Plate-type heat exchangers
First Claim
1. A heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of heat exchange plates stacked in a parallel, adjacent, front-to-back facial configuration, each of said heat exchange plates having on a front facial surface thereof:
- (A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel; and
(B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel;
wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface,further wherein;
(i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship comprises a countercurrent, concurrent or crosscurrent heat exchange relationship;
(ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path or said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path, and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or(iii) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship; and
said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heat exchanger contains one or more heat exchange plates having on a common facial surface thereof a first heating fluid facial subchannel set containing at least one heating fluid facial subchannel and a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set containing at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the heating fluid facial subchannel set and the cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface of the heat exchange plate(s). In one embodiment, the heat exchanger contains at least one pair of heat exchange plates, wherein a first plate in the pair has on a front facial surface thereof a first-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set and a first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, and a second plate in the pair has on a front facial surface thereof a second-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set and a second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, wherein the first-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set is aligned in heat exchange relationships with the first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set and the second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, and the second-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set is aligned in heat exchange relationships with the second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set and the first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set.
107 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of heat exchange plates stacked in a parallel, adjacent, front-to-back facial configuration, each of said heat exchange plates having on a front facial surface thereof:
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(A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel; and (B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface, further wherein; (i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship comprises a countercurrent, concurrent or crosscurrent heat exchange relationship; (ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path or said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path, and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or(iii) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship; and
said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of exchanging heat between one or more heating fluids and one or more cooling fluids, comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of heat exchange plates stacked in a parallel, adjacent, front-to-back facial configuration, each of said heat exchange plates having on a front facial surface thereof; (A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel; and (B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface; further wherein; (i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship comprises a countercurrent, concurrent or crosscurrent heat exchange relationship; (ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path or said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path, and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or(iii) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship; and
said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship; and(2) passing the one or more heating fluids through the first heating fluid facial subchannel set, while passing the one or more cooling fluids through the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A heat exchanger, comprising a single heat exchange plate, said heat exchange plate having on a common facial surface thereof:
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(A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel; and (B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface; further wherein (i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path, (ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
, (iii) said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or (iv) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship; and
said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of exchanging heat between one or more heating fluids and one or more cooling fluids, comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a heat exchanger comprising a single heat exchange plate, said heat exchange plate having on a common facial surface thereof; (A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel; and (B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface; further wherein (i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path, (ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
(iii) said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or (iv) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion. a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship; and
said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship; and(2) passing the one or more heating fluids through the first heating fluid facial subchannel set in a first flow direction, while passing the one or more cooling fluids through the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set in a second flow direction.
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27. A method of exchanging heat between one or more heating fluids and one or more cooling fluids, comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a heat exchanger comprising a single heat exchange plate, said heat exchange plate having on a common facial surface thereof; (A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel; and (B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface, further wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path; and (2) passing the one or more heating fluids through the first heating fluid facial subchannel set in a first flow direction, while passing the one or more cooling fluids through the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set in a second flow direction, wherein said first flow direction is countercurrent with respect to said second flow direction.
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Specification