There are many classification methods for heat exchange equipment. Several common classification methods are now introduced as follows:

1. Classified by purpose: It is divided into five categories: heat exchanger, condenser, evaporator, heater and cooler.

1) Heat exchanger: Two media of different temperatures exchange heat, so that one medium is cooled and the other medium is heated to meet their respective needs.

2) Condenser: Two media of different temperatures exchange heat, and one of the media is condensed from a vapor state to a liquid state.

3) Evaporator: The operation of the condenser is just the opposite. One of the two media is evaporated from liquid to vapor.

4) Heater: It simply completes the operation of heating and raising a medium.

5) Cooler: If the heat is not recycled, the heat exchanger that completes the operation of cooling another medium with a coolant (such as water, air) is called a cooler. For example, a heat exchanger that uses air as a coolant is called an air cooler, or air cooler for short.

2. Classified by material: Divided into metal material and non-metal material heat exchanger.

3. Classified by structure: Divided into shell-and-tube heat exchanger and plate heat exchanger.

1) Shell and tube heat exchanger: It is characterized by tube bundles in a circular shell. A medium flows through the channel in the heat exchange tube and its intersecting part (called the shell side). It can be divided into: floating head heat exchanger, u-tube heat exchanger, double tube heat exchanger, fixed tube plate heat exchanger and so on.

2) Plate heat exchanger: It is composed of thin plates pressed into various shapes to form a heat transfer surface. The cold and hot media flow between two adjacent plates. Common plate heat exchangers include flat plate heat exchangers, umbrella plate heat exchangers, spiral plate heat exchangers and plate shell heat exchangers.

3) Hybrid heat exchanger: The feature is that the hot and cold media are directly mixed and used in working conditions, and the heat exchanger is equipped with nozzles and other structures.