# US 12,215,937 B2 · Heat exchanger plate, and a plate heat exchanger > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,937 B2 - Document ID: US12215937B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/593,978 - Filed: 2020-03-11 - Published: 2022-06-02 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-03 - Assignees: Alfa Laval Corporate AB - Applicants: Alfa Laval Corporate AB - Inventors: Jörgen Gustafsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215937B2 ## CPC - F28F 3/046: {the deformations being linear, e.g. corrugations} - F28D 9/005: {the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media} - F28F 3/08: Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning - F28F 13/08: by varying the cross-section of the flow channels - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## Abstract A plate heat exchanger comprises a heat exchanger plate having a quadrilateral shape with two opposite primary sides and two opposite secondary sides, and a longitudinal central axis being parallel with the primary sides. The heat exchanger plate comprises a heat exchanger area having a corrugation of ridges and valleys. Four porthole areas are located at a respective corner of the heat exchanger plate and each comprises a respective porthole extending through the heat exchanger plate. An edge area extends around and adjoins the heat exchanger area and the porthole areas. The heat exchanger area comprises a main area and a local part area extending along one of the primary sides and adjoining the edge area and one of the porthole areas. The valleys of the local part area are tapering towards the longitudinal central axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat exchanger plate configured to be comprised by a plate heat exchanger, the heat exchanger plate having a quadrilateral shape with two opposite parallel primary sides and two opposite parallel secondary sides, and a longitudinal central axis being parallel with the primary sides and with an extension plane of the heat exchanger plate, the heat exchanger plate comprising: a heat exchanger area having a corrugation of ridges and valleys, which have an inclination in relation to the longitudinal central axis, wherein the corrugation forms a theta value related to the inclination, four porthole areas each located at a respective corner of the heat exchanger plate and each comprising a respective porthole extending through the heat exchanger plate, and an edge area extending around and adjoining the heat exchanger area and the porthole areas, wherein the heat exchanger area comprises a main area and a local part area extending along one of the primary sides and adjoining the edge area and one of the porthole areas, wherein the valleys of the local part area are tapering in a narrowing manner towards the longitudinal central axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, wherein said one porthole area comprises a curved outer zone between the edge area and the porthole, and wherein the curved outer zone forms a curved valley extending to the local part area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, wherein the valleys of the corrugation of the local part area are tapering to a transition line between the local part area and the main area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, wherein the ridges of the corrugation of the local part area extend along an extension, the ridges of the corrugation of the local part area having a constant width along their extension. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, wherein the local part area comprises an elongated outer zone extending along and adjoining the edge area, wherein the elongated outer zone is flat, and wherein the ridges and valleys of the local part area extend from the elongated outer zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 5, wherein the valleys of the corrugation of the local part area taper from the elongated outer zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 5, wherein the valleys of the corrugation of the local part area have a respective end portion adjoining the elongated outer zone and wherein the end portions are curved. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the ridges and valleys of the corrugation is steeper on the local part area than on the main area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 8, wherein the theta value of the corrugation of the local part area is lower than the theta value of the corrugation of the main area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 8, wherein the ridges and valleys of the corrugation are curved at the transition line. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A plate heat exchanger comprising: first heat exchanger plates and second heat exchanger plates arranged beside each other in an alternating order, first plate interspaces for a first fluid, each first plate interspace being formed by one of the first heat exchanger plates and an adjacent one of the second heat exchanger plates, and second plate interspaces for a second fluid, each second plate interspace being formed by one of the second heat exchanger plates and an adjacent one of the first heat exchanger plates, wherein the first and second plate interspaces are arranged beside each other in an alternating order, wherein each of the first heat exchanger plates is a heat exchanger plate according to claim 1. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the first and second heat exchanger plates are permanently joined to each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein the plate heat exchanger comprises: a first inlet channel for the first fluid and extending through the porthole of a first porthole area of the porthole areas, a first outlet channel for the first fluid and extending through the porthole of a second porthole area of the porthole areas, a second inlet channel for the second fluid and extending through the porthole of a third porthole area of the porthole areas, and a second outlet channel for the second fluid and extending through the porthole of a fourth porthole area of the porthole areas, wherein the local part area of the first heat exchanger plates adjoins the fourth porthole area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 12, wherein the first inlet channel and first outlet channel communicate with the first plate interspaces, and wherein the second inlet channel and second outlet channel communicate with the second plate interspaces. ### Claim 15 A heat exchanger plate configured to be comprised by a plate heat exchanger, the heat exchanger plate having a quadrilateral shape with two opposite parallel primary sides and two opposite parallel secondary sides, and a longitudinal central axis being parallel with the primary sides and with an extension plane of the heat exchanger plate, the heat exchanger plate comprising: a heat exchanger area having a corrugation of ridges and valleys, which have an inclination in relation to the longitudinal central axis, wherein the corrugation forms a theta value related to the inclination, the ridges and valleys extending along an extension, four porthole areas each located at a respective corner of the heat exchanger plate and each comprising a respective porthole extending through the heat exchanger plate, and an edge area extending around and adjoining the heat exchanger area and the porthole areas, wherein the heat exchanger area comprises a main area and a local part area extending along one of the primary sides and adjoining the edge area and one of the porthole areas, and wherein the valleys of the local part area taper towards the longitudinal central axis so that a width of a first part of the valleys of the local part area is less than a width of a second part of the valleys of the local part area, the first part of the valleys of the local part area being closer to the longitudinal central axis than the second part of the valleys of the local part area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 15, wherein the one porthole area comprises a curved outer zone between the edge area and the porthole, and wherein the curved outer zone forms a curved valley extending to the local part area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 15, wherein the valleys of the corrugation of the local part area taper to a transition line between the local part area and the main area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 15, wherein the ridges of the corrugation of the local part area extend along an extension, the ridges of the corrugation of the local part area having a constant width along their extension. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 15, wherein the local part area comprises an elongated outer zone extending along and adjoining the edge area, the elongated outer zone being flat, and the ridges and valleys of the local part area extending from the flat elongated outer zone. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 15, wherein the inclination of the ridges and valleys of the corrugation is steeper on the local part area than on the main area.