The rising energy costs and the increasing importance of sustainable production are driving businesses to seek more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. One of the prominent technologies in this search is plate heat exchangers. Especially in terms of utilizing waste heat and reducing energy consumption in processes, plate heat exchangers stand out as a powerful tool offering both economic and environmental benefits.
In this blog post, we examine in detail the key role of plate heat exchangers in energy recovery, their impact on sectoral applications, and how this technology can be further utilized in the future.
Energy recovery refers to the reuse of energy (mostly heat energy) that is generated in systems and would otherwise be lost, in another process. One of the biggest energy losses in the industry is waste heat. Boilers, furnaces, compressors, cooling systems, and many other equipment produce a high amount of waste heat during operation.
At this point, plate heat exchangers are an ideal solution for recovering this waste heat. Thanks to their compact structure and high efficiency, waste heat is transferred to another process via water or another fluid, contributing to energy recovery.
The widespread use of this technology has the potential to reduce energy consumption not only in industrial sectors but also in different areas such as residential, agriculture, transportation, and public services. In modern urban planning, the role of plate heat exchangers is increasing in the construction of sustainable infrastructures.
Scenarios Where Energy Savings with Plate Heat Exchangers Occur
1. Recovery of Boiler Flue Gas Heat:
A plate heat exchanger can transfer the heat of hot gases coming out of the flue to water, preheating this water for use in another process. The temperature of the water used in these systems is increased by 20-25°C, reducing energy consumption.
2. Use of Waste Heat in Cooling Systems:
It is possible to use the hot water coming out of chillers or compressors on another line via a plate heat exchanger. This is especially preferred in structures like hotels and hospitals. It also provides an efficient usage area in hotel pool heating systems.
3. Water Heating in CIP (Clean-In-Place) Systems:
In food facilities, the hot water used during cleaning can be obtained from waste heat sources. This optimizes not only water consumption but also energy consumption.
4. Geothermal Power Plants:
The energy of geothermal fluid extracted from underground is transferred for residential heating using plate heat exchangers. These systems are one of the main examples of environmentally friendly energy conversion.
5. Heat Recovery in Greenhouses:
In agricultural production greenhouses, the waste heat from heating systems can be used to reheat the soil or air with plate heat exchangers, providing significant energy savings. It also contributes to yield increase by supporting the plant growth cycle.
6. Urban Heat Networks:
In central heating systems, while multiple buildings are heated with the same source, high efficiency is achieved even in low-temperature lines thanks to plate heat exchangers. With energy recovery in these systems, thousands of tons of CO₂ emissions can be reduced annually.
Advantages of Plate Heat Exchangers in Terms of Energy Efficiency
• High Heat Transfer Efficiency:
The plate structure creates a large surface area, maximizing heat transfer.
• Efficiency at Low Temperature Differences:
It can work efficiently even at low ΔT like 2-3°C. This is a critical feature for maximizing the benefit from waste heat.
• Compact Design:
Allows installation even in limited spaces. This provides a great advantage, especially in retrofit projects.
• Easy Cleaning and Maintenance:
Gasketed models are detachable. This reduces maintenance time and cost.
• Modularity:
The number of plates can be increased or decreased according to capacity needs. This facilitates the future expansion of systems.
• High Thermal Efficiency:
Plate heat exchangers have a higher heat transfer coefficient compared to traditional tubular exchangers. Thus, they complete their task in a shorter time and with less energy consumption.
• Low Pressure Loss:
Thanks to the special corrugated structure of the plates, while optimizing both flow control and heat transfer, the overall pressure loss of the system is kept at a minimum level.
Energy Recovery Applications with Sectoral Examples
Food and Beverage Industry
The energy of hot water used during pasteurization can be redirected to the reheating line with a plate heat exchanger, providing up to 30% energy savings.
Chemical and Petrochemical
Waste heat from cooling water can be used in the preheating process of another reactor. Thus, both energy and time savings are achieved.
Power Plants
In cogeneration systems, the energy of steam or hot gases coming out of the turbine is recovered with an exchanger, increasing cycle efficiency.
Hotel and Residential Facilities
Hot water from boilers is used to heat utility water with an exchanger. This application can reduce energy bills by 20% in hotels.
Greenhouse Heating Systems
The waste heat generated in traditional greenhouse heating systems is used to reheat the soil or air via plate heat exchangers. Thus, both cost is reduced in agriculture and production efficiency is increased.
Transportation and Railway Systems
Waste heat generated in electric train systems or subways is utilized for station heating via plate heat exchangers. This reduces the carbon footprint of urban transportation and improves comfort conditions.
Contribution to Sustainability and Carbon Emissions
Energy recovery with plate heat exchangers reduces not only costs but also the carbon footprint. Reusing waste heat reduces the need for fossil fuels and directly decreases carbon emissions.
Therefore, plate heat exchangers hold an important place in environmental sustainability initiatives such as green building certifications (LEED, BREEAM), ISO 50001 energy management systems, and carbon trading. Additionally, waste heat recovery in the industry is an application area that can receive support from international environmental funds.
New Generation Exchangers Integrated with Digitalization
Today, many manufacturers are integrating plate heat exchangers with smart systems:
• Thanks to IoT sensors, temperature, pressure, and flow data can be monitored.
• Remote monitoring and intervention are possible with SCADA integration.
• AI-supported predictive maintenance algorithms reduce maintenance costs.
These developments turn plate heat exchangers from being just hardware into an active part of the energy management strategy. In the future, these systems are aimed to be transformed into automatic energy managers making decisions with artificial intelligence, not only increasing energy efficiency.
Considerations for Choosing the Right Plate Heat Exchanger
Choosing the right exchanger is critical to obtaining maximum benefit in energy recovery systems. Factors to consider:
• Type of fluid (water, gas, steam, chemical, etc.)
• Fluid temperature and pressure
• Desired temperature difference (ΔT)
• Flow rate
• Corrosion risk and appropriate material selection
• Cleaning need (CIP compatibility)
• Space limitations and installation conditions
• Possibility of integration with energy management systems
Conclusion
Plate heat exchangers are not just a heat exchanger; they play a strategic role in businesses' future investments in terms of energy savings, cost reduction, and environmental sustainability. Every business that wants to create value from waste heat should place plate heat exchangers at the center of their energy recovery systems, contributing to both the environment and profitability.
These energy efficiency-focused systems are also a critical building block in Turkey's green transformation goals and journey to becoming carbon neutral. In the industrial structures of the future, plate heat exchangers will not only be preferred but will become mandatory equipment.