CHX Series Compact Heat Exchangers

Brass Shell Construction for Small Duties at Higher Pressure

The CHX exists for duties too small to justify an SU or WU and too demanding for a simple coil. Shell diameters start at 2 inches, shell lengths at 8 inches, and the whole unit fits where a larger exchanger would not.

The brass shell is the defining feature. Where the SU and WU use a steel shell, the CHX shell is brass. That changes both the corrosion behaviour and the pressure rating: the CHX carries a 300 PSI shell rating against the 150 PSI of the larger ranges. On a small high-pressure loop that difference is often the whole reason for the selection.

Pass arrangements run 1, 2 and 4. A single pass gives the lowest pressure drop and the simplest flow path; two and four pass raise tube-side velocity where the flow is low. On the smallest shells the single-pass arrangement is frequently the right answer simply because there is not much flow to work with.

Where the CHX fits in the range. Think of it as the small-duty, higher-pressure member of the family. If the duty grows, the CHXS covers the same sizes with a steel shell, and above that the WU range begins at 4 inches and continues to 30.

Legacy designations. Alongside the 5-030 catalogue numbers, older CHX units carry designations such as CHX436-2L, where the digits encode shell diameter and length and the suffix records the pass and connection arrangement. Either form identifies the unit.