An evaporator absorbs process heat while refrigerant evaporates. Plate or shell-and-tube selection depends on fluid, pressure loss, cleaning, temperature approach and the equipment design.

Choosing the construction

Compact plate exchangers and shell-and-tube designs offer different operating and maintenance characteristics. Capacity range alone does not identify the construction. The existing Vega tables show that evaporator type can vary between models in one series.

Fouling and freezing

Check water quality, filtration, minimum flow and glycol requirements. Fouling reduces heat transfer; low flow or inadequate freeze protection can cause damage. Cleaning chemicals must suit the actual plate, tube and seal materials.

Selection information

Specify inlet and outlet temperatures, actual fluid properties and allowable pressure loss together. If an intermediate exchanger separates the process and cooling circuits, its temperature approach must be included in chiller selection.

Project inputs and calculation boundaries

For a quotation, specify approximate heat duty, fluid, inlet and outlet temperatures, flow, pressure loss and operating hours. Design ambient conditions, indoor or outdoor location and electrical infrastructure are also selection inputs. Flow and temperature readings must represent the same operating point. Do not transfer a catalogue capacity directly to different temperatures; confirm model performance at the required duty.

Commissioning and operating records

Check circuit cleanliness, filtration, air removal, proven flow and sensor readings. Record reference water temperatures and load conditions during commissioning. These values provide a baseline for maintenance and alarm investigations. Confirm pumps, tanks, connections and control options against the agreed quotation scope.

Frequently asked questions

Is the series capacity range sufficient for final selection?

No. Confirm the actual model at the required fluid temperature, ambient conditions, fluid properties and hydraulic duty.

Is cooling capacity the electrical consumption?

No. Cooling kW and electrical-input kW are different quantities. An energy assessment also needs actual load and operating hours.

What information is needed for a quotation?

Provide the industry or equipment, target temperature, approximate duty, flow, ambient conditions, operating hours and details of the existing system.

Technical reference

Alfa Laval — heat-exchanger working principles

These explanations provide general engineering guidance. Examples are not field measurements or performance guarantees for a particular model.