Certifying plate heat exchangers

FRANCE: Eurovent Certita Certification has introduced a new certified performance programme for liquid-to-liquid plate heat exchangers.

The programme was said to have been developed in 2017-2018 with the support of a committee of three major European manufacturers. Eurovent says the development of the programme also involved consultation of European testing laboratories to elaborate a specific and adequate test method based on, among others, EN 1148:1999+A.1:2005.

The requirements for the LPHE programme involve product performance testing, but also production site auditing and selection tool checking. According to Eurovent, these act as complementary guarantees on performance ratings reliability, manufacturing process steadiness and design adequacy.

The scope of the programme covers gasketed plate heat exchangers, brazed plate heat exchangers and fusion-bonded plate heat exchangers used in single-phase heat exchange applications in the HVACR sector. The certified performances include the pressure drop (for primary and secondary sides) and the heat exchange capacity of the plate heat exchanger operated with clean water or clean aqueous solutions (ethylene or propylene glycol, but also ethanol).