SWEP B4

Read the field after the slash. The published example, B4H/1P-NC-M, is single pass: each fluid travels the plate length once, with all four connections normally on the front cover.

A multi-pass build sends a fluid along the plate more than once. That lengthens the thermal path on a 193.50 mm plate, which helps when a large temperature change is needed at a small flow, and it costs pressure drop. It also moves connections to the back cover. So a single-pass unit cannot stand in for a multi-pass one, or the reverse, even at the same plate count - the ports end up in the wrong places.

It limits what the ports will pass. The 1.2 m3/h (5.28 GPM) figure is a ceiling set by port size, not a recommended operating flow, and it applies whatever the plate count.

Adding plates does not raise it. A selection that needs more water than that is on the wrong frame however much surface is added, and the sign is a pressure drop that stays high as plates are added, because the loss is in the ports. Move up a frame at that point - the B5T and B8T are the next steps in this flow band.

Surface, pressure drop and depth. Each plate adds heat transfer area and one more channel to share the flow, so a longer pack runs at lower velocity and lower pressure drop and reaches a closer approach.

On a frame this small the limits arrive quickly. Each channel holds 0.0093 dm3, and with the flow capped by the ports, a high plate count spreads a small flow across many channels. Velocity can fall low enough for distribution to become uneven and for fine debris to settle, which is why the 0.4 mm particle limit matters more as the pack grows. A full 100-plate pack weighs about 3.9 kg (8.6 lb) on the published formula.

No. They are close enough to be confused and different enough not to interchange without checking. The B4 plate is 193.50 x 76 mm; the B4T is 194.50 x 76.90 mm. Both are 304 stainless with copper braze, and both carry the same 5.28 GPM flow ceiling.

The T marks a plate generation, and the two are physically different plates. SWEP describes the B4T in the M pressure class as an efficient, robust unit for various applications with a capacity range up to 30 kW. On a replacement, copy the designation exactly, including the presence or absence of the T, and match the pressure class letter. If the nameplate is ambiguous, send us a photo and we will confirm which one it is.

These models are catalogued alongside the B4. Each has its own page with its dimensions, materials and part numbers.

SWEP B4T - A small copper-brazed plate heat exchanger for refrigerant and cooling duties up to 30 kW.