GEA_Betriebsanltg_U1/U4_E_27.06 27.06.

2003 12:28 Uhr Seite 1

Process Equipment
Division

GEA Ecoflex
For more than 75 years, GEA Ecoflex has been developing customer-
oriented and cost-optimised plate heat exchanger solutions for the
following fields of application:
Plate Heat Exchangers

HVAC pulp / paper

general industry food
refrigeration pharmaceutical
sugar marine
chemical power
textile

Technical modification reserved. General Operation Manual 06/03 inform advertising

France Italy Singapore
GEA Ecoflex, France GEA Ecoflex, Italy GEA Ecoflex, Asia Pacific
Phone: + 33 -130 - 146 - 521 Phone: + 39 -0521-965 -453 Phone: + 65 -6336 -7278
Fax: + 33 -130 - 146 - 529 Fax: + 39 -0521-965 -507 Fax: + 65 -6336 -3363
e-mail: info.france@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.italy@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.asia@gea-ecoflex.com

Great Britain Denmark Malaysia

GEA Ecoflex UK Ltd. GEA Ecoflex, Scandinavia GEA Ecoflex (Asia) Snd. Bhd.
Phone: + 44 -190 -955 -1107 Phone: + 45 - 7015 -2200 Phone: +60 -3 - 8060 - 9592
Fax: + 44 -190 -955 -0885 Fax: + 45 - 7015 -2244 Fax: +60 - 3 - 8060 - 9594
e-mail: info.uk@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.scandinavia@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.asia@gea-ecoflex.com

Sweden USA India

GEA Ecobraze AB GEA Ecoflex North America Inc. GEA Ecoflex, India
Phone: + 46 - 418 -446 -160 Phone: + 1-502-962 -3535 Phone: + 91-22 -5590 -8005/6
Fax: + 46 - 418 -446 -177 Fax: + 1-502 -962 -5497 Fax: + 91-22 -5590 -8007
e-mail: info@gea-ecobraze.com e-mail: info.northamerica@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.india@gea-ecoflex.com

General
Your contact:

Karl-Schiller-Str. 1–3, D-31157 Sarstedt

The specifications contained in this printing unit are intended only to serve the non
binding description of our products and services and are not subject to guarantee.
Binding specifications, especially pertaining to performance data and suitability for
Operation Manual
Phone: +49 / 50 66 / 6 01 - 0 · Fax: +49 / 50 66 / 6 01 - 1 04 specific operating purposes, are dependent upon the individual circumstances at
www.gea-ecoflex.com · e-mail: info@gea-ecoflex.com the operation location and can, therefore, only be made in terms of precise requests.
 Table of contents

1 Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 PHE safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.1 General safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Incorrect operating conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.3 Permitted PHE operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.4 Residual dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3 Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1 Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1.1 User notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
„ Drawings and figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
„ Operator of the PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
„ PHE setter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1.2 Safety notes in the text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

4 Manager’s obligations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

5 Functional description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

6 Intended purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

7 Overview and description of the PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

7.1 Basic structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
7.2 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
7.3 Frames. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
7.4 HE plates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7.4.1 Chevron pattern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7.4.2 Free Flow design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
7.4.3 Plate evaporator design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
7.5 HE plate gaskets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

8 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

8.1 Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8.2 Setting up the lying PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8.3 Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.3.1 Suspended with shackles at the fixed plate
and with sling attachment at the carrying beam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
8.3.2 Suspended at transport eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
8.3.3 Suspended with sling attachment at the tightening bolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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 Table of contents

8.4 Installation of the PHE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

8.4.1 Space requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
8.4.2 Pipe assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
8.5 PHE disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

9 Operation, start-up, and shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

9.1 Start-up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
9.2 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
9.3 Shutdown of the PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
9.3.1 Short-term shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
9.3.2 Long-term shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

10 Maintenance and repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

10.1 Preparatory precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
10.2 Opening the PHE and removing the HE plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
10.2.1 Opening a PHE with a CD frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
10.2.2 Opening a PHE with B frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
10.3 Mounting the HE plates and closing the PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
10.4 Cleaning the PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
10.4.1 Cleaning the HE plates of the closed PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
„ CIP process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
„ Backflushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10.4.2 Cleaning the HE plates of an open PHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
„ Manually cleaning the HE plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
„ Chemically cleaning the HE plates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
10.5 Replacing HE gaskets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
10.6 Replacing port rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
10.7 Maintaining the PHE frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

11 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
11.1 Impaired PHE performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
11.2 PHE leakages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

12 Technical terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

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 Preface

1 Preface
With GEA Ecoflex, you use the technical know how of one of the worldwide lead-
ing manufacturers of plate heat exchangers (PHE).
We would like to make the handling of the PHE as safe and simple as possible. For
this reason, these comprehensive operating instructions serve as your personal ad-
viser who explains everything understandably and clearly: structure, function, in-
stallation, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, transport and repair.
We especially devote ourselves to the subject of safety, so that all possible dangers
or damages can be avoided from the start. For that reason alone, all employees
who deal with the PHE should be able to reach for these important operating in-
structions at all times.
In the clear table of contents, you will quickly find what you are looking for. If not,
look in the index with page references. In the same way all technical terms are in-
formatively explained. After all, no questions should remain open, and in the case
they do, your GEA Ecoflex agent or the central service department is glad to assist
you further.
Operating instructions for special applications supplement these general operating
instructions.
With this in mind, we wish you a problem-free operation with GEA Ecoflex plate
heat exchangers.
GEA Ecoflex GmbH
Karl-Schiller-Straße 1-3
D-31157 Sarstedt
Phone: +49/5066/601-333
Fax: +49/5066/601-104
Internet: http://www.gea-ecoflex.com
e-mail: service@gea-ecoflex.com

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 PHE safety

2 PHE safety
2.1 General safety
This chapter advises you on general precautions for the proper handling of the
PHE and which dangers the user can encounter.
If the PHE is employed improperly or not according to the intended purpose, or if
the safety notes are not adhered to, dangers to persons and property can arise.

NOTE

Read this chapter attentively. It contains important information and obligations. It

concerns your health and the trouble-free operation of the PHE.

CAUTION
The operator is responsible for the safe operation of the PHE.
The following points must be adhered to:
„ Always adhere to the general, national, and operational safety regulations, for
example, wearing protective glasses, close-fitting protective clothing, and
safety shoes.
„ Always adhere to the safety notes in the individual chapters of these operating
instructions.
„ The PHE may only be operated in perfect condition. Each change on the PHE
must be immediately reported to the nearest available responsible superior.
„ Before beginning work with the PHE, operators must familiarize themselves
with the possible dangers.
„ Before each start of the PHE, ensure that all parts of the PHE are in perfect con-
dition and function correctly.

