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An unsolved mystery in fluid dynamics: How does the corrugated design inside the pillow plate promote heat exchange?
The pillow plate heat exchanger is an emerging all-welded heat exchanger design that has gradually gained industrial acceptance due to its wavy "pillow" surface and the expansion technology used in the manufacturing process. More and more attention from the world. Compared to more traditional equipment such as shell and tube and frame heat exchangers, pillow plate technology is relatively new but is increasingly being used in a variety of process cycles due to its geometric flexibility.
It is understood that pillow plates can operate at pressures exceeding 100 MPa and temperatures up to 800 °C.
Manufacturing process
The manufacturing process of pillow plates involves spot welding two thin metal sheets across their entire surface using laser or resistance welding, and then sealing the edges with seam welding, except for the joints. The gap between the metal sheets is then pressurized by a hydraulic fluid, causing the sheets to deform plastically, creating their characteristic wavy surface. According to the different structures, pillow plates can be divided into single convex and double convex.
Wide range of applications
The superiority of pillow-shaped boards makes their application range very wide. They are often used in areas of interaction with liquids and gases, including media with high viscosity or high levels of dirt, and can be used in scenarios where low pressure loss is required, such as cooling and heating processes. Especially in the food and beverage as well as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, pillow plates are increasingly being used. They can be used as "immersion coolers", immersed directly in the liquid, greatly improving the efficiency of heat exchange.
"The unique design of the pillow-shaped board can be personalized for heat conduction to adapt to a variety of different application scenarios."
Fluid Dynamics of Heat Transfer
Although the pillow plate design has many advantages, its fluid dynamics performance remains a mystery. Studies have shown that the complex wave geometry in the pillow plate channels actually promotes mixing of the fluids, which improves heat transfer rates but also increases pressure losses because the formation of welds creates recirculation areas, which affects the flow. The patency of the With further research, the researchers are now developing commercial software tools to help understand and predict the effects of these complex fluid behaviors.
Future Research Directions
Studies of fluid flow and heat transfer through pillow plates can be divided into several main categories, including geometric analysis, analysis of flow in internal channels, and analysis of flow between adjacent pillow plates. By utilizing finite element analysis (FEM), the surface area of the pillow plate, fluid holdup, and cross-sectional area of the liquid can be more accurately calculated, which is critical for thermodynamic calculations.
ConclusionThe recirculation areas and pressure losses formed in the internal channels of the pillow plates need to be explored and understood more deeply, as this will directly affect the efficiency of heat exchange and its performance in different applications.
The design of pillow plate heat exchangers is not only flexible and highly adaptable, but also provides new opportunities for technological advancement. But with the expansion and application of technology, in-depth research on its fluid dynamics characteristics is still essential. In the future, we should think about how to integrate these technologies into existing systems to promote efficient heat exchange and ultimately improve our industrial processes?
