What is the difference between “random packed” and “structured” heat exchange media?
Random packed media consists of relatively small ceramic pieces of a repetitive shape such as saddles, bow ties, dog bones, etc. Random packed has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and easy to handle in bulk. Random packed media has the disadvantage of high pressure drop due to turbulent flow, limited thermal efficiency and erosion. Random packed media is also more susceptible to plugging from particulates and condensables. Structured media consists of monolithic blocks of straight channeled cells. Structured media has laminar flow and therefore offers much better performance in terms of pressure drop and thermal efficiency. Structured media is considerably more labor intensive to install, however, structured media does not erode and does not require the maintenance and replenishment of random packed media.
