Three-fluid plate heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449208-B2
Application number	US-202017784730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Dec 13, 2019
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is a three-fluid heat exchanger ( 1 ) comprising a stack of plates ( 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 30 a, 30 b, 30 c ) and: a first circuit ( 11 ) for the circulation of a first heat-transfer fluid between a first inlet manifold ( 11 a ) and a first outlet manifold ( 11 b ) for the first heat-transfer fluid, a second circuit ( 12 ) for the circulation of a second heat-transfer fluid between a second inlet manifold ( 12 a ) and a second outlet manifold ( 12 b ) for the second heat-transfer fluid, a third circuit ( 13 ) for the circulation of a third heat-transfer fluid between a third inlet manifold ( 13 a ) and a third outlet manifold ( 13 b ) for the third heat-transfer fluid, the stack of plates ( 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 30 a, 30 b, 30 c ) forming an alternation of first (A) and second (B) circulation spaces for the circulation of heat-transfer fluid, stacked in the direction of stacking of plates ( 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 30 a, 30 b, 30 c ), the first circuit ( 11 ) being arranged within the first circulation spaces (A) and the second ( 12 ) and third ( 13 ) circuits being jointly arranged within the second circulation spaces (B).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A three-fluid heat exchanger comprising:
a stack of plates;
a first circuit for circulation of a first heat-transfer fluid between a first inlet manifold and a first outlet manifold for the first heat-transfer fluid;
a second circuit for the circulation of a second heat-transfer fluid between a second inlet manifold and a second outlet manifold for the second heat-transfer fluid, and
a third circuit for the circulation of a third heat-transfer fluid between a third inlet manifold and a third outlet manifold for the third heat-transfer fluid,
wherein the stack of plates forms an alternation of first and second circulation spaces for the circulation of the first heat-transfer fluid, the second heat-transfer fluid, and the third heat-transfer fluid, such that the alternation of the first circulation space and the second circulation space is stacked in a direction of stacking of plates, the first circuit being arranged within the first circulation spaces and the second and third circuits being jointly arranged within the second circulation spaces;
wherein the first circulation circuit comprises at least two passes within the first circulation space;
wherein the second and third circulation circuits each comprise at least two passes within the second circulation space,
wherein the second circulation circuit has a U-shape connecting the second inlet manifold and the second outlet manifold,
wherein the third circulation circuit has a U-shape connecting the third inlet manifold and the third outlet manifold, and
wherein the first heat-transfer fluid comprises a refrigerant, the second heat-transfer fluid comprises a first glycol water fluid, and the third heat-transfer fluid comprises a second glycol water fluid.

2. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein within the second circulation spaces, the second and third circulation circuits are arranged side by side such that the second circulation circuit is arranged vertically in line with a first pass of the first circulation circuit and the third circulation circuit is arranged vertically in line with a second pass of the first circulation circuit, wherein the second circulation circuit and the third circulation circuits are fluidly separated by a straight wall.

3. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein within the second circulation spaces, the second and third circulation circuits are intermeshed such that a pass of the first circulation circuit is arranged simultaneously vertically in line with a pass of the second and of the third circulation circuits.

4. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the circulation of the first heat-transfer fluid in the first circulation spaces flows countercurrent to the circulation of the second and third heat-transfer fluids in the second circulation spaces.

5. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plates comprise at least one rib configured to define a path of the passes.

6. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each circulation space comprises a first and a second plates adjoining one another, defining each circulation space, in the stack, the second plate of a circulation space being in contact with the first plate of an adjacent circulation space and vice versa.

7. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plates have a curved profile with lateral edges, the plates being fitted into one another, the lateral edges of two adjacent plates overlapping so as to form the circulation spaces.

8. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is selected from a group comprising: CO 2 , R134a, and R1234y.

9. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first circulation circuit has a U-shape connecting the first inlet manifold and the first outlet manifold.

10. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the plates have a substantially rectangular shape,
the second inlet manifold and second outlet manifold in the first and second circulation spaces are aligned parallelly to a first dimension of the substantially rectangular shape, and
the third inlet manifold and third outlet manifold in the first and second circulation spaces are aligned parallelly to the first dimension.

11. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first inlet manifold and first outlet manifold in the first and second circulation spaces are aligned parallelly to the first dimension.

12. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second inlet manifold, second outlet manifold, third inlet manifold and third outlet manifold are aligned in the first and second circulation spaces.

13. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 12 , wherein:
the second inlet manifold, second outlet manifold, third inlet manifold and third outlet manifold are located on a same first side of the substantially rectangular shape, and
the first inlet manifold and first outlet manifold are located on a same second side of the substantially rectangular shape, the second side opposite the first side.

14. The three-fluid heat exchanger as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first inlet manifold and first outlet manifold in the first and second circulation spaces are aligned parallelly to the first dimension.

Assignees

• Valeo Systemes Thermiques

Inventors

• Azzouz Kamel
• Blandin Jérémy
• Chelali Imad
• De Vaulx Cédric
• Mammeri Amrid
• Tissot Julien

Classifications

• F28F3/005

  Arrangements for preventing direct contact between different heat-exchange media (F28F3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D9/005 Primary

  the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media · 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