Method of making a plate package for a plate heat exchanger

• US 10,024,602 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALFA Laval Corporate AB (ALFA Laval AB)
• Original Assignee: ALFA Laval Corporate AB (ALFA Laval AB)
• Inventors: Nyander, Anders, Zorzin, Alvaro, Romlund, Jens, Bermhult, Rolf, Svensson, Magnus, Sandstrom, Olof
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Jason L
• Application Number:
  US14/437,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20150292803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 83 29, 83 30, 408 1 R, 29890051
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/14 Heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/26 heat exchangers or the like making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0071 Evaporators for vehicles F28D2021/0085, for compression systems F25B39/02
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/0066 Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids F28D7/103 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 9/005 the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/046 the deformations being linear, e.g. corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/10 Arrangements for sealing the margins
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/026 with static flow control means, e.g. with means for uniformly distributing heat exchange media into conduits
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0273 with multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49359 Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49366 Sheet joined to sheet

Abstract

A plate package made according to the method includes first heat exchanger plates and second heat exchanger plates. Each heat exchanger plate has a first porthole, and the port hole of at least one of the heat exchanger plates is surrounded by a peripheral rim. The first heat exchanger plates and the second heat exchanger plates, are joined to each other and arranged side by side in such a way that the peripheral rims together define an inlet channel extending through the plate package. The peripheral rim of the first and/or the second heat exchanger plates has at least one through hole, forming a fluid passage allowing a communication between the inlet channel and the first plate interspaces. The at least one through hole is made in a condition in which the first and the second heat exchanger plates have been joined to each other to form the plate package.

Claims

1. A method of making a plate package for a plate heat exchanger, the method comprising;

providing a number of first heat exchanger plates and a number of second heat exchanger plates, each heat exchanger plate having a first porthole, wherein said port hole of at least one of the heat exchanger plates is surrounded by a peripheral rim,

arranging the first heat exchanger plates and the second heat exchanger plates side by side in an alternating order in which, the peripheral rims together define an inlet channel extending through the first and the second heat exchanger plates,

joining said first and second heat exchanger plates with each other to form the plate package, and

making, in a condition in which the first and the second heat exchanger plates have been joined to each other, at least one through hole in the peripheral rim of at least one of the first heat exchanger plate and the second heat exchanger plate.

2. A method of making a plate package according to claim 1, wherein the at least one through hole is made by a thermal process using a laser beam process, an electron beam process or a plasma process.

3. A method of making a plate package according to claim 1, wherein the at least one through hole is made by a mechanical process using a punching process or a drilling process.

4. A method of making a plate package for a plate heat exchanger, the method comprising:

arranging a plurality of first heat exchanger plates and a plurality of second heat exchanger plates side by side in an alternating order, each heat exchanger plate including a first porthole surrounded by a flanged portion of the respective heat exchanger plate to form a peripheral rim, the arranging of the plurality of first and second heat exchanger plates comprising arranging the first and second heat exchanger plates so that the peripheral rims together define an inlet channel extending through the first and the second heat exchanger plates;

joining the first and second heat exchanger plates with each other to produce the plate package in which first and second plate interspaces are formed in an alternating order between adjacent pairs of the first and second heat exchanger plates; and

forming a through hole in the peripheral rim of several of the first heat exchanger plates to form a fluid passage in the peripheral rim of each of the several first heat exchanger plates that allows communication between the inlet channel and the first plate interspaces, the forming of the through hole in the peripheral rim of several of the first heat exchanger plates occurring after the first and the second heat exchanger plates have been joined to each other.

5. A method of making a plate package according to claim 4, wherein the through holes are made by a thermal process using a laser beam process, an electron beam process or a plasma process.

6. A method of making a plate package according to claim 4, wherein the through holes are made by a mechanical process using a punching process or a drilling process.