Learn more about the industrial applications of pillow plates

Core business of pillow plates

Pillow Plates are frequently used in the chemical, petrochemical and food industries. They are also used in power stations, for example for heat recovery. Pillow Plate heat exchangers can also be operated with steam, which gives them a high degree of flexibility in application. They can be used for both heat recovery and cooling.

Due to their high efficiency and compact design, Pillow Plate heat exchangers are also popular in the process industry. Pillow Plate heat exchangers have a very compact design due to very small possible thermoshelf spacings of up to 2 mm clear width. This means that they can also be used where space is limited.
 

Pillow plates offer a versatile and flexible solution for a wide range of applications. Their impressive properties, including high geometric flexibility and adaptivity to different processes, make them ideal for various purposes. The implementation of pillow plates depends on their underlying construction and desired shapes - panel banks or jacketed tanks like milk tanks. While the external surface is easy to clean and is perfect for high fouling or sanitary applications, the internal surface is not suitable for such purposes. The internal surface has fine seams around each spot weld, making it challenging to clean. Therefore, non-fouling fluids like water, steam, or refrigerants, even with high pressure are the only suitable fluids for the internal surface. Pillow plates are an excellent choice for many industries, including food and beverage, chemical processing, energy, and many others.

Our team of skilled professionals and panel manufacturers are experienced at delivering cutting-edge solutions for process engineering, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and more. With decades of experience in the design and manufacturing exchanger plates we remain committed to understanding individual requirements from a range of industries - so our solution meets even your most specific needs. Anywhere across the world, plant manufacturers or engineers can rely on us to provide precise analysis with tailored advice that's perfect for their heating/cooling processes. As panel manufacturers, we strive to create solutions specifically tailored to our customers' needs, balancing technical and economic considerations. With know-how gained over decades of experience in the industry, we provide comprehensive support for worldwide clients; not only during planning design but also on integration into their systems - reducing potential risks that arise from interfaces.

Pillow-plates in heat exchanger applications?

Usually a single sided pillow panels with one flat side is mainly integrated into process tanks, bulk or pressure vessels, as well as it is integrated into cooling tables or conveyer structures, uniquely due to their one flat inside surface of the panel.

Conversely double sided panels have an unlimited access to all industries, in which cooling or heating are part of the main manufacturing process. Ordinarily a distinction is made between a pillow panels with spot patterns and those, which have a defined channel pattern.

Exchange surfaces are calculated due to each individual process application. Above all, the flexible design options of single and double sided panels allows tempering of products during other process steps. Although this saves a separate thermal process stage and often increases product quality. Furthermore, the large single and double pillowplate surface ensures safe process control by controlled homogeneous temperature control. The pillow design presents a unique challenge for engineers seeking to optimize transfer rates while minimizing pressure loss. The complex wavy geometry of the channels within these plates can promote fluid mixing, which can be beneficial for energy transfer, but at the same time can pose challenges in reducing the formation of recirculation regions in the wake of welding spots. Fortunately, valuable information exists on fluid flow and energy transfer behavior in pillow plates, as well as correlations for calculating Darcy-Friction-Factor and Nusselt number across a wide range of geometrical parameters and process conditions. With this knowledge in hand, we as pillow plate manufacturers and experts in this field can confidently design and optimize panel systems for a variety of applications.

Typical Pillow Plate applications

• Do you want to store hot or cold fluids in a tank and temper it at the same time?
• Do you want to temper it precisely by steam, water or cooling agent?
• Do you want to lay down your products in an oven, a dryer, or a refrigerator and cool or heat by thermal contact?
• Do you want your product to be transported and tempered at the same time?
• Do you want to move a liquid in an agitator vessel and temper it at the same time?
• Do  you  need  a  heat  shield  for  a  hot  reactor  against  the  surroundings,  equipped  with several openings for  measurements, pipes, and for watching the process?

Optimal solution with pillow plates based on the customer’s data and requirement

Our project engineers are experts in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, enabling them to provide the ideal solution for any energy transfer task of any kind of seam welding or spot pattern. After a close collaboration with the customer's plant manufacturer or operator, our specialized CAD-designers will craft an optimized 2D or 3D design that meets all requirements precisely. The panel design presents a unique challenge for engineers seeking to optimize heat transfer rates while minimizing pressure loss. The complex wavy geometry of the channels and spot pattern from a laser welding machine within these plates can promote fluid mixing, which can be beneficial for energy transfer, but at the same time can pose challenges in reducing the formation of recirculation regions in the wake of welding spot pattern. Fortunately, valuable information exists on fluid flow and energy transfer behavior in pillow plates, as well as correlations for calculating Darcy-Friction-Factor and Nusselt number across a wide range of geometrical parameters and process conditions. With this knowledge in hand, engineers can confidently design and optimize panel systems for a variety of applications.

Our panel exchanger are expertly produced on advanced welding machines, while resistance welding is an option for projects that require specialized materials. Ensuring the highest quality products possible, our team of European welders monitor and supervise every stage during production. We offer top-of-the line pressure equipment components certified by 2014/68/EU with a TR CU certificate as well as adherence to ASME standards in order to meet any required needs across industries.

High demands on surface finish

In galvanic industry, particularly high demands are placed on the heat exchanger with regard to material, surface finish, easy cleaning and easy interchangeability. Especially in temperature-controlled processes, the uniform and gentle heat input is important. For this reason, engineers today turn away from systems operated with circulating air. Although the described double pillow plate plate system can also be used in this application, for example for heat exchange in sterilization ovens, drying cabinets in the pharmaceutical industry and industrial drying ovens. It guarantees absolutely even heat mass flow and low pressure drop due to large flow cross sections of the pillow plate heat exchanger.

Fouling, maintenance and cleanability

Problems in the stirring technology when used in agitator tanks are largely known. In general, chemical reactions in agitator vessels require exchange surfaces to warm up or cool products. Coils are still mainly used in tanks for energy exchange, but they have enormous disadvantages with regard to fouling, cleaning and maintenance. Star-shaped exchange systems with double inflated pillow plates offer a lot of advantages.

On the one hand side the flow angle can be adjusted according to the medium, on the other hand, this flow distribution breaker pillow plate heat exchangers is at the same time an exchange smooth surface. Compared to coils in combination with conventional flow breaker systems with coils, this plate version has the following advantages, such as clean, low-polluted surfaces (especially with electropolished pillow plates), small heat transfer medium quantities, optimum energy transfer, optimization of the pressure drop and adjustment of the mass flow angle. As pillow plate manufacturers, we have long experience to calculate and ensure performance and industrial cooling or heating.

Standard connections for pillow-plates

For double pillow plates, the standard connections can be either lateral or butt-welded. In the reinforced version, the double pillow plates are drilled through on the inside and the tube welded to the plate on both sides.

The fluid connection to the single and double pillow plate exchanger are either by flanges, welding nozzles or screw pipe connections. Please note that the projected flow direction for the heat transfer fluid has to be adhered to. In case of screw connections these should be re-tightened during operational conditions after a certain operational period. The single or double dimple plate does not have any electric connection. In the meantime, however, the U-values ​​are only negligibly affected by soiling or a deposit on the dimple plates. Similarly favorable temperature differences then result in a significantly better efficiency compared to compact external and conventional heat exchangers. At the same time, the products, especially food, are treated very gently.