Capability of identifying and predicting the technical condition of plate heat exchangers in operation

The paper presents a test stand for plate heat exchangers, allowing to identify the technical condition and to predict durability of the heat exchangers used aboard the sea-going ships: ”Oceanograf”, ”Władysław Orkan”and a passenger-car ferry, under the condition that they are of the same type and manufactured by the same company. In the first part three different installations with plate heat exchangers in the engine rooms of sea-going ships were chosen. Then for those ship installations heat exchangers were selected similar to the plate heat exchangers installed on the laboratory test stand. Next a diagnostic model was developed based on the heat similarity. At the end the measurement results were analysed and it was concluded that durability of plate heat exchangers operated aboard sea-going ships could be predicted.