Plate Heat Exchanger

Application Settings

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

Primary Side (Hot Fluid)

Secondary Side (Cold Fluid)

Calculated automatically if flow rate is primary driver

Heat Exchanger Core Specification

Water-Water typical: 3500 - 5500 W/m²·K
Standard safety margin: 0.00005
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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)