# US 9,518,782 B2 · Heat exchanger > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,518,782 B2 - Document ID: US9518782B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/997,908 - Filed: 2009-05-26 - Published: 2011-06-16 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2008-06-17 - Assignees: Alfa Laval Corporated AB - Applicants: Fredrik Blomgren; Martin Holm; Tomas Kovacs - Inventors: Fredrik Blomgren; Martin Holm; Tomas Kovacs - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518782B2 ## CPC - F28D 9/005: {the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media} - F28F 3/046: {the deformations being linear, e.g. corrugations} - F28F 3/08: Elements constructed for building-up into stacks, e.g. capable of being taken apart for cleaning - F28F 3/083: {capable of being taken apart} - F28F 2215/04: Assemblies of fins having different features, e.g. with different fin densities - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract The invention refers to a plate heat exchanger where the heat exchanger comprises a first flow channel between a first plate and a second plate, and where the flow channel comprises a lower distribution passage, a heat transfer passage and an upper distribution passage, where the heat transfer passage is vertically divided in a lower and an upper heat transfer passage and where the lower heat transfer passage is horizontally divided in a plurality of adjacent heat transfer zones, where the intermediate angle between the ridges and grooves in any of the heat transfer zones of the lower heat transfer passage is at least 30° larger than the intermediate angle of the ridges and grooves of the upper heat transfer passage. The advantage of the invention is that an improved heat exchanger is provided, having an increased thermal performance and an improved evaporation capacity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat exchanger plate for use in a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger plate comprising: a lower distribution area including port holes; a heat transfer area; an upper distribution area including port holes; a corrugated pattern of ridges and grooves in the heat transfer area, the ridges and grooves in the corrugated pattern being oriented at an angle measured with relation to a vertical axis of the heat exchanger plate; wherein the heat transfer area is vertically divided into a lower heat transfer area and an upper heat transfer area; wherein the lower heat transfer area is horizontally divided into a plurality of adjacent heat transfer sections wherein the smallest angle of the ridges and grooves amongst all of the heat transfer sections in the lower heat transfer area is at least 15° larger than the angle of the ridges and grooves of the upper heat transfer area; the plate including a plurality of spaced apart surface portions in the lower distribution area, each surface portion in the lower distribution area being bounded by two adjacent ridges in the lower distribution area and two adjacent grooves in the lower distribution area, the entirety of each of the surface portions lying in a common neutral plane; wherein the depth of each of a plurality of the grooves in the lower distribution area compared with the neutral plane is larger than the height of each of a plurality of the ridges in the lower distribution area compared with the neutral plane; and wherein the direction of the ridges and grooves in each of the heat transfer sections differs from an adjacent heat transfer section in the lower heat transfer area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The plate according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the ridges and grooves of each of the heat transfer sections differs from an adjacent heat transfer section in the lower heat transfer area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The plate according to claim 1, wherein the angle of the ridges and grooves of each of the heat transfer sections is in the interval between 45° and 65°. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The plate according to claim 1, wherein the upper heat transfer area is vertically divided in a plurality of horizontally extending heat transfer areas having a pattern with different angles and/or directions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A plate heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of heat transfer plates according to claim 1, and further comprising a front plate and a back plate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a first flow channel between a first plate and a second plate, where the flow channel comprises a lower distribution passage having ports, a heat transfer passage and an upper distribution passage having ports, where the heat transfer passage is vertically divided in a lower heat transfer passage and an upper heat transfer passage and where the lower heat transfer passage is horizontally divided into a plurality of adjacent heat transfer zones wherein, the smallest intermediate angle between the ridges and grooves amongst all of the heat transfer zones in the lower heat transfer passage is at least 30° larger than the intermediate angle of the ridges and grooves in the upper heat transfer passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the intermediate angle between the ridges and grooves in each of the heat transfer zones is in the interval between 90° and 130°. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the distance between the neutral plane of two adjacent distribution areas of the lower distribution passage is less than one press depth of the plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The plate heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the distance between the neutral plane of two adjacent distribution areas of the upper distribution passage is more than one press depth of the plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, further including a plurality of spaced apart surface portions in the upper distribution area, each surface portion in the upper distribution area being bounded by two adjacent ridges in the upper distribution area and two adjacent grooves in the upper distribution area, the entirety of each of the surface portions in the upper distribution area lying in a common neutral plane, the height of each of a plurality of the ridges in the upper distribution area compared with the neutral plane in the upper distribution area is greater than the depth of each of a plurality of the grooves in the upper distribution area compared with the neutral plane in the upper distribution area. ### Claim 11 A heat exchanger plate for use in a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger plate comprising: a lower distribution area including port holes; a heat transfer area; an upper distribution area including port holes; a corrugated pattern of ridges and grooves, the ridges and grooves in the corrugated pattern being oriented at an angle measured with relation to a vertical axis of the heat exchanger plate; wherein the heat transfer area is vertically divided into a lower heat transfer area and an upper heat transfer area; wherein the lower heat transfer area is horizontally divided into a plurality of adjacent heat transfer sections wherein the smallest angle of the ridges and grooves amongst all of the heat transfer sections in the lower heat transfer area is at least 15° larger than the angle of the ridges and grooves of the upper heat transfer area; the plate including a plurality of spaced apart surface portions in the upper distribution area, each surface portion in the upper distribution area being bounded by two adjacent ridges in the upper distribution area and two adjacent grooves in the upper distribution area, the entirety of each of the surface portions lying in a common neutral plane; wherein the height of each of a plurality of the ridges in the upper distribution area compared with the neutral plane is larger than the depth of each of a plurality of the grooves in the upper distribution area compared with the neutral plane in the upper distribution area; and wherein the direction of the ridges and grooves in each of the heat transfer sections differs from an adjacent heat transfer section in the lower heat transfer area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The heat exchanger plate according to claim 11, further including a plurality of spaced apart surface portions in the lower distribution area, each surface portion in the lower distribution area being bounded by two adjacent ridges in the lower distribution area and two adjacent grooves in the lower distribution area, the entirety of each of the surface portions in the lower distribution area lying in a common neutral plane, the depth of each of a plurality of the groves in the lower distribution area compared with the neutral plane in the lower distribution area is greater than the height of each of a plurality of the ridges in the lower distribution area compared with the neutral plane in the lower distribution area.