Wide-Gap plate heat exchanger is a removable plate-and-frame heat exchanger with larger plate spacing and specially designed flow passages.
Aiprel wide gap plate heat exchangers are specially designed for heating, cooling and heat recovery duties involving viscous, fibrous, particle-containing or fouling process fluids.Unlike a conventional gasketed plate heat exchanger, the wide gap design provides deeper and more open flow channels. These enlarged passages allow fibers, suspended solids and selected coarse particles to move through the plate pack more freely, helping reduce clogging, pressure-drop increases and unplanned cleaning.Special corrugated plate patterns combine open flow geometry with efficient heat transfer. Depending on the process conditions, the unit can be configured with wide-wide channels or wide-narrow channels to handle different combinations of process fluids, utility fluids and flow rates.
The specially designed wide channels provide smooth and unobstructed flow with fewer retention areas. This reduces the risk of clogging when processing fluids containing pulp, fibers, crystals, suspended solids or larger particles.
Aiprel wide-channel plate heat exchangers are designed for slurries, viscous liquids and media with a high fouling tendency. Typical applications include sugar processing, pulp and paper, wastewater treatment, food production and chemical processing.
The enlarged channel cross-section reduces flow resistance and allows difficult media to pass through the exchanger more smoothly. This helps control pressure drop, reduce pumping demand and maintain stable process operation.
The removable plate-and-frame construction provides direct access to the flow channels for inspection and mechanical cleaning. Chemical cleaning, CIP and backflushing can also be used where appropriate, helping reduce maintenance time and equipment downtime.
The main difference is the channel geometry. A wide gap unit has deeper and more open passages, while a standard unit has narrower channels optimized primarily for clean fluids.
It can process selected slurries, pulpy liquids, fermentation mash, molasses, sludge, fiber-containing wastewater and other viscous or solids-containing media. Suitability depends on particle size, fiber length, viscosity and solids concentration.
No heat exchanger is completely clog-free. Wider channels and smoother flow passages reduce the risk, but correct sizing, velocity control, filtration and cleaning remain important.
Wide-wide construction provides enlarged channels on both sides of the plate pack. It is suitable when both fluids contain fibers, particles or high-viscosity components.
Wide-narrow construction provides an enlarged channel for the difficult process fluid and a narrower channel for the clean utility fluid. It is useful when the two fluids have different flow rates or pressure-drop requirements.
It can handle larger particles than a standard plate heat exchanger, but the maximum permissible size depends on the free channel gap, port diameter, particle shape and solids concentration.
Yes. Wide gap plate heat exchangers are specifically designed for many fiber-containing process fluids. Fiber length, flexibility and concentration must still be evaluated during selection.
Yes, provided the viscosity, flow rate, pressure drop and operating temperature are included in the thermal and hydraulic calculation.
Yes. Counter-current flow and wide-wide channel configurations make it suitable for recovering heat from selected dirty, fibrous or viscous process streams.
It can be cleaned through CIP circulation or by opening the plate pack for mechanical cleaning. The correct method depends on the deposit and compatibility of the plate and gasket materials.
Capacity can often be increased by adding plates, provided the frame, connections and hydraulic design have sufficient allowance.
It can be used for pulpy juices, purées, plant-based beverages and other foods containing fibers or particles when hygienic materials, surface finish, connections and compliant gaskets are specified.
Selection requires fluid properties, temperatures, flow rates, pressure, allowable pressure drop, viscosity, solids content, maximum particle size, fiber length, fouling tendency and cleaning requirements.
Aiprel fully welded plate-and-frame heat exchangers deliver efficient heat transfer under high-temperature, high-pressure and corrosive process conditions.
Aiprel gasketed plate heat exchangers deliver efficient heat transfer, compact construction, flexible capacity and easy cleaning for industrial applications.
Aiprel plate heat exchanger plates are precision-formed metal heat transfer components designed for gasketed plate-and-frame heat exchangers.
Plate evaporators are especially effective for free-flowing liquids with low to moderate viscosity and relatively uniform boiling behavior.They may also be used for selected higher-concentration products, provided that the final viscosity and fouling characteristics remain compatible with the plate channel design.
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