According to GB/T 151 "Heat Exchangers" and NB/T 47006 "Aluminum Plate-Fin Heat Exchangers", the heat transfer coefficient of plate-fin heat exchangers is typically 3 to 5 times that of shell-and-tube heat exchangers, while the heat transfer area per unit volume can reach 1500 to 2500 m²/m³. The BRQ-18 plate-fin heat exchanger is designed for working conditions such as hydraulic oil cooling, compressed air aftercooling, and inverter water cooling. The following explains its applicable boundaries and common issues from the perspective of technical comparison.
Shell-and-tube heat exchangers rely on shell-side baffles to support the tube bundle, resulting in generally higher pressure drop and limited heat transfer area per unit volume; tube-fin heat exchangers have obvious advantages in air-to-air heat exchange scenarios, but their pressure resistance is average. The BRQ-18 uses an aluminum brazed core, with fins and partition plates stacked alternately, and hot and cold channels separated by partition plates, making it suitable for liquid-liquid or gas-liquid heat exchange where both sides are clean media. Compared with the above solutions, it is more compact, but careful evaluation is required in media containing particles or prone to fouling, and filters should be installed at the inlet when necessary.
The BRQ-18 has a design pressure of 1.6 MPa, a test pressure of 2.0 MPa, and a design temperature of -40°C to 150°C. The core material is 3003 aluminum alloy, and after brazing it undergoes helium mass spectrometer leak detection. Standard connections are DN25 to DN50 flanges or threads, and the core dimensions and connection orientation can be customized according to on-site piping layout. Common voltage and power configurations need to be selected based on the user's site conditions, and the specific details are subject to the factory nameplate and accompanying documents.
Issues frequently reported by technical engineers during operation and maintenance include: decreased heat exchange efficiency during low-load operation in winter, mostly due to medium flow rate lower than the design value causing uneven flow velocity in the channels; mismatch between connection orientation and existing piping, requiring confirmation of the three-dimensional layout before ordering. To address the above problems, it is recommended to provide complete hot-side and cold-side parameters during model selection and to recheck flow distribution under low-load system conditions.