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 PHE safety

2.2 Incorrect operating conditions

Operation of the PHE is not permitted, whenever:
„ substantial faults or damages are present,
„ the maintenance is not regularly performed,
„ the operating conditions (e.g. inner pressure, temperature, media, external in-
fluences) are exceeded.

NOTE

GEA Ecoflex accepts no liability for damages caused by incorrect operating condi-
tions.

2.3 Permitted PHE operators

For operating the PHE each operator must:
„ be appropriately trained for the task to be performed,
„ be familiar with the work safety and accident prevention regulations,
„ be instructed in the handling of the PHE and
„ have read and understood these operating instructions.
Persons who are responsible for the set-up, assembly, start-up, maintenance or dis-
assembly of the PHE must have command of the necessary knowledge.

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 PHE safety

2.4 Residual dangers

Residual dangers can never be fully excluded. You can only prevent these dangers
through appropriate behaviour.

CAUTION
Danger of injury!
Heat exchanger (HE) Plates:
The thin HE plates are sharp edged.
When handling HE plates, always
wear suitable protective gloves.
Outside of the PHE
On the edges, threads, or similar
parts, there is a danger of injury. Al-
ways wear suitable protective gloves
when handling the outside of the
PHE.
Hazardous flow-through media
Hazardous flow-through media
present dangers of chemical burns,
burning, or poisoning. Always wear
suitable protective clothing when
working on the PHE with hazardous
flow-through media.

Opening the PHE:

Before opening the PHE, ensure that
it is unpressurised and empty. When
opening the PHE, always ensure that
the HE plates do not unintendedly
loosen from the frame and tip over,
see chapter 10.2, page 42.
Also ensure that the pressure plate is
secured against unintended slippage
(e.g. on ships).

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 PHE safety

Transporting the PHE:

Before transporting the PHE, always
ensure that the hoisting gear are of
sufficient dimensions and securely
fixed.
Never step underneath suspended
loads.

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 Operating instructions

3 Operating instructions
3.1 Operating instructions
These operating instructions are the instructions of the manufacturer for the PHE
managers and for all persons who are responsible for the set-up, operation, main-
tenance and repair of the PHE.
These operating instructions are generally applicable to all bolted/gasketted (not
welded) PHEs manufactured and supplied by GEA Ecoflex.

3.1.1 User notes

Drawings and figures
The drawings in these operating instructions are exemplary. For reasons of clarity,
some drawings have been greatly simplified. The actual details depend on the in-
dividually delivered PHE. You find diagrams and dimensions of the delivered
PHE in the supplied technical documentation.

Operator of the PHE

The operator of the PHE is the person who the PHE manager entitles to operate the
PHE.

PHE setter
These operating instructions contain no details about special tools that are needed
for the setting up and operating the PHE.

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 Operating instructions

3.1.2 Safety notes in the text

In these operating instructions, the following symbols are used in order to draw
your attention to dangers in handling the PHE or give you information about han-
dling the PHE:

CAUTION
This symbol means danger to life and health of persons.
The following text explains the type of danger and its effects and gives instructions
for averting the danger. Not adhering to the instructions can have health effects up
to and including death.

ATTENTION
This symbol means danger to the PHE or its parts and the surroundings.
The following text explains the type of danger and its effects and gives instructions
for averting the danger. Not adhering to the instructions can cause substantial
damages to the PHE.

NOTE

This symbol appears above paragraphs that give you useful or important notes for
the correct handling of the PHE. This information helps you to avoid problems and
makes it easier to handle the PHE.

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 Manager’s obligations

4 Manager’s obligations

CAUTION
Danger of injury!
In the case of hazardous media (acids or similar media), high pressures and high/
low temperatures in the PHE, there is a danger of injury during maintenance or
leakages. In this case, you absolutely must have a splash protector. This splash
protector may only be removed when the PHE reaches room pressure and room
temperature, or is empty.

As manager of the PHE, you must ensure that each operator who is responsible for
the set-up, operation, maintenance or repair of the PHE has read and understood,
from beginning to end, the parts of the operating instructions important for the
job.
The PHE is built according to state-of-the-art technology and is reliable in service.
Nevertheless, dangers from the PHE or damages to the PHE can arise if you do not
adhere to the following instructions:
„ These operating instructions must always be accessible to the operators en-
trusted to work on the PHE.
„ Only operators who are instructed in the handling of the PHE and the basic
work safety and accident prevention regulations may work on the PHE. For
safety reasons, it is forbidden for other persons to be in the area of the PHE.
„ You must verify the safety-conscious work of the operator in regular intervals.
„ As manager you must ensure that:
„ the PHE remains in functional order.
„ no premature wear of certain PHE components due to unfavourable sur-
rounding conditions occurs.
Unfavourable surrounding conditions are for example, for

sealing materials: „ aggressive gases and/or aggressive aerosols in

the surrounding air
„ effects of UV radiation (e.g. sunlight)
„ extreme surrounding temperatures

metallic components: „ aggressive gases and/or aggressive aerosols in

the surrounding air
„ humidity

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 Manager’s obligations

„ all maintenance/inspections are carried out in regular intervals.

„ no changes, additions, or reconstructions to the PHE are carried out without
approval of the PHE manufacturer. A change can lead to the loss of the op-
erating approval.
„ all – even not here explicitly mentioned – laws and regulations valid for the
PHE as well as the valid accident prevention regulations are adhered to.

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 Functional description

5 Functional description
A series of contoured plates with transfer ports forms a pack of flow channels in
the PHE. The heat exchange media flow through these flow channels in alternate
channels.
Usually a single-pass PHE is employed. In this single-pass PHE, all of the feed and
discharge pipes are connected to the fixed plate, that is, on one side.

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 Functional description

Close temperature differences between the media may demand multi-pass PHE. In
these multi-pass PHEs, the connection pipes are then attached to the fixed plate
and to the pressure plate, that is, on both sides.

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 Intended purpose

6 Intended purpose
This PHE has been specially designed and manufactured for your specified operat-
ing conditions concerning pressure, temperature, flow rates, and type and compo-
sition of the flow-through media.
If a change in the specified operating conditions becomes necessary, GEA Ecoflex
must be consulted. The PHE may only be operated under new operating condi-
tions after GEA Ecoflex has examined, approved, and altered the PHE documenta-
tion, if necessary.
Usage according to the rules includes:
„ adhering to the valid national and international laws, decrees, regulations, di-
rectives and other rules for the installation site .
„ following all safety notes of these operating instructions.
„ adhering to regular inspection and maintenance work.

