Plate heat exchanger

• US 6,394,179 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALFA Laval AB
• Original Assignee: ALFA Laval AB
• Inventors: Nilsson, Mats, Blomgren, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKINNON, TERRELL L
• Application Number:
  US09/936,249
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 165/165,166,167,170,DIG. 372,DIG. 384,153 123/196 AB,41.33
• US Class Current: 165/167
• 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: Y10S 165/372 Adjacent heat exchange plates having joined bent edge flanges for forming flow channels therebetween

Abstract

Corrugated heat exchanger plates (2) of a plate heat exchanger have outer edges of a similar design. A first set of the heat exchanger plates are brazed together in their outer edges and around at least two port holes, as well as, preferably, at all of the points upon the heat exchanger plates where the corrugations bear on each other. Another set of heat exchanger plates are brazed together in their outer edges and around at least two port holes only.

Claims

1. A plate heat exchanger for at least two heat exchanging fluids, said heat exchanger being permanently joined and comprising at least one core of plates having a plurality of heat exchanging plates (2) and at least two end plates (3, 4), the heat exchanging plates (2) creating between one another plate interspaces, wherein

each one of the heat exchanging plates (2) is provided with at least one vertically extending corrugation within an area bounded by two opposing parallel first and second plates, respectively, said first and second plates being mainly in parallel with all the other heat exchanging plates (2) as well as the end plates (3, 4) of the plate heat exchanger,

each one of the heat exchanging plates (2) being provided with at least four port holes (9, 10), said holes being parts of an inlet channel (11) and an outlet channel (12) through the core of plates for each one of the fluids,

at least one of the end plates (3, 4) having a plurality of port holes, each one of said port holes communicating with one of the inlet channels (11) or one of the outlet channels (12) and

the inlet channels (11) and the outlet channels (12) for a first and a second fluid, respectively, are in fluid communication with a first (13) and a second (14) set of plate interspaces, respectively, and further wherein

the heat exchanging plates (2) have outer edges having a similar design to one another and on each other bearing heat exchanging plates (2) in at least each one of the plate interspaces being parts of the said first set of plate interspaces (13) are brazed together in their outer edges, and around at least two port holes (9) and in preferably all of those points upon the heat exchanging plates (2) where the respective corrugations bear on each other, while on each other bearing heat exchanging plates (2) in substantially all of the plate interspaces being part of the said second set of plate interspaces (14) are brazed together in their outer edges and around at least two port holes (10) only.

2. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each one of the heat exchanging plates (2) is made with a flangelike edge (16) running along the whole circumference of the plate, said edge making an angle with the main plane of extension of the plate and bearing on the corresponding edges on the adjacent heat exchanging plates (2) in the present core of plates.

3. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein two heat exchanging plates (2), together creating a plate interspace being part of said first set of plate interspaces (13), are present closest to the respective end plates (3, 4) in both ends of the present core of plates.

4. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least three heat exchanging plates (2), together creating at least two plate interspaces being parts of said first set of plate interspaces (13), without intermediate plate interspaces being parts of said second set of plate interspaces (14), are present closest to the respective end plate (3, 4) in both ends of the present core of plates.

5. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein at least three heat exchanging plates (2), together creating at least two plate interspaces situated closest to the respective end plate (3, 4) in both ends of the present core of plates, are provided with blockages in such a way that the plate interspaces in question are not in fluid communication with any inlet channel (11) or outlet channel (12) at the same time as the plate interspaces in question have soldering seams in the outer edges of the heat exchanging plates (2), around at least two port holes (9, 10) as well as in preferably all of those points where corrugations upon adjacent heat exchanging plates (2) bear on each other.

6. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the brazing is executed with a nickel-based solder.

7. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein the brazing is executed with a copper-based solder.