Heat exchange device useful more particularly for heat exchanges between gases

A device for the exchange of heat between first and second fluids, one being relatively hot and other being relatively cold, comprising a heat exchange zone and intake and discharge means connected to sources of each of said fluids for letting fluid in and discharging fluid from the heat exchange zone, wherein said heat exchange zone comprises at least one block formed by juxtaposition of a plurality of solid, rectangular, heat exchange-block-forming plates extending parallel with one another with each plate having opposed faces and with one face of each plate being planar;

• at least some of the plates being provided on only one face with crenelated spacing elements extending parallel with respect to one another and in spaced relation with one another on the same plate and with other of the plates having continuously extending spacers on only one face thereof with all continuously extending spacers extending in parallel from one plate to an adjacent plate;
• said plates being formed and disposed so that for any two adjacent plates one of the faces on one plate is provided with said crenelated spacing elements and one of the faces on the other of said plates is provided with said continuously extending spacers;
• the crenelated spacing elements and continuously extending spacers, each having flat surfaces abutting the planar face on the adjacent plate;
• said exchange zone further comprising first end plates disposed perpendicularly to the exchange-block-forming plates and extending parallel to the direction of extend of the continuously extending spacers, the first end plates being provided with openings for intake and discharge of the first fluid into and out of flow spaces provided by the crenelated spacing elements and second end plates disposed perpendicularly to the exchange-block-forming plates and perpendicular with respect to the direction of extent of the continuously extending spacers, the second end plates being provided with openings for intake and discharge of the second fluid into and out of flow spaces, each plate including on one face thereof a plurality of male positioning elements and on the other face thereof a plurality of female positioning elements, the plates being positioned with the male positioning elements of each plate being received within the female positioning elements of a plate adjacent one face of the plate and with the female elements of each plate receiving the male elements of the plate, said male and female members having bores therethrough, and tie rods for holding the block together passing through the bores in the male and female members.