Heat Exchanger Suitable for Small scale, high pressure
Double-Pipe (Hairpin) Heat Exchanger
This is often the default and most economical choice for this specific niche. It is essentially a pipe within a pipe.Why it’s suitable for high pressure: Its design is fundamentally strong. It contains pressure just like a standard pipe, which can be rated for extremely high
- pressures (over 1000 bar/15,000 psi is possible with thick-walled pipes and special fittings). There are no large-diameter vessels to build.
- Why it’s suitable for small scale: The surface area is limited by the length and diameter of the pipes. While you can add multiple hairpins in series, it remains a fundamentally simple and small-scale solution.
- Advantages:
- Extremely High Pressure Capability.
- Simple construction, easy to understand and maintain.
- Can handle high temperature differences and thermal expansion.
- Disadvantages:
- Low compactness (low surface area to volume ratio).
- Becomes bulky and expensive if a very large duty is required.
- Ideal Applications: Sample coolers, high-pressure gas cooling, chemical process injection points, supercritical fluid processing.