Spiral heat exchangers are made of metal sheets rolled into a spiral and welded together using a special method. The sheets form the heat exchange surface and the channels through which the flows move. The channel height can vary from 6 to 20 millimeters, and the channel width ranges from 0.25 to 1.5 meters.
The main advantage of a spiral heat exchanger is its compactness and low hydraulic resistance, which is a lesser issue compared to shell and tube heat exchangers.
The main drawback of spiral heat exchangers is their limited ability to operate at high pressures and the complexity of their manufacturing. Spiral heat exchangers can be either removable or non-removable (welded). They are most commonly made from stainless steel.
