A heat exchanger is a system used to transfer heat between two more fluid Heat exchangers are used in both cooling and heating processes.The fluids may be separated by a solid wall to prevent mixing or they may be in direct contact. They are widely used in space heating , refrigeration , air conditioning , power stations , chemical plants , petrochemical plants , petroleum refineries , natural-gas processing , and sewage treatment . The classic example of a heat exchanger is found in an internal combustion engine in which a circulating fluid known as engine coolant flows through radiator coils and air flows past the coils, which cools the coolant and heats the incoming air . Another example is the heat sink , which is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic ...