Plate type heat exchanger

• US 4,249,597 A
• Filed: 05/07/1979
• Issued: 02/10/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Carey, Van P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richter, Sheldon J.
• Application Number:
  US06/036,346
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 165/70, 165/140, 165/166, 165/167
• US Class Current: 165/166
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/30 with means for exchanging heat between two or more working fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/0025 the conduits for one medium or the conduits for both media being flat tubes or arrays of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/005 the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/0056 with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside conduits; with centrally arranged openings on the plates
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2215/04 Assemblies of fins having different features, e.g. with different fin densities
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/042 in the form of local deformations of the element
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/083 capable of being taken apart
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/362 Heat exchange liquids separated by double walls

Abstract

A heat exchanger plate cooperable with a plate of like configuration to form a pair of manifolds and a connecting passage with the plate also cooperable with another plate of another pair of like configuration so as to nest therewith to provide an adjoining double wall between separate passages formed by adjacent arranged pairs of plates.

Claims

1. A plate of uniform thickness arrangeable with plates of like kind to form a heat exchanger having passages for two fluids separated by an adjoining pair of walls, said plate comprising a planar portion, a series of protuberant channel portions protruding in the same direction from said planar portion, said series including at least two parallel rows extending across the plate, said series divided into three groups extending across said rows comprising first and second groups at opposite end portions of the rows and a third group intermediate said first and second groups, the channel portions in said first and second groups oriented at opposite oblique angles to said rows, and the channel portions in said third group having sides oriented at opposite oblique angles to said rows and having less protuberance than the channel portions in said first and second groups whereby a pair of the plates are arrangeable with their dimple sides facing each other so that their planar portions sealingly abut and the channel portions in their first group cross to interconnect and also the channel portions in their second group cross to interconnect while the channel portions in their third group register to connect the first and second groups to thereby form a sealed fluid passage between the plates and whereby a plurality of pairs of the sealingly abutting plates are also arrangeable in adjoining relationship with their protuberant sides facing each other so that two pairs of sealingly abutting plates have the channel portions in their third group abutting while the channel portions in their first and second groups nest along side each other and abut the opposite planar portion to thereby provide substantial surface-to-surface contact between the pairs of sealingly abutting plates and to form therewith separate fluid passages for two fluids which are separated by two of the plates.

2. A plate of uniform thickness arrangeable with plates of like kind to form a heat exchanger having passages for two fluids separated by an adjoining pair of walls, said plate comprising a planar portion, a pair of protuberant manifold portions protruding in the same direction from and separated from each other by said planar portion, a series of protuberant channel portions protruding in the same direction as said manifold portions from said planar portion, said series extending between said manifold portions and including at least two parallel rows with the channel portion at one end of the series merging with one of the manifold portions and the channel portion at the other end of the series merging with the other manifold portion, said series divided into three groups extending across said rows comprising a first group adjacent said manifold portions and a second group remote therefrom and a third group intermediate said first and second groups, the channel portions in said first and second groups oriented at opposite oblique angles to said rows, and the channel portions in said third group having sides oriented at opposite oblique angles to said rows and having less protuberance than the channel portions in said first and second groups whereby a pair of the plates are arrangeable with their dimple sides facing each other so that their planar portions sealingly abut and their manifold portions align with each other and the channel portions in their first group cross to interconnect and also the channel portions in their second group cross to interconnect while the channel portions in their third group register to connect the first and second groups to thereby form a pair of sealed manifolds and connecting sealed fluid passage between the plates and whereby a plurality of pairs of the sealingly abutting plates are also arrangeable in adjoining relationship with their protuberant sides facing each other so that two pairs of sealingly abutting plates have the channel portions in their third group abutting while the channel portions in their first and second groups nest along side each other and abut the opposite planar portion to thereby provide substantial surface-to-surface contact between the pairs of sealingly abutting plates and to form therewith separate fluid passages for two fluids which are separated by two of the plates.

3. A plate of uniform thickness arrangeable with plates of like kind to form a heat exchanger having passages for two fluids separated by an adjoining pair of walls, said plate comprising a planar portion, a pair of protuberant manifold portions located side-by-side and protruding equal distances in the same direction from and separated from each other by said planar portion, a series of protuberant channel portions located side-by-side and protruding in the same direction as said manifold portions from and separated from each other by said planar portion, said series extending between said manifold portions and including at least two parallel rows with the channel portion at one end of the series merging with one of the manifold portions and the channel portion at the other end of the series merging with the other manifold portion, said series divided into three groups extending across said rows comprising a first group adjacent said manifold portions and a second group remote therefrom and a third group intermediate said first and second groups, the channel portions in said first and second groups oriented at equal but opposite oblique angles to said rows and having the same protuberance which is less than that of said manifold portions by the thickness of the plate, and the channel portions in said third group having sides oriented at the opposite oblique angles to said rows and having half the protuberance of said manifold portions whereby a pair of the plates are arrangeable with their dimple sides facing each other so that their planar portions sealingly abut and their manifold portions align with each other and the channel portions in their first group cross to interconnect and also the channel portions in their second group cross to interconnect while the channel portions in their third group register to connect the first and second groups to thereby form a pair of sealed manifolds and connecting sealed fluid passage between the plates and whereby a plurality of pairs of the sealingly abutting plates are also arrangeable in adjoining relationship with their protuberant sides facing each other so that two pairs of sealingly abutting plates have the channel portions in their third group abutting while the channel portions in their first and second groups nest along side each other and abut the opposite planar portion and at least one of their manifold portions abuts the manifold portion of a similarly arranged other pair of sealingly abutting plates to thereby provide substantial surface-to-surface contact between the pairs of sealingly abutting plates and to form therewith separate fluid passages for two fluids which are separated by two of the plates.