NOTE

GEA Ecoflex accepts no liability for damages caused by deviations from the speci-
fied operating conditions for the PHE.

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 Overview and description of the PHE

7 Overview and description of the PHE

7.1 Basic structure
The following figure represents the basic structure of a plate heat exchanger. The
actual design depends on the application.

4
1
5

2
6

3 7

No. Component No. Component

1 Carrying beam 4 Support column

2 Pipe connections 5 Pressure plate

3 Fixed plate 6 HE Plate

7 Guiding bar

8 Gasket

9 Tightening bolt

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 Overview and description of the PHE

The plate pack consists of contoured

HE plates (1) and the corresponding
gaskets (2) of varying number and ar-
rangement.

7.2 Identification
Each GEA Ecoflex PHE is provided with a name plate. It is attached to the outside
of the PHE’s fixed plate. Here you find details about:
„ plate heat exchanger type
„ serial no.
„ admissible working pressure [bar g]
„ admissible working temperature [° C]
„ test pressure [bar g]
„ volume [L]
„ net weight, year of construction
„ compression dimensions:
"a max." / "a min." [mm]
„ additional details [project specific]

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 Overview and description of the PHE

Examples for the name plate design in conformity with the European Directive on
Pressure Equipment 97/23/EC.

1 2

No. Component

1 PHE without CE index number

2 PHE with CE index number

Each PHE is supplied with a dimension sheet or, alternatively, an assembly draw-
ing, and a flow diagram.
The dimension sheet or the assembly drawing shows the external dimensions as
well as details of the type, size and position of the pipe connections.
The flow diagram shows the HE plate arrangement and the type, the HE plate ma-
terial, the plate thickness as well as the sealing material and the part numbers.

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 Overview and description of the PHE

7.3 Frames
GEA Ecoflex PHE are available in different application specific frame designs.
There are two basic designs, B and CD. The design B is especially employed for
longer plate packs.

B CD

Special stainless steel designs with intermediate elements for separating the indi-
vidual compartments are employed for the foodstuff and pharmaceutical indus-
tries.
The frames made of structural steel are given a weather-protective coating. The
tightening bolts and nuts are made of high-strength steel alloys and in some cases
galvanised.
The pipe connections can be attached to the fixed plate, to the pressure plate and
possibly to intermediate elements.

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 Overview and description of the PHE

The pipe connections on the fixed and pressure plate are positioned as follows:
„ From an outside position looking
onto the fixed plate, the connec-
tions 1F-4F are numbered consec-
utively anticlockwise.

„ From an outside position looking

onto the pressure plate, the con-
nections 1L-4L are numbered con-
secutively clockwise.

In order to fulfill customer specific requirements, different connection types are

available.

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 Overview and description of the PHE

As an alternative, the designs B and

CD can be cladded with stainless steel
and equipped with tightening bolts
made of stainless steel. They then
have the additional letter C (for clad-
ded) and frame designation BC and
CDC.
To some extent, these frames are
equipped with height-adjustable
threaded feet. In this case, the feet are
not anchored to the ground. Thrust
plates lie beneath the threaded feet.
These thrust plates are not part of the
standard equipment.

7.4 HE plates

NOTE

The selection of the HE plate material is determined by customer-specific operat-

ing conditions (among others pressure, temperature, media, operating mode). In a
few special applications, the media used typically erodes the material of the HE
plates. This can lead to a malfunction of the HE plates and to a mixing of the me-
dia.

The HE plates and gaskets are essential components of the PHE. GEA Ecoflex dis-
tinguishes between three product groups.

7.4.1 Chevron pattern

The HE plates of the series VARITHERM (VT), NT and LASER welded cassettes
(LWC) belong to this product group.
These HE plates have horizontal and vertical profiles, which are used individually
or combined. They are used for clean media with a low viscosity and also for high
working pressures.
The gaskets of this product group can be fixed with adhesive. Additionally, many
plate types allow adhesive-free fixing (LocIn, EcoLoc).

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 Overview and description of the PHE

7.4.2 Free Flow design

The HE plates of the series FA (free flow) and the N40 plate belong to this group.
The special feature of this product group is the unrestricted broad flow cross sec-
tion between the HE plates. Highly viscose media or media containing solids re-
quire the use of this product group.
The gaskets of this product group are fixed with adhesive. The plate type N40 al-
lows adhesive-free fixing (LocIn).

7.4.3 Plate evaporator design

The HE plates of the series CT (Concitherm) form this product group.
Liquids are concentrated by evaporation using these plates ("evaporator").
The gaskets are fixed with adhesive. The plate type CT187 allows adhesive-free fix-
ing (LocIn). The plate type CT193 consists of LASER welded cassettes.

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 Overview and description of the PHE

7.5 HE plate gaskets

CAUTION
Damages to persons and property !
The use of inadmissible pressures, temperatures and media can lead to an immedi-
ate failure of the gaskets and a grave endangerment of persons and the surround-
ings. Therefore, never exceed the admissible operating parameters.

ATTENTION
Leakage!
The gaskets are wearing parts and sensitive to chemical, thermal and mechanical
damages. The selection of the gasket material and its properties is determined by
customer-specific operating conditions (pressure, temperature, media). Inadmissi-
ble use can lead to a reduction of the service life. Elastomer gaskets are always sub-
ject to the ageing process (e.g. embrittlement).
There are two basic groups of gaskets:
„ Gaskets made of elastomers, available in different materials and design types
(e.g. 2-eye gaskets and 4-eye start and/or end gaskets). The gaskets can, in
principle, be fixed with adhesive, also often without adhesive (LocIn, EcoLoc).
„ Gaskets made of mineral fibres ("hard gaskets"). They are principally fixed with
adhesive. Unlike gaskets made of elastomers, these gaskets made of mineral fi-
bres cannot compensate for large temperature differences (e.g. start-up and
shutdown). Therefore, leakages may occur during these operating phases.

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 Overview and description of the PHE

All gaskets are designed to enable separating both media from each other at the
transfer ports by means of a double-gasket guidance system. In the event of any
leakage in this area, the leakage chamber formed in this way has the task of out-
wardly discharging the liquid via gaps in the sealing webs (leakage grooves) so
that any leakage immediately becomes apparent.

The materials of the gaskets are clearly marked by coded colours.

