The shell-and-tube plate heat exchanger is a structural hybrid between the shell-and-tube heat exchanger and the plate heat exchanger, combining the advantages of both:

*1 The use of plates as the heat transfer surface ensures high heat transfer efficiency. The heat transfer coefficient is approximately twice that of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

*2 Compact structure and small size.

*3 Higher resistance to temperature and pressure; the maximum operating temperature can reach 800 °C and the maximum operating pressure, 6.3 MPa.

*4 The fluid flows at high speed through the flat flow channel, and the plate surface is smooth, so it does not easily become fouled. The plate bundle can be disassembled, making it easy to clean. However, the manufacturing process for this type of heat exchanger is more complex than that of shell-and-tube heat exchangers, involving a large amount of welding and high technical requirements, so its promotion and application are limited. Plate-and-shell heat exchangers are used in industrial sectors such as the chemical industry, paper manufacturing, the pharmaceutical industry, and the food industry. Typical products are mainly used in the food industry, medicine, and other processing industries that require high heat transfer efficiency.