Plate heat exchangers for CHP units

It transfers the engine's waste heat from the cooling water circuit into the heating circuit while keeping both systems hydraulically separated. Plate heat exchangers also serve in the emergency cooling when the heating network takes no heat, and in intermediate circuits for exhaust heat recovery.

The engine circuit runs on treated cooling water that often contains glycol and corrosion inhibitors - the heating network, by contrast, carries magnetite and residual dirt. The system separation keeps network dirt away from the engine and protects the cooling water quality specified by the engine manufacturer.

Cooling water usually leaves the engine at 85 to 95 degrees Celsius while the heating circuit often runs at 70/50. Because the usable temperature difference is small, sizing targets a low temperature approach - a few Kelvin are economically achievable in counter-current flow.

On the engine's full-load heat output, the temperature pairs and flow rates of both circuits, the permissible pressure drop, and the glycol share in the engine circuit, which noticeably degrades heat transfer. Our online configurator provides initial guidance; our engineering team reviews the sizing when preparing the quote.