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US 12,460,873 B2Granted
Heat exchanger, plate element therefor, and method of construction
AssigneeRygan Corp.
InventorLane Lawless
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plate-type heat exchanger and methods of construction and use wherein one or more separate, individual heat exchanging plate elements, through which a heat exchange fluid flows, are used which can (a) withstand pressure surge events, (b) allow the exchanger and the plate elements to be easily cleaned and maintained, and (c) allow the plate elements to be individually and separately removed from the exchanger for cleaning or maintenance while the exchanger remains online and while any other plate elements in the heat exchanger continue to operate.
Claims20
A heat exchanger comprising:
- a tank configured for delivering a first fluid therethrough and
- one or more heat exchanging plate elements, separately positionable in and removable from the tank, for delivering a second fluid through the one or more heat exchanging plate elements, each of the one or more heat exchanging plate elements comprising:
- a first outer metal sheet,
- a second outer metal sheet,
- an inner flow channel frame structure between the first and the second outer metal sheets, the inner flow channel frame structure having a flat shape which includes (a) a surrounding perimeter which extends around the inner flow channel frame structure and (b) a plurality of elongate internal segments which extend from and are surrounded by the surrounding perimeter, the elongate internal segments operating as flow channel dividing structures to form a plurality of inner flow channels between the first outer metal sheet and the second outer metal sheet, the plurality of inner flow channels including at least an initial flow channel and a final flow channel,
- a first gasket positioned between the inner flow channel frame structure and the first outer metal sheet, the first gasket having a flat shape which corresponds to the flat shape of the inner flow channel frame structure and includes (i) a surrounding perimeter of the first gasket which is positioned between the surrounding perimeter of the inner flow channel frame structure and the first outer metal sheet and (ii) a plurality of elongate internal segments of the first gasket which extend from the surrounding perimeter of the first gasket and are positioned between each of the elongate internal segments of the inner flow channel frame structure and the first outer metal sheet,
- a second gasket positioned between the inner flow channel frame structure and the second outer metal sheet, the second gasket having a flat shape which corresponds to the flat shape of the inner flow channel frame structure and includes (i) a surrounding perimeter of the second gasket which is positioned between the surrounding perimeter of the inner flow channel frame structure and the second outer metal sheet and (ii) a plurality of elongate internal segments of the second gasket which extend from the surrounding perimeter of the second gasket and are positioned between each of the elongate internal segments of the inner flow channel frame structure and the second outer metal sheet,
- a first plurality of bolts extending in forward or reverse order through the first outer metal sheet, the surrounding perimeter of the first gasket, the surrounding perimeter of the inner flow channel frame structure, the surrounding perimeter of the second gasket, and the second outer metal sheet,
- a second plurality of bolts extending in forward or reverse order through the first outer metal sheet, the elongate internal segments of the first gasket, the elongate internal segments of the inner flow channel frame structure, the elongate internal segments of the second gasket, and the second outer metal sheet, and
- in the event of a pressure surge of the second fluid in the heat exchanging plate element, the first gasket and the second gasket (i) permit an amount of the second fluid to escape though the first gasket and the second gasket, for pressure relief, at the locations of the first plurality of bolts and/or the second plurality of bolts and then (ii) return to a water-tight state.
7 more elements
A heat exchanging plate element comprising:
- a first outer metal sheet;
- a second outer metal sheet;
- an inner flow channel frame structure between the first and the second outer metal sheets, the inner flow channel frame structure having a flat shape which includes (a) a surrounding perimeter which extends around the inner flow channel frame structure and (b) a plurality of elongate internal segments which extend from and are surrounded by the surrounding perimeter, the elongate internal segments operating as flow channel dividing structures to form a plurality of inner flow channels between the first outer metal sheet and the second outer metal sheet, the plurality of inner flow channels including at least an initial flow channel and a final flow channel;
- a first gasket positioned between the inner flow channel frame structure and the first outer metal sheet, the first gasket having a flat shape which corresponds to the flat shape of the inner flow channel frame structure and includes (i) a surrounding perimeter of the first gasket which is positioned between the surrounding perimeter of the inner flow channel frame structure and the first outer metal sheet and (ii) a plurality of elongate internal segments of the first gasket which extend from the surrounding perimeter of the first gasket and are positioned between each of the elongate internal segments of the inner flow channel frame structure and the first outer metal sheet;
- a second gasket positioned between the inner flow channel frame structure and the second outer metal sheet, the second gasket having a flat shape which corresponds to the flat shape of the inner flow channel frame structure and includes (i) a surrounding perimeter of the second gasket which is positioned between the surrounding perimeter of the inner flow channel frame structure and the second outer metal sheet and (ii) a plurality of elongate internal segments of the second gasket which extend from the surrounding perimeter of the second gasket and are positioned between each of the elongate internal segments of the inner flow channel frame structure and the second outer metal sheet;
- a first plurality of bolts extending in forward or reverse order through the first outer metal sheet, the surrounding perimeter of the first gasket, the surrounding perimeter of the inner flow channel frame structure, the surrounding perimeter of the second gasket, and the second outer metal sheet;
- a second plurality of bolts extending in forward or reverse order through the first outer metal sheet, the elongate internal segments of the first gasket, the elongate internal segments of the inner flow channel frame structure, the elongate internal segments of the second gasket, and the second outer metal sheet;
- and
- in the event of a pressure surge of a fluid in the heat exchanging plate element, the first gasket and the second gasket (i) permit an amount of the fluid to escape though the first gasket and the second gasket, for pressure relief, at the locations of the first plurality of bolts and/or the second plurality of bolts and then (ii) return to a water-tight state.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.