If leakage between plates is found during operation of a plate heat exchanger, technical engineers can first check whether the clamping dimension is within the range specified by the manufacturer, and then verify whether the gasket is aged or misaligned. When disassembling for inspection, pay attention to recording the arrangement order of each plate to avoid incorrect reassembly that could cause flow channel short-circuiting. For media with a chloride ion content exceeding 200 mg/L, 304 plates should be avoided, and a material with better corrosion resistance should be selected to reduce the risk of stress corrosion.
When the medium temperature is higher than 150°C, the applicability of fluororubber gaskets must be confirmed in conjunction with the concentration curve. Technical engineers should provide the inlet and outlet temperatures on the hot side and cold side, flow rates, and medium physical property parameters to facilitate calculation of the Reynolds number and heat transfer coefficient. If physical property data are missing, selection deviation may lead to accelerated gasket aging or abnormal pressure drop. It is recommended to regularly check gasket hardness and rebound performance in the high-temperature section and keep replacement records.
Procurement personnel should provide the supplier with medium corrosiveness, temperature and flow rate, allowable pressure drop, and installation and maintenance requirements together, and technical personnel should complete the selection calculation. Technical engineers need to supplement the chloride ion concentration in the medium, suspended solids content, and operating pressure fluctuation range in order to evaluate plate material and gasket compatibility. The more complete the parameter organization, the lower the probability of leakage and pressure drop problems after commissioning.
Special tools should be used when removing plates to avoid damaging the sealing grooves. Chlorine-containing cleaning agents should not be used during cleaning to prevent pitting of the plates. Before reassembly, check whether the gasket is fully embedded in the groove, and tighten the bolts evenly in a diagonal sequence, keeping the clamping dimension deviation within the allowable range. During shutdown periods, it is recommended to drain the medium to reduce long-term compression deformation of the gasket.