The storage of the gaskets must be done properly.
Never exceed the admissible parameters.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

8 Delivery, transport, and installation of

the PHE

CAUTION
Damages to persons and property!
Improper and careless handling of the PHE can lead to danger to persons and
property. The PHE may never be lifted underneath the plate pack, at the connec-
tions or at the tightening bolts.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

8.1 Delivery
The fully assembled PHE is packed and delivered either lying on its side or up-
right, depending on the frame type.
If it is delivered lying on its side, the PHE is anchored by the back of the fixed plate
to solid planks. A forklift truck can pick the PHE up from beneath the planks and
transport it.
The PHE that is packed upright and to be transported upright is top heavy. To be
secured for transport, it is screwed to solid planks and must be unloaded and
transported in suspension, according to chapter 8.3 on page 29. In no case may the
device be lifted under the HE plate pack because this inevitably leads to a damag-
ing of the plate pack.
In the BC frame, the height-adjustable transport feet replace the ball feet. You find
the ball feet in an enclosed package with the PHE.
PHE parts are packed on pallets as well as in suitable cartons on pallets. Upon re-
quest, we will use special air freight, container and wood packages. You, as the
customer, are responsible for the disposal of the PHE packing material.

NOTE

If, in spite of the careful packaging, you should observe damage at delivery, you
must make a note of the extent and type of the damage on the consignment note
and obtain a receipt from the deliverer. Please report any possible damages to us
immediately.

8.2 Setting up the lying PHE

CAUTION
Danger to life!
There is always a danger that the PHE will tip over while righting it. Always en-
sure that:
„ the hoisting gear are of sufficient dimensions,
„ the hoisting gear cannot come loose or slide off,
„ no swing movements to the side result when lifting the PHE,
„ the floor at the installation site is sufficiently large, level and able to support the
load.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

ATTENTION
Damage to the PHE!
The connecting pieces can bend or
crack. Attach the hoisting gear
(slings) only as in the following.
When attaching the hoisting gear
(slings), make sure that they are
firmly seated.
Never use a chain or a steel rope, but
only slings.

Proceed as follows to set up the lying PHE:

1. Remove all of the fastening screws
and elements from the PHE and
from the pallet.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

2. Attach a sling to the upper tight-

ening nut on each side of the PHE.
Ö Do not use a steel rope or
chain!

Ö If the tightening nuts are not

accessible for attaching the
slings, slightly tip the PHE
with an additional sling (al-
ways attach the slings between
2 tightening nuts).
Then attach the slings around
the top tightening nuts.

3. Lift the PHE slowly from the pal-

let over its centre of gravity.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

4. Slowly lower the PHE onto the

edge of the fixed plate or the feet
of the PHE. Align the PHE and
bring it to its final position at the
installation site.

5. Remove the slings and other aids.

Then anchor the PHE to the
ground.

; The PHE has been set up.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

8.3 Transport

CAUTION
Danger to life! Damage to the PHE!
Before transporting the PHE always ensure that:
„ the hoisting gear are of sufficient dimensions,
„ the hoisting gear cannot come loose or slide off,
„ no swing movements to the side result when lifting the PHE,
„ the operating personnel keep a sufficiently large safety distance,
„ the floor at the installation site is sufficiently large, level and able to support the
load.
The suspended transport always starts out from an upright position of the PHE.

8.3.1 Suspended with shackles at the fixed plate

and with sling attachment at the carrying beam
Proceed as follows:
1. Attach two suitable shackles in
both holes intended for that pur-
pose on the upper side of the fixed
plate.
2. Attach a sufficiently long sling to
the carrying beam directly behind
the pressure plate and to both
shackles.
Ö Do not use steel ropes or
chains!
3. Slowly lift the PHE.

; The PHE can now be trans-

ported away.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

8.3.2 Suspended at transport eyes

Proceed as follows:
1. Attach the hoisting gear to both
transport eyes on the top side of
the carrying beam.
2. Slowly lift the PHE.

; The PHE can now be trans-

ported away.

8.3.3 Suspended with sling attachment at the tightening bolt

Use this transport method only when the above-described fastening possibilities
are not available.
Proceed as follows:
1. Attach a sling around the top
tightening bolts on each side of
the PHE.
Ö Do not use steel ropes or
chains!
2. Slowly tilt the PHE until it reaches
a hanging position.

; The PHE can now be trans-

ported away.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

8.4 Installation of the PHE

CAUTION
Danger to life!
There is always a danger that the PHE will tip over during installation. Always en-
sure that:

„ the hoisting gear are of sufficient dimensions,

„ the hoisting gear cannot come loose or slide off,
„ the operating personnel keep a sufficiently large safety distance,
„ the floor at the installation site is sufficiently large, level and able to support the
load.

In case of outdoor installation, take precautions against freezing the flow-through

media in the PHE, if necessary.

8.4.1 Space requirements

Provide enough space around the
PHE. This facilitates access to the
PHE and necessary service tasks (e.g.
replacing individual plates, com-
pressing the plate pack).
The values for the necessary space
given in the adjacent figure are guide
values and are recommended by
GEA Ecoflex. They provide sufficient
space for accessing the PHE.

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 Delivery, transport, and installation of the PHE

8.4.2 Pipe assembly

The PHEs from GEA Ecoflex are provided with different connection types accord-
ing to the purpose. Pay attention to the following points during pipe assembly:

ATTENTION
Damages to the pipe connections and to the PHE!
Make sure that no forces, moments, or vibrations that are too high are transferred
via the pipes onto the connections of the PHE. By request, you can obtain an over-
view of the admissible forces and moments for the PHE.

NOTE

In order to avoid clogging problems during commissioning GEA Ecoflex strongly

recommends to use filters or bypasses for the first flushing of the overall pipe sys-
tem.

8.5 PHE disposal

As a customer, you are responsible for the disposal of the PHE packing materials.
By request, GEA Ecoflex takes on disposal of the PHE. For the cost of labour, the
PHE is disassembled, transported away and professionally disposed.

NOTE

If the PHE or its parts are contaminated, GEA Ecoflex cannot take on the disposal.
In this case, disposal of the PHE is the manager‘s obligation.

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 Operation, start-up, and shutdown

9 Operation, start-up, and shutdown

CAUTION
Danger of injury!
Hazardous flow-through media (corrosive, poisonous, flammable, explosive etc.)
present dangers of chemical burns and burning. Inform yourself beforehand which
flow-through media are used and make sure that a protective covering is on hand.

ATTENTION
Environmental damages! Damage to the PHE!
„ When ecologically harmful flow-through media flow out, serious environmen-
tal damages are possible. Make sure that it is possible to empty the product and
that a drip tray for the entire PHE filling volume is on hand.
„ If the PHE is further compressed
below "a min.", the plates warp.
Make sure that the plate pack is
compressed to the necessary com-
pression dimension
"a min." < "a" < "a max.".

