Spiral Heat Exchanger

A spiral heat exchanger is built from two long metal plates wound together around a central core, forming two separate spiral channels: one carrying the hot fluid, one carrying the cold fluid, each flowing in a true counter-current spiral path between welded spacer studs that set the channel gap.

Because each fluid travels through a single, continuous curved channel rather than being split across many narrow parallel channels as in a plate heat exchanger, the flow in a spiral heat exchanger stays at a constant velocity along its full length. This constant velocity creates a continuous scrubbing action against the channel walls, which is naturally self-cleaning and resists the build-up of solids, fibres or scale far better than a conventional plate pack.

This self-cleaning behaviour is what makes spiral heat exchangers the preferred choice for fluids that would foul, clog or block almost any other heat exchanger design: slurries, sludge, effluent with high suspended solids, and viscous or fibrous process streams. Many spiral designs can also be opened at removable end covers for full mechanical inspection and cleaning of both channels when required.

A single spiral unit can also be configured to handle both duties within one body, for example condensing a vapour on one channel while heating or cooling a liquid on the other, which is useful where two related process duties can be combined into a single compact vessel.

SRJ manufactures spiral heat exchangers in stainless steel for effluent treatment, pulp and paper, sludge handling, and general process duties with heavy fouling potential, with each unit pressure tested and supplied with removable covers for inspection access.