A heat exchanger is a device which transfers heat from one medium to another, a Hydraulic Oil Cooler or example will remove heat from hot oil by using cold water or air. Alternatively a Swimming Pool Heat Exchanger uses hot water from a boiler or solar heated water circuit to heat the pool water. Heat is transferred by conduction through the exchanger materials which separate the mediums being used. A shell and tube heat exchanger passes fluids through and over tubes, where as an air cooled heat exchanger passes cool air through a core of fins to cool a liquid.

TYPES:

Shell and Tube; Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers consist of a large number of small tubes which are located within a cylindrical shell. The tubes are positioned into the cylinder using a tube bundle or "tube stack" which can either have fixed tube plates

Plate Type; Plate Heat Exchangers operate in very much the same way as a shell and tube heat exchanger, using a series of stacked plates rather than tubes. Plate heat exchangers are usually brazed or gasketed depending on the application and fluids being used. Their compact stainless steel construction makes them an ideal choice for use with refrigerants or in food and beverage processing.