Ensuring the normal operation of the hydraulic system: The role of plate heat exchangers in the cooling of construction machinery

During the operation of construction machinery such as excavators and impact hammers, the hydraulic system works for a long time and generates heat. When the oil temperature exceeds the designed range, the viscosity of the hydraulic oil will decrease, and the service life of the seals will also be put to the test. Therefore, controlling the temperature of the hydraulic oil is an important step in ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the equipment. 

Plate heat exchangers are currently one of the commonly used types of equipment in the hydraulic cooling circuits of construction machinery. They are composed of a group of corrugated metal plates stacked together. The cold and hot media flow through the channels on both sides of the plates, and heat is transferred through the plate walls. Compared with traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers have certain advantages in terms of volume and weight, which are particularly practical for construction machinery with limited space for layout. The corrugated plate design of the heat exchanger can increase the degree of fluid turbulence, which helps improve the heat exchange efficiency and enables the hydraulic oil to quickly return to the appropriate working temperature range after passing through the heat exchanger. Reasonable oil temperature control plays an important role in the sealing performance of hydraulic components and the chemical stability of hydraulic oil. 

It is worth noting that the application of plate heat exchangers in construction machinery equipment has been continuously expanding in recent years. Market research data indicates that the global market size of plate heat exchangers will be approximately 5.1 billion US dollars in 2025, and is expected to increase to 11.5 billion US dollars by 2035. At the Chinese market level, the market size of plate heat exchanger units is expected to reach 10.8 billion yuan in 2025. With the continuous increase in the number of construction machinery in use, the market size of supporting cooling equipment is also expanding simultaneously. 

The pipeline of the crusher is a component in the hydraulic system that is highly sensitive to oil temperature. The high-pressure hydraulic oil flows rapidly through the pipeline. If the cooling is improper, the increase in oil temperature may accelerate the aging of the sealing materials and affect the reliability of the pipeline connection. In scenarios where excavators and other equipment perform long-term crushing operations, the hydraulic oil undergoes continuous and high-intensity circulation. The plate-type heat exchanger assumes a more prominent cooling task. Among the existing heat exchange technologies in the industry, the structural forms of the plate-type heat exchangers are diverse. Some models that adopt the brazing process do not require sealing gaskets, which can reduce the risk of leakage. Users select different specifications of heat exchangers based on the power level of the equipment and the operating conditions, which has become a common practice in the aftermarket service of construction machinery. As the requirements for temperature control in the hydraulic system continue to increase, the role of the plate-type heat exchanger in the cooling circuit will become more clear.