Why do plate exchangers typically serve lower pressure fluids than shell and tube heat exchanger?

Question

According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_exchanger, plate exchangers typically serves lower pressure fluids than shell and tube heat exchanger, why?

Tubes in plate exchangers are simpler and have larger diameter, seems to be more robust to hold higher pressure fluids.

Solar Mike · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-14 11:06:59Z

2

Because the plates are usually very thin for their dimensions and tubes tend to have more strength for the pressure loading.

I would check better references such as Simonson: Heat transfer for more thorough detail instead of wiki...

answered Apr 14 '20 at 11:06

Solar Mike

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$\begingroup$ I thought the plate are metal sheet and the heat go from the pipe to the sheet. Now I realize the plate are also pipes. $\endgroup$
– jw_
Apr 14 '20 at 11:28

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