Systems and methods for cooling one or more beverage components with a plate fin heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10976109-B2
Application number	US-201716337011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A plate heat exchanger is disclosed herein. In some instances, the plate heat exchanger may be disposed in an ice bin of a beverage dispenser for cooling one or more fluids. The plate heat exchanger may include a top plate, a bottom plate, an outer boundary wall, and a fluid flow path disposed between the top plate and the bottom plate. The fluid flow path may include an inlet and an outlet. A fin may be disposed within the fluid flow path from the top plate to the bottom plate between the inlet and the outlet.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A plate heat exchanger disposed in thermal contact with a cooling media within or near a beverage dispenser for cooling one or more fluids, the plate heat exchanger comprising:
a top plate;
a bottom plate;
an outer boundary wall;
a plurality of fluid flow paths disposed between the top plate and the bottom plate; and
a fin disposed within each of the plurality of fluid flow paths and in thermal contact with the top plate and the bottom plate,
wherein each of the plurality of fluid flow paths comprise an inlet flow path and an outlet flow path,
wherein the inlet flow path of a respective fluid flow path is disposed adjacent to another inlet flow path of a respective fluid flow path that is adjacent thereto, and
wherein the adjacent inlet flow paths are separated by and share an internal wall.

2. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of the plate heat exchangers stacked together.

3. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the fin comprises a single unitary structure folded to form a number of U-shaped channels.

4. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the fin comprises a single unitary structure comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns.

5. The plate heat exchanger of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of rows are at least partially offset from adjacent rows.

6. A plate heat exchanger disposed in thermal contact with a cooling media within or near a beverage dispenser for cooling one or more fluids, the plate heat exchanger comprising:
a top plate;
a bottom plate;
an outer boundary wall;
a plurality of fluid flow paths disposed between the top plate and the bottom plate; and
a fin disposed within each of the plurality of fluid flow paths and in thermal contact with the top plate and the bottom plate,
wherein each of the plurality of fluid flow paths comprise an inlet flow path and an outlet flow path,
wherein the outlet flow path of a respective fluid flow path is disposed adjacent to another outlet flow path of a respective fluid flow path that is adjacent thereto, and
wherein the adjacent outlet flow paths are separated by and share an internal wall.

7. The plate heat exchanger of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of the plate heat exchangers stacked together.

8. The plate heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein the fin comprises a single unitary structure folded to form a number of U-shaped channels.

9. The plate heat exchanger of claim 6 , wherein the fin comprises a single unitary structure comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns.

10. The plate heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of rows are at least partially offset from adjacent rows.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Gan Mingfei
• Welch Dick P
• Rudick Arthur G

Classifications

• F25D2303/0844

  above the product · CPC title

• F28D2020/0013

  the heat storage material being enclosed in elements attached to or integral with heat exchange conduits · CPC title

• F28D9/0056

  with U-flow or serpentine-flow inside conduits; with centrally arranged openings on the plates · CPC title

• F25D31/002

  Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler (receptacle coolers F25D31/006) · CPC title

• F28D9/0093 Primary

  Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids · CPC title