Heat exchangers for research and development
Investigate heat transfer with laboratory heat exchangers designed around defined test conditions and the requirements of your experimental setup.
Research and development starts with a question. How should a medium be heated or cooled? How can heat recovery be investigated experimentally? Does a proposed design match the intended process? A heat exchanger for laboratory work is selected around that question and the corresponding operating data. The same approach applies to university and institute test rigs as to industrial process development.
Turning a research question into a thermal task
Begin by describing the experiment, including the media, required duty and temperatures. Set out the operating conditions you intend to investigate as well. A clear description helps establish the heat exchanger’s role within the complete installation and the requirements that its design needs to address.
Laboratory heat exchangers are intended for small duties and compact experimental setups. They are sized for the customer’s operating data, with the design, connections and mountings matched to the test rig. Selection therefore follows the research task and the conditions of the specific installation. Describing an application as a laboratory experiment does not, by itself, determine the appropriate type of heat exchanger.
Defining conditions for experimental work
A defined heat transfer area provides a basis for reproducible test conditions. It is one of the characteristics to consider when planning an experiment involving heat transfer. Together with the intended operating data, it describes the thermal task for which the unit will be selected and sized.
If a series of experiments will cover different operating conditions, identify them in the enquiry. Planned changes to the media or installation should also be discussed. This helps establish which requirements belong to the current design and which may need another assessment later. Equipment selected for an agreed task should not be assumed to suit any future experiment without reviewing the changed requirements.
Integrating the heat exchanger into a test rig
The unit also needs to fit the laboratory installation mechanically. Available space and requirements for connections and mountings are useful inputs to the design discussion. Include these details alongside the thermal operating data, particularly when the test rig layout has already been established.
For special operating conditions or tightly constrained installation spaces, custom heat exchangers may be an appropriate option. These are developed in close cooperation with the customer. Whether an adapted laboratory unit is sufficient or a custom design is needed depends on the requirements of the experiment.
Moving from research towards process development
If a process investigated in the laboratory will later be explored at pilot scale, the pilot plant application page provides the related context. To start a discussion about a research project, use the enquiry page to describe the experimental objective and the operating data already available. Include any open questions so they can be addressed as the requirements are developed.
Typical processes
- Heating and cooling media in laboratory experiments
- Investigating heat transfer on test rigs
- Exploring heat recovery at a small scale
- Validating designs in research and process development
Frequently asked questions
Which heat exchangers are suitable for research experiments?
Laboratory heat exchangers are intended for small duties and experimental installations. Suitability for a particular research task depends on the media, required duty, temperatures and installation layout.
Why does a defined heat transfer area matter?
A defined heat transfer area provides a basis for reproducible test conditions. The intended operating data must also be known when sizing the heat exchanger for the experiment.
What if the test conditions will change?
Include the planned operating conditions in the initial enquiry. A unit sized for particular operating data is not automatically suitable for every subsequent change to an experiment.
What if the heat exchanger does not fit the test rig?
Connections and mountings on laboratory heat exchangers can be matched to the installation. Particularly tight spaces or special operating conditions may call for a custom design developed together with the customer.
Send us your operating parameters
Media, capacity, temperatures: we size the right heat exchanger and get back to you with a quote, or with a few questions if we need further details.