Heat exchanger

A heat exchanger comprising:

• a plurality of tubes arranged in at least two side-by-side vertically adjacent planes to carry at least one fluid for heat exchange, axes of tubes in one plane being transverse to axes of tubes in a next vertically adjacent plane;
• an elongate frame for said tubes open at two sides to form an inlet and outlet for the medium that is to be heated or cooled and having side walls in which the ends of said tubes are held;
• a housing having wall means including side wall means and end wall means, said housing surrounding said frame and having an inlet and outlet for at least one fluid for heat exchange, said housing engaging said frame with the wall means of said housing and the side walls of said frame defining collector and distribution chambers intercommunicating through one portion of said tubes;
• at least one first partition wall made of a shaped plate arranged within said collector chamber along a portion of the side wall of said frame and attached on the edges thereof to said portion of the frame side wall and defining with the same portion of the frame side wall at least one further collector chamber communicating with another portion of said tubes and having an inlet for one of at least one fluid for heat exchange;
• and
• at least one second partition wall made of a shaped plate arranged within said distribution chamber along a portion of the side wall of said frame and attached on the edges thereof to said portion of the frame side wall and defining with the same portion of the frame side wall at least one further distribution chamber communicating through said another portion of said tubes with said at least one further collector chamber and having an outlet for one of at least one fluid for heat exchange,
• wherein each one of the first and second partition walls extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tubes in the vertically adjacent planes along substantially the whole length of the frame holding the tubes, is secured only to said frame along the length thereof, and is free of contact with said housing side wall means.