ATTENTION
Damages to the PHE!
„ Quick switching operations (e.g. from valves in the pipes connected to the
PHE) or operation-related events (e.g. spontaneous evaporations, condensation
surges) can lead to high-pressure surges. Avoid high-pressure surges through
the flow-through media in order to avoid damaging the PHE.
„ The PHE may only be tightened in its unpressurised state because otherwise it
may fall below the compression dimension "a min." (see the explanation for
"a min." in chapter 12 on page 58).

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 Operation, start-up, and shutdown

9.1 Start-up
Before start-up, visually inspect the PHE and make sure that:
„ the PHE is not operated with inadmissible flow-through media, pressures and
temperatures.
„ all pipe connections are firmly connected to the PHE.
„ all necessary PHE components are completely installed.
„ the plate pack is not compressed below compression dimension "a min." (see
name plate or flow diagram in chapter 7.2 on page 16). The HE plates could be
permanently damaged.
„ when restarting, no residues of previous processes (e.g. cleaning agents) are
present in the PHE.
„ all air is removed from the PHE.
„ pressure surges are avoided. The proper operation of the PHE could be endan-
gered. Flow-through media could escape.

; If all of these conditions are fulfilled, you can start operating the PHE.

NOTE

If faults occur during start-up of the PHE, see chapter 11, page 55.

In order to avoid clogging problems during commissioning GEA Ecoflex strongly

recommends to use filters or bypasses for the first flushing of the overall pipe sys-
tem.

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 Operation, start-up, and shutdown

9.2 Operation

CAUTION
Danger of injury! Damages to the PHE!
If the PHE is in operation when working on the PHE, there is a danger of injury or
a danger that the PHE will be damaged. Always shutdown the PHE first, before
you start maintaining or repairing it.

Visually inspect the PHE regularly during operation and make sure that:
„ the PHE is not operated with inadmissible flow-through media, pressures and
temperatures.
„ the minimum and maximum parameters given on the name plate are not ex-
ceeded. If the parameters are exceeded, the operating approval dissolves and
GEA Ecoflex accepts no liability for resulting damages.
„ pressure surges are avoided. The proper operation of the PHE could be endan-
gered. Flow-through media could escape.

NOTE

If faults occur during operation of the PHE, see chapter 11, page 55.

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 Operation, start-up, and shutdown

9.3 Shutdown of the PHE

9.3.1 Short-term shutdown

ATTENTION
Escape of environmentally hazardous flow-through media possible!
Flow-through media can be dangerous and environmentally hazardous. Make sure
that no flow-through media can escape during the shutdown period. In case of
outdoor installation, take precautions (e.g. emptying, heating) against freezing the
flow-through media in the PHE.

9.3.2 Long-term shutdown

ATTENTION
Premature component wear!
The components of the PHE can wear out prematurely due to unfavourable sur-
rounding conditions or due to flow-through media remaining in the PHE. If the
PHE is shutdown for a longer time period, the PHE must be depressurised and
completely emptied. Additionally, we recommend a basic cleaning and an appro-
priate storage until setting the PHE into operation again.

NOTE

You can obtain detailed information about storage conditions from your
GEA Ecoflex service department (see back cover).

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 Maintenance and repair

10 Maintenance and repair

10.1 Preparatory precautions
Before starting work, check the supplied documentation to see with which frame
type the PHE was delivered.

CAUTION
Danger of injury!
There is a danger of injury during maintenance and repair work on the PHE. For
this reason, always adhere to the following points:
„ Always wear suitable protective clothing.
„ If a pressurised or filled PHE is opened, the flow-through media can escape un-
controllably. This is a danger of injury for the operator and bystanders.
„ Before beginning maintenance or repair work, ensure that the PHE is empty
and has reached room pressure.
„ When using hot or very cold flow-through media there is a danger of burning,
or respectively, freezing. Before beginning maintenance or repair work, always
ensure that the PHE has reached room temperature.
„ Hazardous flow-through media (corrosive, poisonous, flammable, explosive
etc.) present an acute danger of injury for the operator and bystanders. Make
sure that the regulations for flow-through media are followed during all work.
„ Ensure that the pressure plate is secured against unintended slippage (e.g. on
ships).

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 Maintenance and repair

„ The HE plates of the PHE can tip

out sideways and severely injure
persons. Always ensure when sus-
pending the HE plates and when
closing the PHE that the HE plates
do not unintentionally detach
from the frame and tip over.
For this reason, at least two per-
sons must work on a PHE with
CD frame.
The safe procedure for opening
and closing a PHE is described in
sections 10.2. and 10.3. below.

ATTENTION
Danger of falling over during stacking!
The HE plates can fall over during unchecked stacking. Injuries and damaged HE
plates are the result. Never stack the plates higher than:
„ 60 HE plates for Varitherm/NT
„ 30 cassettes for LWC
„ 30 HE plates for Free Flow/Concitherm/Safetytherm
„ Before opening the PHE you must carry out a few work steps. If necessary, re-
move the connected pipes.
In general, you should proceed as follows:
„ Clean the guiding rail (for better
plate mobility).

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 Maintenance and repair

„ Clean the threads of the tighten-

ing bolts (to remove the contami-
nation and prevent a fretting of
the nuts).

„ Apply a thin film of oil to the

thread.

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 Maintenance and repair

„ To ensure that the plates are reas-

sembled in the right order, we ad-
vise painting a diagonal line
across the side of the plate pack.

„ Be sure to note the current "a" di-

mension.

NOTE

When removing the HE plates, document the order with the help of the flow dia-
gram.
„ The PHE frames are usually
equipped with four tightening
bolts. In PHEs with more than
four tightening bolts, as a rule
four longer tightening bolts are
used. These only pretension the
HE plate pack (so-called preten-
sioning bolts).

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 Maintenance and repair

The HE plates are mounted in different ways in the frame, depending on the frame
design of the PHE.
In CD frames, the HE plates rest on the bottom guiding bar and are guided by the
top.
„ In the CD frame, the plates are VT NT
guided by a top and a bottom
guiding bar.

In the B frames, the HE plates are suspended at the top carrying beam with a spe-
cial rail. The plates are hooked into the recess of the guiding rail and are guided by
the bottom guiding bar.
„ Top carrying beam with a guiding
rail and a guiding bar.

„ Top carrying beam without a

guiding rail. VT NT

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 Maintenance and repair

10.2 Opening the PHE and removing the HE plates

NOTE

Before loosening/opening the PHE pay attention to the safety notes in

chapter 10.1, page 37 "Preparatory precautions".

