For spiral plate heat exchangers that are subjected to significant changes in medium flow and pressure, and are used in multi-pass configurations over extended periods, plate misalignment is prone to occur. Once misalignment occurs, external leakage may quickly follow, necessitating timely attention.

The primary causes of misalignment include: deformation of the spiral plate heat exchanger plates; and the sealing gasket sliding out of the plate gasket slot. To address this misalignment, it is necessary to promptly replace the deformed plates and the gasket that has slipped out of the slot. In the absence of maintenance equipment on-site, the spiral plate heat exchanger should be treated simply. During operation, whether the plates develop deformation, cracks, or perforations, or the gaskets become aged, fractured, or misaligned, timely replacement is required.

In the event that spare parts are not available on-site and the spiral plate heat exchanger cannot be shut down, a concise on-site solution should be implemented. The concise on-site solution involves removing the damaged plates and those with leaks in pairs (Plate A + Plate B). If the quantity is not substantial, reducing the number of flow channels by a small amount is sufficient, and the assembly can be continued for use without significantly impacting the heat exchange.