Alfa Laval Frontline Gemini Plate Heat Exchanger.

Application
Pasteurization and general cooling/heating of dairy, brewery,
beverage and food products, when a mixproof design is required.
Also applicable for cooling/heating in the pharmaceutical industry.
Working principle
A plate heat exchanger consists of a pack of corrugated metal plates
with port holes for the passage of two fluids between which heat
transfer will take place.
The plate pack is assembled between a fixed frame plate and a
movable pressure plate and compressed by tightening bolts.
The plates are fitted with a gasket which seals the inter-plate channel
and directs the fluids into alternate channels. The number of plates
is determined by the flow rate, physical properties of the fluids and
the temperature program.
Connections may be located in frame plate and pressure plate and if
multi section PHE, also in connection plate
Frame
The plates and the pressure plate are suspended from an upper
carrying bar and located by a lower guiding bar, both of which are
fixed to the support column. The tightening bolts are equipped with
ball bearing washers in order to facilitate opening and closing of the
unit. The frame and support column have adjustable feet.
One unit may contain several heat exchangers, separated by
connection plates with interchangeable connections.
The Gemini plate
The Gemini plates consist of two sheets formed together in order to
minimize the inter-sheet air gap reducing the heat transfer.
The gap between the two sheets is in direct contact with the
atmosphere and is not in contact with any of the liquids. In order not
to trap any liquid between the two sheets, contact to the atmosphere
is safeguarded around the whole periphery of the plate.
The Gemini double wall plates will increase the production safety, as a
crack in a plate do not result in mixing of the two media.

The plate pack
The chevron corrugation of the plates provides a passage between
the plates and supports each plate against the adjacent one. It also
enhances the turbulence, resulting in efficient heat transfer.
Different chevron angles are available to reach the optimal high heat
transfer at a given pressure drop. A unique distribution area provides
an efficient flow over the plate surface. The Alfa Laval hanging system
enables easy handling of the plates in the frame. Furthermore the
corner guiding provides a strong plate pack. The plates are reversible
and have parallel flow, which means that only one type of gasket
is needed.
Plate Types
Front6 Gemini, Front8 Gemini and Front10 Gemini.
Other plates of the FrontLineâ„¢ series are the Front and WideStream®
plates.
The gasket
The FrontLineâ„¢ plates are supplied with glue-free Clip-On gaskets,
which are easy to replace even with the plates still hanging in the frame.
The material of gaskets are selected for safe use in connection with
pharmaceutical and food products.