10.2.1 Opening a PHE with a CD frame

CD frames need to be equipped with
a locking element (e.g., a pipe clamp).
Ensure that the HE plates can always
be set up as described as step 3 below.
Attach the locking element accord-
ingly.
The following HE types do not re-
quire locking elements:
„ VT 04
„ VT 10
„ VT 20

The drawings below show a CDL frame (with a support column). The handling
described also applies to CDS frames (without a support column).
The CDS frames feature an extra retaining lock at the end of the upper guiding bar.
This retaining lock limits the path along which the pressure plate can be moved.

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 Maintenance and repair

Open the PHE as follows:

1. Release the nuts of the tightening bolts on the pressure plate.
Ö Release the tightening bolts
evenly in small steps on alter-
nate sides (1-2-3-4) and diago-
nally (1-2 and 3-4), in order to
prevent overloading individ- 1 3
ual tightening bolts and tilting
the pressure plate.
Ö Proceed similarly in the case of
frames with more than 4 tight-
ening bolts. 4 2

2. Remove the nuts without remov-

ing the tightening bolts. Push the
pressure plate right up to the lock-
ing element.

3. Move the HE plates. The HE

plates must afterwards safely lean
against the fixed plate.

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 Maintenance and repair

4. Now remove the tightening bolts.

To secure the unit, two tightening
bolts should be left in on either
side of the frame.
5. Mark the position of the locking
element. Then move the locking
element right up to the support
column.

6. Move up the pressure plate to the

support column. The second oper-
ator ensures that the plate pack
does not slip. You can now take
out the HE plates.

The procedure is the same for CD frames without a locking element (VT 04, VT 10,
VT 20).

; The PHE with a CD frame is open.

NOTE

The best position of the locking element depends on the size and number of HE
plates. Please contact your GEA Ecoflex service department (see back cover) if you
have any questions on this point.

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 Maintenance and repair

10.2.2 Opening a PHE with B frame

1. Release the nuts of the tightening bolts on the pressure plate.
Ö Proceed as described as step 1 "Opening a CD frame", chapter 10.2.1, page
42.
2. Remove the nuts.
3. Remove all tightening bolts.

; The PHE with a B frame is open.

Remove the HE plates as follows:

1. Move the pressure plate right up
to the support column.
Ö You now have access to the in-
dividual HE plates.

2. For removal, swing the HE plate

out to the side and take it out of
the guiding rail of the carrying
beam.
Ö In the case of some Varitherm
carrying beams, swinging is
only possible to one side.

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 Maintenance and repair

10.3 Mounting the HE plates and closing the PHE

NOTE

Before mounting and closing the PHE, pay attention to the safety notes in
chapter 10.1, page 37 "Preparatory precautions".

ATTENTION
Damage to the HE plates!
Going below the compression dimen-
sion "a min" generally leads to dam-
age to the HE plates and possibly to a
malfunction of the PHE. Ensure that
the plate pack is only compressed to
the necessary dimension
a
"a min." < "a" < "a max.".

NOTE

When all the HE plates are correctly installed, the outside of the plate pack must
show a continuous honeycomb pattern.
You can also check that the plates are in the right order by means of the diagonal
line on the outside of the plate pack, which you painted before opening the PHE.

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 Maintenance and repair

Proceed as follows:
1. Make sure that the gaskets and HE plates are free of foreign matter or contami-
nation.
Ö If necessary, clean them with running water and a soft brush.
2. Check that the gaskets fit correctly in the grooves of the HE plates.
3. Clean the sealing faces of the frame gaskets.
4. For a PHE with a B frame: clean
the HE guiding rail at the carrying
beam and apply a thin layer of oil
to it.
5. Clean the threads of the tighten-
ing bolts as well as the tightening
nuts and apply a thin layer of
grease to these.

6. Mount all the HE plates into the PHE frame in the correct order according to
the flow diagram.
In the case of a CD frame, the following actions are required:
Ö Before installing the HE plates,
screw in two tightening bolts
to serve as securing elements.
Ö Every HE plate you put in
should safely lean against the
fixed plate.
Ö Have another operator hold
and secure the plate pack.

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 Maintenance and repair

Ö Push the pressure plate against

the plate pack and put in the
remaining tightening bolts.
Ö Attach the locking element at
the correct position.

7. Determine the required compression dimension ("a" dimension).

Ö The required compression dimension "a" is
„ in the case of a complete replacement of the gaskets: the "a max" printed on
the name plate.
„ provided that the HE plates are only cleaned and no gaskets are replaced:
the compression dimension written down before opening the PHE.
„ in case of a change in the number of HE plates: the new "a max"-dimension,
which matches the details on the supplied flow diagram and the supplied
modification plate at the name plate.
8. Tighten the tightening bolts according to the procedure described in
chapter 10.2, page 42 "Opening the PHE and removing the HE plates" on alter-
nate sides and diagonally to the necessary compression dimension "a".
9. Carry out a leak test before restarting the PHE.

NOTE

The procedure for the occurrence of leakages is described in chapter 11 on page 55.

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 Maintenance and repair

10.4 Cleaning the PHE

10.4.1 Cleaning the HE plates of the closed PHE

Deposits on the HE plates
„ impair the heat transfer between the flow-through media,
„ increase the pressure loss,
„ can cause or accelerate HE plate corrosion.
The particular PHE application determines
„ the necessity,
„ the type and
„ the frequency of a PHE cleaning.

CIP process

ATTENTION
Danger to persons and environment!
The use of aggressive cleaning agents presents poisoning, chemical burns, and
burning dangers. Make sure that:
„ before the CIP process, you have been instructed in the use and have a good
command of all work steps.
„ during work with aggressive cleaning agents you always wear suitable protec-
tive clothing.
„ the cleaning agent you use is completely removed from the PHE after cleaning.
With CIP ("Cleaning in Place"), a cleaning agent flows through the PHE instead of
the flow-through media. Contaminants are removed by the cleaning solution’s dis-
solving capacity, supported by the mechanical action of the turbulence.

ATTENTION
Damage to the PHE!
The improper use of CIP can damage the PHE. Pay attention to the notes on chemi-
cal cleaning of the HE plates in chapter 10.4.2, page 51 "Cleaning the HE plates of
an open PHE".

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 Maintenance and repair

Backflushing
This process is used if the flow-through media contain coarse particles of contami-
nation and thus block the inlet channels. By briefly reversing the direction of flow,
the particles of contamination are removed from the PHE.

The direction of flow is reversed by

using a suitable pipe configuration
with the appropriate valves. If there is
a risk of the released particles of con- 2F 1F
tamination causing damage to the
PHE, preference should be given to
manual cleaning of the HE plates.

