Pressure breaker
As part of Alfa Laval’s energy efficient solution for cooling tall buildings, gasketed plate heat exchangers serve as pressure interceptors to protect equipment such as chillers and air conditioning units against excessive pressure.
Advantages of plate heat exchangers as pressure breakers
- Compact and only require normal room height, which makes installation easy, even in buildings with limited space.
- Do not cause any vibrations or noise.
- Economical for building owners as the rest of the floor can be rented out without the tenants being disturbed.
The entire chilled water system will be designed for low pressure, for example 10 bar (150 psig). This means cost savings in the chiller as well as in the selection of air handling units and other system equipment. Instead of having many chillers in a building, plate heat exchangers can be placed on several floors as pressure interceptors.
How pressure breaker works
In tall buildings, the static head creates a pressure that may exceed what the chiller condenser or room air conditioners can handle. A plate heat exchanger will then split the circuit in order to keep the pressure at an acceptable level. It is possible to put plate heat exchangers on different levels throughout the building, thus limiting the pressure and the corresponding requirements on, for
example, pumps, piping and valves.
Plate heat exchangers are used as pressure breakers to protect other equipment like chillers and air condition units from excessive pressure. It is a compact, low-noise, no-worries solution.
How to relieve pressure and ensure safety in skyscrapers
Placing gasketed plate heat exchangers on different levels throughout a skyscraper limits the pressure on HVAC piping systems and other equipment. Resulting in consistent cooling on all levels of the building.
The height of efficiency
For maximum energy efficiency, pressure breakers need to perform with a minimum of temperature losses. Alfa Laval gasketed plate heat exchangers ensure superior heat recovery and minimal losses in transferring the cooling media in the complete building – even in extraordinary high constructions. Our heat exchangers are performing this role in the world’s 10 tallest buildings.