Solutions

Which heat exchanger technology for your duty?

Nexson Group builds eight heat exchanger technologies. Together they span −253 °C to 1,000 °C, from full vacuum to 1,400 bar, and 1 m² to 25,000 m² of heat transfer surface but no single one covers all of it.

One constraint decides, and the rest is sized around it: particle size, viscosity, pressure, temperature, phase change or corrosion. The table below starts from each of them.

At a glance

If your duty involves… Model Operating envelope
Spiral plate — GREENSPIRAL™
liquid-to-liquid fouling duties, particles up to 14 mm Type 1 L/L −100 °C to 450 °C, full vacuum to 25 bar. 1 m² to 700 m². Approach down to 3 °C. Up to 3× more thermally efficient than a shell-and-tube; one unit can replace three.
the same duties, at high pressure, particles up to 14 mm Type 1 HP −100 °C to 500 °C, full vacuum to 100 bar. 1 m² to 700 m². Approach down to 3 °C. Oil & gas, refining, chemicals.
sludge and biosolids, free-flow channels, particles up to 14 mm Type 1 BB / BW Up to 150 °C and 8 bar. 1 m² to 100 m². BB: free flow both sides, two independently openable channels. BW: free flow on the biosolids side, one channel opens without dismantling the pipework.
condensing, evaporation, near-vacuum service, particles up to 14 mm Type 2 −100 °C to 450 °C, full vacuum to 25 bar. 1 m² to 700 m². Pressure drop down to 0.015 psi (0.1 kPa). Mountable directly on a distillation column.
large condensing duties, particles up to 14 mm Type 2 Column −100 °C to 450 °C, full vacuum to 25 bar. 1 m² to 3,000 m². Several spiral exchangers welded in series inside one shell.
steam heating of a fouling or viscous medium, particles up to 14 mm Type 3 −100 °C to 450 °C, full vacuum to 25 bar. 1 m² to 700 m². Approach down to 3 °C. Steam crossflow in a fully open channel; inert gases easily removed.
Tube - GREENTUBE™
wastewater and biosolids, particles up to 30 mm on both sides RT – rectangular tube Up to 150 °C and 8 bar. Up to 60 m² per module, in series or parallel. Pressure drop below 1 bar. Fully welded, openable version available.
high viscosity, up to 1,000 cP TT - tube-in-tube −20 °C to 200 °C. Above 50 bar depending on configuration. Modules up to 6 m. Pressure drop below 1 bar. Inner tubes cleaned without full disassembly.
very large duty, cryogenic service, or several fluids in one unit CW - coil wound −250 °C to 650 °C. Up to 300 bar shell side, 1,400 bar tube side. Up to 25,000 m² in a single shell, against roughly 3,000 m² for a shell-and-tube. Up to 8 media simultaneously, 6× the transfer coefficient, one tenth of the footprint, approach below 5 °C.
Welded plate - GREENBOX™
clean media, compact footprint, close approach Type S −46 °C to 400 °C, full vacuum to 50 bar. 2 m² to 400 m². Designed to API 662. Patented corner design, removable side panels, interchangeable core.
clean media at very high pressure and temperature, thermal shock Type W −200 °C to 400 °C, full vacuum to 130 bar. 1 m² to 500 m². Circular shell, multi-channel with adjustable baffles.
Plate & shell - GREEN P&S
corrosive or high-pressure duty, with mechanical cleaning access Type O - openable −196 °C to 500 °C, full vacuum to 120 bar. 2 m² to 2,000 m². DN25 to DN300. Plate pack removable from the shell.
corrosive or high-pressure duty, fully welded, no gaskets Type W - welded −196 °C to 500 °C, full vacuum to 150 bar. 2 m² to 2,000 m². DN25 to DN300. Plate pack and shell welded but independent, allowing free expansion.
flooded evaporation, ammonia refrigeration, heat pumps, ORC Type K - kettle −196 °C to 500 °C, full vacuum to 120 bar. 2 m² to 2,000 m². Three-stage separation, expansion zone, dynamic stage, demister, against liquid carry-over to compressors.
Printed circuit - PCHE
extreme pressure or temperature, hydrogen, supercritical CO₂, minimal footprint PCHE −253 °C to 1,000 °C, up to 1,000 bar. Diffusion-bonded, no gaskets and no welds. Channels 0.1 to 2 mm, surface density up to 6,000 m²/m³, 85 to 90 % smaller and lighter than a shell-and-tube for the same duty.
Gasketed, semi-welded and double wall plate - thermoline™ of thermowave
standard HVAC and process duties ECO Gasketed and double wall. Full vacuum to 16 bar. Plate pack reconfigurable to change the thermal programme.
cooling of food, process fluids, premises and buildings VARIO Gasketed, semi-welded and double wall. Full vacuum to up to 30 bar depending on frame. Capacity adjusted by adding or removing plates.
food and beverage, pasteurisation PURE Gasketed, semi-welded and double wall. Full vacuum to 22–25 bar depending on frame. Heat recovery up to 96 %. Food-contact materials, aseptic and dairy connections.
industrial refrigeration with natural refrigerants CO₂ and NH₃, in cascade PLUS Gasketed, semi-welded and double wall, laser-welded modules. Up to 63 bar module side. Cleaning possible at 50 bar. Six frame types.