3F 4F

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 Maintenance and repair

10.4.2 Cleaning the HE plates of an open PHE

Manually cleaning the HE plates

ATTENTION
Leakage!
„ At every cleaning, ensure that no particles can settle on or under the gaskets
because this leads to leakages.
„ Hard cleaning tools (e.g. brushes with metal bristles) can damage the metallic
surfaces of the HE plates and the surfaces of the gaskets. Damaged metal sur-
faces can lead to corrosion of the HE plates. Damaged gasket surfaces can lead
to leakages of the PHE when restarting it.
Never use hard cleaning tools.
„ Ensure that the stream of the high-pressure jet always directs face-on at the
gaskets in order to avoid loosening them.
In order to manually clean the HE plates, proceed as follows:
1. For coarse contamination, use a
high-pressure cleaner jet to loosen
the particles.

51
Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Maintenance and repair

2. Wash each plate from both sides

with flowing, warm water and a
soft brush.

; The HE plates have been

manually cleaned.

Chemically cleaning the HE plates

ATTENTION
Leakage!
Chemical cleaning processes can attack the gaskets materials and create leaks. Al-
ways use cleaning agents that do not attack the gaskets materials. Choose a suita-
ble temperature and do not let the cleaning agent take effect on the materials for an
unnecessarily long time.

NOTE

„ Always follow the safety instructions and recommendations of the cleaning

agent manufacturer. Only use chloride-free or low-chloride water with a low
hardness value for the cleaning liquid.
„ Chlorides in the medium reduce the corrosion resistance of chrome-nickel
steels and chrome-nickel-molybdenum steels (including Hastelloy, Incoloy and
Inconel). The intensity of the effect of the chlorides depends on the tempera-
ture, concentration and pH of the medium.
„ Stubborn contamination, such as coatings on the plate surface, which are not
released by the above-described processes, can be loosened by soaking in an
open chemical bath.

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Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Maintenance and repair

„ Choose a cleaning agent suitable for the type of contamination and for the
properties of the HE plates and sealing materials.
Ö You must obtain confirmation from the cleaning agent manufacturer that
the cleaning agents employed will not attack the HE plates or gasket mate-
rials. Clean the HE plates according to the cleaning agent manufacturer’s in-
structions.
„ Before reassembling the cleaned HE plates, always rinse them with sufficient
clean water. Remove foreign matter on the gaskets with a soft brush.

10.5 Replacing HE gaskets

You can find the fixing type of the gasket in the PHE technical documentation. The
gaskets can be either fixed with adhesive into the gasket grooves or pressed into
the grooves without adhesive.
We recommend that you always replace all gaskets at the same time. Use only
original GEA Ecoflex gaskets.

NOTE

You can obtain detailed information about replacing gaskets from your
GEA Ecoflex service department (see back cover)

10.6 Replacing port rings

The type of port ring between the HE plate pack and the frame components de-
pends on the frame type.

NOTE

You can obtain detailed information about replacing port rings from your
GEA Ecoflex service department (see back cover)

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Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Maintenance and repair

10.7 Maintaining the PHE frame

ATTENTION
Loss of operating approval!
You must consult your GEA Ecoflex service department (see back cover) before
changing or replacing PHE frame components. Always use original PHE compo-
nents from GEA Ecoflex because otherwise loss of the operating approval for the
PHE follows.

Regularly carry out simple maintenance work, for example:

„ external cleaning,
„ greasing and
„ touch up varnish damage on the PHE frame.

NOTE

You can obtain detailed information about maintenance of the PHE frame from
your GEA Ecoflex service department (see back cover).

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Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Troubleshooting

11 Troubleshooting

NOTE

On principle, you should reach an agreement with your GEA Ecoflex service de-
partment (see back cover) before repairing faults, in order to avoid improperly per-
formed work on the PHE and its consequences.

In the following you will find a few typical faults that can occur during operation
of a PHE.

11.1 Impaired PHE performance

Fault Cause Remedy

insufficient heat deposits on the HE plates clean the HE plates

transfer
flow paths, media etc. changed have GEA Ecoflex examine the
from the design design of the PHE with the
new operating data

too high-pressure flow impeded by blockage of clean the HE plates

loss the flow channels of the distrib-
utor

flow impeded by incorrect in- check the installation order by

stallation of the HE plates means of the flow diagram

flow paths, media etc. changed have GEA Ecoflex examine the
from the design design of the PHE with the
new operating data

55
Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Troubleshooting

11.2 PHE leakages

Fault Cause Remedy

sealing fault between false compression dimension check the correct compression
the HE plates of the PHE dimension by means of the
data on the name plate

too high working pressures check the working pressures

by means of the data on the
name plate

too high/too low working check the working tempera-

temperatures tures by means of the data on
the name plate

gaskets fitted incorrectly open the PHE and correct the

gaskets’ position
gaskets are dirty open the PHE and clean the
gaskets
gaskets are defective open the PHE and replace the
gaskets
sealing fault between gaskets or port rings fitted in- open the PHE, correct the po-
HE plates and frame, correctly sition of the gaskets or port
intermediate plates, rings
intermediate elements
gaskets or port rings are dirty open the PHE, clean the gas-
kets or port rings

gaskets or port rings are de- open the PHE, replace the
fective gaskets or port rings

sealing fault between too high loads at the pipe reduce connection loads to
pipe connection and connection due to the pipe the admissible parameters
frame plate
seal ring fitted incorrectly loosen the pipe connection
and correct the position of the
seal ring

seal ring is dirty loosen the pipe connection

and clean the seal ring

seal ring is defective loosen the pipe joint and re-

place the seal ring

flange connection is not suffi- check the seal ring and con-
ciently tightened nection and tighten any loose
bolts

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Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Troubleshooting

Fault Cause Remedy

damage to the HE over-tightened plate packs replace defective HE plates

plates (compression dimension less
than "a min")

corrosion of the HE plate check the design of the PHE

material concerning flow-through me-
dia, consult GEA Ecoflex

damage to the start or incorrect earthing during replace defective HE plates

end HE plate welding of special connec-
tions to the open connecting
pipes of the PHE frame

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Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Technical terms

12 Technical terms
Term Meaning

B frame An especially stable frame design, which also allows a

high number of HE plates.

backflushing A cleaning process in which the direction of flow is

regularly reversed. Reversing the direction of flow
flushes the particles of contamination from the PHE.

carrying beam The top component placed between the fixed plate and
support column upon which the HE plates and the
pressure plate are suspended.
Particularity:
In CD frames the carrying beam guides the HE plates.

CD frame A compact PHE frame design (compact design). The

number of HE plates that can be stacked is lower in a
CD frame than in the corresponding B frame.

