Counterflow plate heat exchangers
Air flow through counterflow plate heat exchanger
Operation
The Gotthard plate heat exchanger transfers energy through thin but stable separating plates. It features highly efficient heat transfer, combining counterflow and crossflow sections. The warm and cold air streams pass each other in crossflow. Energy is transferred between the air streams purely by heat conduction as a result of the temperature difference.
The exchanger package consists of specially formed aluminium plates. Their profile is an optimum design resulting from detailed tests for temperature efficiency, pressure drop and stability. There are different plate sizes, which are formed with different profile depths, i.e. for different plate spacings and thus different efficiency values.
The plates are connected by a double fold. This gives a several-fold material thickness at the air inlet and outlet, which provides the exchanger package with particularly high stability and leak-tightness.
Counterflow plate heat exchanger design
Gotthard (G type)
The combination of specially developed profiles and optimised plate spacing significantly reduces pressure drops while maintaining consistently high heat transfer. This means that less drive energy is required for the fans, which effectively reduces the operating costs of the AHU.
Proven design details such as double fold connections make the Gotthard particularly leak-tight and stable. The fans can be positioned flexibly without any pressure drops or leakages, meaning that AHUs can be designed to be up to 20% shorter.
With air flow rates of up to 100 000 m³/h, the Gotthard plate heat exchanger achieves a capacity that was previously only possible with crossflow fans. It is available in eleven finely graded sizes and in three performance classes with heat recovery efficiency values of 74%, 77% and 81%. By varying the pressure drop, heat recovery efficiency value, height and width (up to 4800 mm), it is always possible to find the ideal solution.
The Gotthard is available ex works as a ready-to-install plug and play unit with matching attachments (bypass, control dampers and adapters). This reduces installation time by up to 80% and guarantees optimal air flow. Delivery can also be modular if required.
What’s more, the Gotthard is also available in a corrosion-resistant version and for recirculation operation.
Areas of application
Hoval Gotthard plate heat exchangers are energy recovery units for installation in ventilation and air-conditioning units. The suitability of the exchangers for use both in general ventilation technology and in hygiene applications is certified by independent test institutes.
Application limits
- Size: 055–085 (individual), 110-255 (combi)
- Air flow rate from approx. 200 to 100 000 m³/h
- Width from 200 to 4800 mm
- Differential pressure max. 2000 Pa
- Temperature
Exchanger: -40…90°C
Dampers: -40…80°C
The Gotthard combines counterflow efficiency with crossflow air flow rate.
