Introduction of Perforated micro-fluid channel plate
Perforated micro-fluid channel plate is common in the food industry and in-home brewing. They are common primarily for cooling the wort in the brewing process, as well as in the pasteurization of the beverage. The main advantage is high efficiency. The plate device is capable of rapidly cooling large volumes of liquid.
The maximum throughput of the heat exchanger is practically unlimited and depends on the unit type and the number of plates in it.
How does micro channel plate work in fermentation?
In the process of creating a hop drink, the beer wort is heat up to a high temperature. However, before adding the yeast that starts fermentation, it must be cooled down. Yeasts, which are unicellular fungi, live and work actively in a warm environment (at a water temperature of 5 to 25 C).
The question arises of the selection of equipment for wort cooling. One solution is a perforated micro-fluid channel plate.
The device is able not only to cool the liquid, but also to heat it. This function is common for surface wort boiling and beer pasteurization.
Functions of the beer heat exchanger:
- heating the wort;
- Also, surface boiling;
- Moreover, cooling of beer wort;
- Furthermore, condensation of vapors;
- In addition, cooling beer;
- Also, pasteurization.
Design features of the Perforated micro-fluid channel plate
The plate heat exchanger for wort cooling of 2 versions:
- brazed construction for home use or small breweries;
- collapsible for larger breweries.
Brazed plate heat exchanger
The collapsible heat exchanger is a steel structure on a support leg, consisting of upper and lower guides with stainless steel Perforated micro-fluid channel plate fixed to them. They are fixed on both sides with pressure plates.
The design is distinguished by its compact dimensions and relatively low weight (a plate recuperator is about 4 times smaller and lighter than a traditional shell-and-tube apparatus). Despite the fact that the equipment includes up to 30 or more plates, they are very thin and are pulled together by pressure plates into one piece.
Gasketed plate heat exchanger
Each plate is a solid metal product without joints and welds. Seals are provided between them. Stainless steel fittings are common to connect the hoses.
The main components of the structure:
- metal support post;
- Also, steel guides;
- Moreover, a package of stainless steel plates with seals and holes for guides;
- Furthermore, Perforated micro-fluid channel plate(movable, fixed);
- In addition, fittings for connecting hoses.
The operating principle of the Perforated micro-fluid channel plate
The heat exchanger has two inlets and two outlets to which the hoses are connected. Hot liquid (wort) is supplied through one of the hoses, on the other - cold or ice water (glycol or brine is common in the cooling circuit). To supply water to the inside of the structure, a pump is usually common.
The heat exchange process takes place according to the counterflow principle. Elements with hot and cold environment in the composition of the apparatus alternate. Due to this, when passing through the channels, media with different temperatures actively interact.
At the outlet, wort cooled to the required level (about 20 C) and heated working fluid are obtained. The raw materials for beer are collected in a container, and the water is discharged into the sewer. You can clearly see this process and the device of a collapsible heat exchanger in the following video:
Wort cooling inside the heat exchanger
The high efficiency of the heat exchange process is getting due to the large number of thin plates, which, moreover, have a roll shape. Thus, the contact area of the two media increases, and the efficiency of the equipment increases.
PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER ADVANTAGES
The main advantage of a plate-based heat exchanger is a high cooling (heating) rate. The performance of this equipment significantly exceeds the efficiency of the same shell-and-tube apparatus. It takes about 4-6 times less time to cool the liquid with a plate heat exchanger.
Having a larger heat exchange area, a recuperate with plates has smaller dimensions, taking up relatively little space (4 times less than a shell-and-tube device).
This allows equipment upgrades - for example, increasing power by adding additional parts.
DISADVANTAGES OF THE APPARATUS
The high performance of the device is due not only to its efficient design, but also to the high consumption of cold water. The cooling medium easy to supply by gravity (for example, if there is a good head in the water supply system). But most often, for its entry into the system, a pump is necessary.
Due to the small distances between the plates, deposits accumulate faster on the inner surfaces of the plate heat exchanger, which leads to a decrease in its performance - the efficiency of the device decreases, and pressure losses also increase.
Therefore, plate heat exchangers require more frequent maintenance than shell and tube heat exchangers. At the same time, the disassembly of the lamellar unit is much easier than the shell-and-tube unit, and such service work does not cause difficulties.
Heating system of perforated micro-fluid channel plate
The pressure easy to divide into two levels:
The first is the pressure at the entrance to the building. It can reach 10 atmospheres. When designing, it must is remembering that the heating network requires the return of the coolant with a certain pressure, below which the coolant not return.
Otherwise an additional fee easy to charge. Sometimes it is necessary to install additional pumps on the return line, since this option is cheaper than selecting equipment in an ITP with minimal hydraulic losses.
How to control pressure in perforated micro-fluid channel plate?
The second is the pressure in the internal heating system. It depends directly on the number of layers in the building.
Avoid significant temperature differences in the heating and heated circuits. Due to a significant temperature imbalance, deformation of the channel plate’s parts will occur.
Monitor the integrity of the filter elements, especially sandy ones. The ingress of sand into the channels of the channel plates provokes erosion of the heat exchange plates and tubes.
CONCLUSION
Despite some disadvantages, the perforated micro-fluid channel plate is superior to traditional beer wort cooling. The use of such equipment speeds up the brewing process, which explains the widespread use of plate machines in commercial and home breweries.