CIP process (Cleaning in A cleaning process in which the flow channels of the
Place) closed PHE are flushed with specific cleaning solu-
tions.

collector channel The flow channel which is created by the total passage
openings of the HE plates.

compression dimension Dimension referring to the depressurised (!) PHE.

"a" dimension Tighten the HE plate pack placed between the frame
("a max."/"a min") plates to this dimension. Going below the "a min" di-
mension can damage the HE plate pack. The tighten-
ing units adjust the compression dimension.

connection (pipe) The pipe connections intended for the fixed plate and,
if applicable, the pressure plate. The pipe connections
have different designs according to each application
(industrial design, rubber insert piece, metal liner,
flange connection etc.).

connection corner (pipe) Component of the intermediate element in the HE

plate pack. With this intermediate element, multi-stage
designs of a PHE are realised. The connection corners
allow the connection of additional pipes/media (espe-
cially for food applications).

distributor channel see "collector channel"

EcoLoc A fixing system without adhesive for gaskets of the

NT series.

fixed plate The basic component of the PHE frame. The fixed
plate is an unmovable frame plate. Normally, the pipes
are connected to this component.

58
Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Technical terms

Term Meaning

flow-through media The term for the media that are responsible for the
heat transfer in the PHE.

frame plates The fixed plate and the pressure plate of the PHE
frame.

gasket of the HE plates An elemental component for sealing the flow channels
from each other and between the HE plates and the
surroundings or leakage chamber. There are gaskets
that are fixed to the HE plates with adhesive or with-
out adhesive (LocIn, EcoLoc).

guiding bar Component that guides the HE plates and the pressure
plate at the bottom.
Particularity:
In CD frames the HE plates rest on the bottom guiding
bar.

HE plate pack The collective term for all of the HE plates located be-
tween the frame plates, including the gaskets.

HE plates The short form for the term Heat Exchanger plates. An
elemental component that keeps the flow-through me-
dia separated from each other and transfers the heat.

intermediate element A component placed within the HE plate pack. The in-
termediate element has pipe connections along the
sides for multi-stage PHE designs.

intermediate plate A component placed within the HE plate pack. The in-
termediate plate has no pipe connections and is used
for special multi-pass PHE designs.

LocIn A fixing system without adhesive for some elastomer

gaskets.

metal liner A liner of the frame plates in the area of the pipe con-
nections. The material used depends on the applica-
tion (stainless steel, titanium, etc.).

multi-pass PHE A special design of the PHE with internal deflection of

the flow-through media. The construction of multi-
pass PHE always demands pipe connections to the
pressure plate.

multi-stage PHE A special design of the PHE with more than two flow-
through media (use of intermediate elements). With
this PHE design, complex heat transfer tasks are com-
bined in one PHE (heating and cooling, e.g. in the food
stuff industry).

name plate A label attached to the fixed plate of the PHE frame for
identification with the basic data of the PHE (stand-
ardly applied as a gummed label).

59
Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
 Technical terms

Term Meaning

PHE The short form of the term Plate Heat Exchanger.

pressure plate A movable frame plate suspended at the carrying

beam of the PHE frame. This frame plate compresses
the HE plate pack.
The pressure plate can have pipe connections.

rubber insert piece A liner of the frame plates (elastomer) in the area of
the pipe connections. It seals off the pipe connection
and the HE plate pack.

single-pass PHE The standard design of a PHE with two flow-through

media. Normally, the connections are placed on the
fixed plate.

splash protector A safety device attached to the HE plate pack.

GEA Ecoflex generally recommends attaching a splash
protector when using hazardous media.

support column A fixed component of a PHE frame to which the carry-

ing beam and the guiding bar are fixed.

suspending (the pressure Suspending the pressure plate at the carrying beam
plate) (normally with a movable roller). The suspension
makes it possible to move the pressure plate on the
carrying beam.

tightening unit The frame component for compressing the HE plate

packs. It consists of tightening bolts, tightening nuts
and washers.

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Plate Heat Exchanger | July 2003
GEA_Betriebsanltg_U1/U4_E_27.06 27.06.2003 12:28 Uhr Seite 1

Process Equipment
Division

GEA Ecoflex
For more than 75 years, GEA Ecoflex has been developing customer-
oriented and cost-optimised plate heat exchanger solutions for the
following fields of application:
Plate Heat Exchangers

HVAC pulp / paper

general industry food
refrigeration pharmaceutical
sugar marine
chemical power
textile

Technical modification reserved. General Operation Manual 06/03 inform advertising

France Italy Singapore
GEA Ecoflex, France GEA Ecoflex, Italy GEA Ecoflex, Asia Pacific
Phone: + 33 -130 - 146 - 521 Phone: + 39 -0521-965 -453 Phone: + 65 -6336 -7278
Fax: + 33 -130 - 146 - 529 Fax: + 39 -0521-965 -507 Fax: + 65 -6336 -3363
e-mail: info.france@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.italy@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.asia@gea-ecoflex.com

Great Britain Denmark Malaysia

GEA Ecoflex UK Ltd. GEA Ecoflex, Scandinavia GEA Ecoflex (Asia) Snd. Bhd.
Phone: + 44 -190 -955 -1107 Phone: + 45 - 7015 -2200 Phone: +60 -3 - 8060 - 9592
Fax: + 44 -190 -955 -0885 Fax: + 45 - 7015 -2244 Fax: +60 - 3 - 8060 - 9594
e-mail: info.uk@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.scandinavia@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.asia@gea-ecoflex.com

Sweden USA India

GEA Ecobraze AB GEA Ecoflex North America Inc. GEA Ecoflex, India
Phone: + 46 - 418 -446 -160 Phone: + 1-502-962 -3535 Phone: + 91-22 -5590 -8005/6
Fax: + 46 - 418 -446 -177 Fax: + 1-502 -962 -5497 Fax: + 91-22 -5590 -8007
e-mail: info@gea-ecobraze.com e-mail: info.northamerica@gea-ecoflex.com e-mail: info.india@gea-ecoflex.com

General
Your contact:

Karl-Schiller-Str. 1–3, D-31157 Sarstedt

The specifications contained in this printing unit are intended only to serve the non
binding description of our products and services and are not subject to guarantee.
Binding specifications, especially pertaining to performance data and suitability for
Operation Manual
Phone: +49 / 50 66 / 6 01 - 0 · Fax: +49 / 50 66 / 6 01 - 1 04 specific operating purposes, are dependent upon the individual circumstances at
www.gea-ecoflex.com · e-mail: info@gea-ecoflex.com the operation location and can, therefore, only be made in terms of precise requests.