Rotating plate heat exchanger

A heat exchanger for use in a distiller having a compressor, a side wall disposed circumferentially about the heat exchanger, and a motor coupled to the heat exchanger for rotation thereby about an axis of rotation, the compressor including a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, the heat exchanger comprising:

• A. first and second end plates having respective inner faces;
• and
• B. a plate stack connected between the first and second end plates and including a plurality of spaced-apart heat-exchange plates, each heat-exchange plate having a center point and an axis that passes through the plate's center point and extends perpendicular to a nominal plane of the plate, the axes of the plates coaxially aligned with the axis of rotation, each heat-exchange plate having two plate surfaces and inner and outer edges with respect to the center point, the heat-exchange plates defining alternating evaporating and condensing chambers between their opposing plate surfaces such that the plate surfaces between which the condensing chambers are defined cooperate with the inner faces of the first and second end plates to define a generally closed interior condensation space in fluid communication with the compressor outlet, wherein:
• 1. each pair of heat-exchange plates that defines a condensing chamber is sealed at those heat-exchange plates' outer edges and cooperates to form near their inner edges a liquid feed passage isolated from the condensing chamber that they define but cooperating with the evaporating chambers and the other liquid feed passages to form a liquid feed path by which feed liquid can be introduced into the evaporating chambers;
• and
• 2. each pair of heat-exchange plates that defines an evaporating chamber is sealed at those heat-exchange plates' inner edges and cooperates to form near their outer edges a condensate passage isolated from the evaporating chamber that they define but cooperating with the condensing chambers and the other condensate passages to form a condensate flow path by which condensate can be withdrawn from the condensing chambers;
• and
• 3. the side wall forming with the plate surfaces between which the evaporating chambers are defined an evaporator space in fluid communication with the compressor inlet.

A multiple-effect heat exchanger for use in a distiller having a compressor, a side wall disposed circumferentially about the heat exchanger, and a motor coupled to the heat exchanger for rotation thereby about an axis of rotation, the compressor including a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet, the heat exchanger comprising:

• first and second end plates having respective inner faces;
• a plurality of effects, including a first and a last effect, disposed between the first and second end plates, each effect comprising:
• a plate stack including a plurality of spaced-apart heat-exchange plates, each heat-exchange plate having a center point and an axis that passes through the plate's center point and extends perpendicular to a nominal plane of the plate, the axes of the plates coaxially aligned with the axis of rotation, each heat-exchange plate having two plate surfaces and inner and outer edges with respect to the center point, the heat-exchange plates defining alternating evaporating and condensing chambers between their opposing plate surfaces such that the plate surfaces between which the condensing chambers are defined cooperate with the inner faces of the first and second end plates to define a generally closed interior condensation space in fluid communication with the compressor outlet;
• an inner wall mounted to the first end plate inboard of the inner edges of the plates relative to the axis of rotation and extending along all but the first effect;
• an outer wall mounted to the second end plate between the outer edges of the plates and the side walls of the housing and extending along all but the last effect;
• and
• at least one transition plate disposed between each pair of adjacent plate stacks;
• wherein
• 1. each pair of heat-exchange plates that defines a condensing chamber is sealed at those heat-exchange plates' outer edges and cooperates to form near their inner edges a liquid feed passage isolated from the condensing chamber that they define but cooperating with the evaporating chambers and the other liquid feed passages to form a liquid feed path by which feed liquid can be introduced into the evaporating chambers;
• 2. each pair of heat-exchange plates that defines an evaporating chamber is sealed at those heat-exchange plates' inner edges and cooperates to form near their outer edges a condensate passage isolated from the evaporating chamber that they define but cooperating with the condensing chambers and the other condensate passages to form a condensate flow path by which condensate can be withdrawn from the condensing chambers;
• 3. each transition plate cooperates to form near their inner and outer edges corresponding first and second weirs, the first weir isolating the respective evaporating chambers and the second weir isolating the respective condensing chambers of the adjacent effect;
• 4. the inner and outer walls cooperate with each transition plate to form a corresponding transition space providing fluid communication between the evaporating chambers of a first effect and the condensing chambers of a next highest effect;
• and
• 5. the side wall forming with the plate surfaces between which the evaporating chambers are defined at the last effect an evaporator space in fluid communication with the compressor inlet.