This information is provided for guidance only; we are able to design fully tailor-made products and adapt to your production process.

Common questions

What decides which heat exchanger technology to use?

The single most demanding constraint of the duty. For fouling fluids it is particle size: spiral plate exchangers handle particles up to 14 mm, and above that a rectangular tube design handles up to 30 mm on both sides. Above 1,000 cP of viscosity, a tube-in-tube design is used. For pressure, the range runs from 8 bar on biosolids duties to 150 bar for a fully welded plate & shell, 1,000 bar for a printed circuit exchanger and 1,400 bar on the tube side of a coil wound unit. Surface area, materials and connections are sized afterwards.

What is the highest pressure a Nexson heat exchanger can handle?

1,400 bar on the tube side of a coil wound exchanger, and 300 bar on its shell side. A printed circuit exchanger reaches 1,000 bar. Among plate technologies, the plate & shell Type W reaches 150 bar fully welded, the Type O 120 bar with a removable plate pack, and the welded plate Type W 130 bar.

What is the lowest temperature available for cryogenic or LNG service?

−253 °C with a printed circuit exchanger, −250 °C with a coil wound exchanger, −200 °C with a welded plate Type W, and −196 °C with a plate & shell. Spiral plate exchangers operate down to −100 °C.

Which heat exchanger for corrosive fluids?

Material selection decides more than technology. Spiral plate and rectangular tube exchangers are available in 304L and 316L, duplex and superduplex, 254 SMO, C276, 904L, Alloy 59, titanium Gr1 and Gr2, and SA516 Gr60 and Gr70 carbon steel. Where the duty is both corrosive and demanding on access, the plate & shell Type O allows the plate pack to be removed from the shell for inspection and mechanical cleaning.

Which heat exchanger for condensing, evaporation or vacuum duties?

A spiral plate Type 2, with a pressure drop as low as 0.015 psi (0.1 kPa), which is what makes near-vacuum condensing possible. It can be mounted directly on a distillation column. For large condensing duties, the Type 2 Column stacks several spiral exchangers welded in series inside one shell, up to 3,000 m². For flooded evaporation with ammonia, a plate & shell Type K kettle reboiler separates in three stages to prevent liquid carry-over to compressors.

What is the difference between a division and a solution on this site?

A division is an industry, energy, environment, food. A solution is a fluid problem: fouling, large particles, high viscosity, corrosion. The same technology can serve several industries, and one industry may need several technologies.

Can Nexson size the exchanger from process data?

Yes. Flow rates, inlet and outlet temperatures, and solids content are enough to start. Adding fluid type, particle size and viscosity lets the design office recommend a technology as well as size the unit.

A thermal constraint or a challenging fluid?

Please provide us with your flow rates, temperatures, and solids content. Our sales representatives and engineering team will design the exact solution for your process.

Address

685 rue Jules Verne
58600 Garchizy, France

Nexson Group © 2026 All rights reserved.