Applications
In short
A gasketed plate heat exchanger is a compact way to cool lubricating or hydraulic oil with a water or glycol circuit. Oil is thicker than water and changes with temperature, so the plates, the gaskets and the arrangement are chosen for the oil itself. TECS designs and manufactures gasketed plate heat exchangers for oil cooling duties, and the TECS engineering team does the selection.
Most oil coolers we are asked about sit next to something that must not stop: a turbine bearing system, a gearbox, a compressor, a press or a hydraulic power unit. The oil carries heat away from the machine, and somewhere that heat has to leave the oil before it goes back in. A gasketed plate heat exchanger does that job with cooling water on the other side, in a fraction of the space of an older tube bundle cooler.
Oil is not water, though, and a plate exchanger that works well on a water duty can disappoint on oil if it is treated as the same thing.
Why Oil Is A Different Duty
Oil is thick, and it gets thicker as it cools. Near the plate wall the oil is cooler and moves more slowly than in the middle of the channel, so it gives up its heat less readily than water would. The plate pattern and the way the channels are grouped have to keep the oil moving and mixing without asking the oil pump for more than it can give.
A cold start matters too. After a stop the oil in the circuit can be much thicker than in normal running, and the exchanger sees that thick oil first. Many oil systems have a bypass or a thermostatic valve for this reason, and the exchanger should be chosen with that start-up in mind, not only the steady running point.
Gaskets That Live With Oil
The gasket is the part that touches both the oil and the water, and not every rubber compound tolerates mineral or synthetic oils. Some swell, some harden. The gasket material is chosen from the actual oil, its additives and its running temperature, which is why the oil type and, where possible, its product data sheet belong in the enquiry. A gasket picked for water alone is one of the commonest reasons for an early leak on an oil cooler.
Which Side Should Leak First
Plant engineers often ask what happens if a plate or gasket fails. In a gasketed unit the gaskets have a vented area between the two fluids, so a gasket leak shows up on the outside of the pack rather than mixing oil and water inside. Even so, the site should decide which way it would rather see contamination go if a plate is ever damaged: water in the oil can ruin bearings, oil in the cooling water can foul a tower or a river discharge. That decision shapes how the two circuits are pressurised and is worth stating early.
Cleaning And Service
The oil side of a cooler usually stays fairly clean if the oil is filtered. The water side is where deposits build up, especially with open tower water or raw water. Being able to open the frame, clean the plates and refit them is the reason many plants choose a gasketed unit for oil cooling, and a spare gasket set on the shelf keeps a planned stop short.
TECS designs and manufactures gasketed plate heat exchangers, spare plates and gaskets for projects worldwide. Send the fluids, the duty and the site, and the engineering team will answer.
In Short
- Cools lube or hydraulic oil with a water or glycol circuit
- Oil is thick and thickens when cold, so the plates are chosen for the oil
- The gasket material must suit the oil and its additives
- Cold start and bypass arrangement matter, not only normal running
- The water side usually needs the cleaning; the frame can be opened
- Selected by the TECS engineering team from the data you send
What To Send With An Enquiry
- Oil type and brand name, or its data sheet
- Machine or system the oil serves
- Heat to be removed and the oil and water conditions
- Cooling water source and its quality
- Allowed pressure loss on the oil side
- Any rules on which fluid may leak into which
Questions We Are Often Asked
Can a gasketed plate heat exchanger cool hydraulic oil?
Yes. It is a common use. The plates and the gasket material are chosen for the oil, and cooling water or a glycol circuit takes the heat away.
Why does oil need a different selection from water?
Oil is much thicker and its thickness changes strongly with temperature, so it transfers heat differently and needs a plate arrangement suited to it.
Which gasket is used for oil?
One whose rubber compound tolerates the specific oil and its additives. The TECS engineering team chooses it from the oil data in the enquiry.
What happens at a cold start?
The oil is thicker than in normal running. Many systems use a bypass or thermostatic valve, and the exchanger is selected with that start-up in mind.
Which side needs cleaning more often?
Usually the water side, especially with tower or raw water. The oil side stays fairly clean when the oil is well filtered.
Contact Us
Send us the fluids on both sides, the heat duty, the flow rates and temperatures and the site. We answer with a selection and an offer - or write to us on WhatsApp.
