popular.
By installing district heating and cooling networks, it is possible to substantially lower both cost and carbon footprint. Technological improvements have made it easier to build these networks with the most efficient energy transfer in mind. One innovative piece of technology, facilitating efficient heating and transfer of hot and cold water to buildings, is the brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE).
Manufactured by Swedish firm SWEP International, the BPHE is the most common heat exchanger technology in Europe’s district energy network heating substations and tap water stations. Traditionally, a gasket-plate heat exchanger (PHE) has been used for these purposes, but the development of the gasket-free BPHE has brought clear advantages. Assembled using brazing technology, the BPHE facilitates the most efficient transfer of energy with 95% of the material being used for heat transfer. BPHEs have a significantly more compact design than PHEs, and the brazed construction has no gaskets or loose parts, which improves reliability and minimizes maintenance costs. The life cycle cost over a period of 15-20 years can often be halved compared with traditional solutions.
SWEP´s high-capacity B649 heat exchanger has been specially developed for applications that demand close temperature approaches at high operating pressures. It is available in three pressure classes, including a high-pressure (25 bar) class. Its capacity matches that of PHEs, but at half the weight and footprint of alternative technologies, saving space and simplifying installation. The B649 is particularly suitable for buildings with limited space in their plant rooms.
SWEP will be exhibiting at the Ecobuild Exhibition, which takes place at Excel, London, from 7th to 9th March. You are welcome to visit their stand to see the high-capacity B649 unit as well as their unique two-stage BPHE technology. Combining two units with one clever control system, it reduces the return temperature to minimize heat loss.
Visit SWEP on stand E160 in the District Energy Town Square.
More information about brazed plate heat exchanger technology is available at www.swep.net
Accompanying images available on request.
Contact for additional information:
Christer Frennfelt
Manager Consultants and Utility Business, SWEP International
Phone: +46 418 40 04 19
Mobile: +46 768 90 81 15
E-mail: christer.frennfelt@swep.net
Media contact:
Victoria Arvidsson
Marketing Coordinator, SWEP International
Mobile: +46 766 35 40 99
E-mail: victoria.arvidsson@swep.net
About SWEP
SWEP is the world's leading supplier of compact brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEs). These products are used where heat needs to be transferred efficiently in air conditioning, refrigeration, heating, and industrial applications. SWEP is close to its customers, with representation in more than 50 countries and its own dedicated sales force in more than 20 countries. Highly efficient production units in Sweden, the USA, Malaysia, Slovakia, and China enable SWEP to serve customers all over the world. SWEP is part of the global Dover Corporation, which is a multi-billion-dollar, NYSE-traded, diversified manufacturer of a wide range of proprietary products and components for industrial and commercial use.
About brazed plate heat exchangers
A brazed plate heat exchanger consists of corrugated plates, combined to create complex channels through which a hot medium and a cold medium can be distributed. The media flow in separate circuits but come into close proximity, allowing heat to be transferred from one to the other with very high efficiency. The number, type, and configuration of the plates can be varied to achieve the required thermal properties.
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