US 6,082,445 AGranted

Plate-type heat exchangers

AssigneeBASF SE

InventorJeffrey S. Dugan

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A heat exchanger contains one or more heat exchange plates having on a common facial surface thereof a first heating fluid facial subchannel set containing at least one heating fluid facial subchannel and a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set containing at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel; wherein the heating fluid facial subchannel set and the cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface of the heat exchange plate(s). In one embodiment, the heat exchanger contains at least one pair of heat exchange plates, wherein a first plate in the pair has on a front facial surface thereof a first-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set and a first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, and a second plate in the pair has on a front facial surface thereof a second-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set and a second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, wherein the first-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set is aligned in heat exchange relationships with the first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set and the second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set, and the second-plate heating fluid facial subchannel set is aligned in heat exchange relationships with the second-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set and the first-plate cooling fluid facial subchannel set.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of heat exchange plates stacked in a parallel, adjacent, front-to-back facial configuration, each of said heat exchange plates having on a front facial surface thereof:

(A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel;
and
(B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel;
wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface,
further wherein:
(i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship comprises a countercurrent, concurrent or crosscurrent heat exchange relationship;
(ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path or said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path, and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or
(iii) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
and said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship.

8 more elements

A method of exchanging heat between one or more heating fluids and one or more cooling fluids, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a heat exchanger comprising a plurality of heat exchange plates stacked in a parallel, adjacent, front-to-back facial configuration, each of said heat exchange plates having on a front facial surface thereof:
(A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel;
and
(B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel;
wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface;
further wherein:
(i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship comprises a countercurrent, concurrent or crosscurrent heat exchange relationship;
(ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path or said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path, and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or
(iii) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship:
and said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship;
and
(2) passing the one or more heating fluids through the first heating fluid facial subchannel set, while passing the one or more cooling fluids through the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set.

11 more elements

A heat exchanger, comprising a single heat exchange plate, said heat exchange plate having on a common facial surface thereof:

(A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel;
and
(B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel;
wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface;
further wherein (i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path, (ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;, (iii) said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or (iv) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
and said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship.

5 more elements

A method of exchanging heat between one or more heating fluids and one or more cooling fluids, comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a heat exchanger comprising a single heat exchange plate, said heat exchange plate having on a common facial surface thereof:
(A) a first heating fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one heating fluid facial subchannel;
and
(B) a first cooling fluid facial subchannel set comprising at least one cooling fluid facial subchannel;
wherein the first heating fluid facial subchannel set and the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set are mutually aligned in a first heat exchange relationship on the common facial surface;
further wherein (i) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set each have a linear flow path, (ii) said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
(iii) said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path and said first heating fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and said first heat exchange relationship consists of a concurrent heat exchange relationship;
or (iv) one of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a linear flow path and the other of said first heating fluid facial subchannel set and said first cooling fluid facial subchannel set has a non-linear flow path, wherein said non-linear flow path comprises a first longitudinal portion. a second longitudinal portion and a third non-linear end portion contiguous with said first longitudinal portion and said second longitudinal portion, wherein said linear flow path and said first longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
said linear flow path and said second longitudinal portion are mutually aligned in a concurrent or countercurrent heat exchange relationship;
and said linear flow path and said third non-linear end portion are mutually aligned in a crosscurrent heat exchange relationship;
and
(2) passing the one or more heating fluids through the first heating fluid facial subchannel set in a first flow direction, while passing the one or more cooling fluids through the first cooling fluid facial subchannel set in a second flow direction.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/392,493Filed 22 Feb 1995
Granted: 4 Jul 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

F28D 9/0081
Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary plate-like or laminated conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact…
F28F 3/086
Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning: having one or more openings therein forming…
F28F 2250/102
Particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange media: with change of flow direction
Y10S 165/364
Plural plates forming a stack providing flow passages therein: with fluid traversing passages formed through the plate