Plate heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228784-B2
Application number	US-201013379387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2010
Priority date	Jul 8, 2009
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger comprising a plurality of plates having flow channels, wherein a first plate has a front side having at least one flow channel for a first fluid and a second plate has a front side having at least one flow channel for a second fluid, and wherein the plates have through openings via which the flow channels for the same fluid are respectively connected to one another, wherein a front plate, which is placed in front of the front side of the first plate, has ports for the first fluid and for the second fluid, wherein an end plate forms the end of the aligned plates, wherein the plates and ports are formed from plastic, and wherein the plates are bonded or welded tightly together.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plate heat exchanger ( 1 , 1 ′) comprising:
at least one first plate ( 40 , 40 ′) having a front surface ( 2 , 2 ′) with a depression defining a first flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′) for a first fluid and a rear surface opposite the front surface, first flow guides ( 12 ) in the depression and aligned in a first direction, the first plate ( 40 , 40 ′) further having a first inlet through opening ( 8 , 8 ′) and a first outlet through opening ( 9 , 9 ′) at substantially opposite ends of the first flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′) for accommodating an inflow of the first fluid into the first flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′) and an outflow of the first fluid from the first flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′), the first plate ( 40 , 40 ′) further having two first openings ( 13 , 13 ′, 14 , 14 ′) outward of the first flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′);
at least one second plate ( 50 , 50 ′) having a front surface ( 3 , 3 ′) with a depression defining a second flow channel ( 5 , 5 ′) for a second fluid and a rear surface opposite the front surface thereof, second flow guides ( 16 ) in the depression and aligned in a second direction transverse to the first direction, areas of the front surface of the second plate ( 50 , 50 ′) outward of the second flow channel ( 5 , 5 ′) being in direct contact with the rear surface of the first plate ( 40 , 40 ′), the second plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′) having a second inlet through opening ( 18 , 14 ′) and a second outlet through opening ( 8 , 8 ′, 9 , 9 ′, 13 , 17 , 18 , 13 ′, 141 , 14 ′, 19 , 20 ) for accommodating an inflow of the second fluid into the second flow channels ( 4 , 4 ′, 5 , 5 ′) and an outflow of the second fluid from the second flow channel, the second inlet and outlet openings ( 17 , 18 , 13 ′, 214 ′) communicating with the first openings ( 13 , 13 ′, 14 , 14 ′) of the first plate ( 40 , 40 ′), the second plate ( 50 , 50 ′) further having two second openings outward of the second flow channel ( 5 , 5 ′) and communicating with the first inlet and outlet through openings ( 8 , 8 ′, 9 , 9 ′),
a front plate ( 6 , 6 ′) placed in front of the front surface ( 2 , 2 ′) of the first plate ( 40 , 40 ′) and having two first ports ( 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′, 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′) for the first fluid and two second ports ( 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′) for the second fluid, areas of the front surface of the first plate ( 50 , 50 ′) outward of the first flow channel ( 5 , 5 ′) being in direct contact with the front plate ( 6 , 6 ′),
an end plate ( 7 , 7 ′) forming an end of the plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′, 6 , 6 ′) and being in direct contact with the rear surface of the second plate ( 50 , 50 ′),
the plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′, 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′) and ports ( 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′, 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′) being formed from plastic,
the plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′, 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′) being bonded or welded in direct contact with one another so that the respective flow channels have fluid tight seals, and
the second flow channel ( 5 ′), in a lower region in a vertical direction, having a collecting space ( 25 ) to receive condensate of the second fluid that can be evacuated via a condensate port ( 26 ) spaced from the second ports ( 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′),
wherein the collecting space ( 25 ) is connected with the second outlet through opening ( 8 , 8 ′, 9 , 9 ′, 13 , 17 , 18 , 13 ′, 141 , 14 ′, 19 , 20 ) to define an elongated through opening having in the vertical direction a lower region aligned with the condensate port ( 26 ) and an upper region aligned with one of the second ports ( 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′).

2. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the rear surface of the front plate ( 6 , 6 ′) has a flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′).

3. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the front surface of the end plate ( 7 , 7 ′) has a flow channel ( 4 , 4 ′).

4. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the rear surface ( 61 , 61 ′) of the front plate ( 6 , 6 ′) is flat.

5. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein a front surface of the end plate ( 7 , 7 ′) is flat.

6. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the rear surfaces ( 41 , 51 ) of the first and second plates ( 40 , 50 ) are flat.

7. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the rear surface ( 41 ′, 51 ′, 61 ′) of each of the first and second plates ( 40 ′, 50 ′, 6 ′, 7 ′) has a flow channel with an outer boundary that is mirror-symmetrical with the flow channel ( 4 ′, 5 ′) on the corresponding front surface ( 2 ′, 3 ′) thereof.

8. The plate heat exchanger of claim 7 , wherein
the first plates ( 40 ′) and the second plates ( 50 ′) are configured structurally identical and
the second plates ( 50 ′) are mounted such that they are turned correspondingly through 180° in relation to the first plates ( 40 ′).

9. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′, 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′) and ports ( 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′, 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′, 26 ) are formed from a sterilizable plastic.

10. The plate heat exchanger of claim 9 , wherein the plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′, 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′) and ports ( 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′, 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′, 26 ) are produced from PC, PET, ABS, PPE or PPS.

11. The plate heat exchanger of claim 10 , wherein the plates ( 40 , 40 ′, 50 , 50 ′, 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′) and ports ( 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′, 23 , 23 ′, 24 , 24 ′, 26 ) are formed from a material that can be irradiated with gamma and/or beta rays or can be autoclaved with superheated steam.

12. The plate heat exchanger of claim 1 , wherein the plate heat exchanger ( 1 , 1 ′) is connected to a bioreactor ( 27 , 27 ′).

13. The plate heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein for the exhaust gas cooling of a gas to be evacuated from the bioreactor ( 27 ′), the port ( 23 ′) for the entry of the second fluid is connected to an exhaust gas line ( 29 ) of the bioreactor ( 27 ′) and the port ( 24 ′) for the exit of the second fluid is connected to an inlet of a sterile filter ( 30 ), and
the ports ( 21 ′, 22 ′) for the first fluid are connected to a cooling circuit.

14. The plate heat exchanger of claim 13 ,
wherein the condensate port ( 26 ) is connected to an inflow port of the bioreactor ( 27 ′) at location spaced from the exhaust gas line ( 29 ) of the bioreactor ( 27 ′).

15. The plate heat exchanger of claim 12 , wherein for the preheating of a medium which is to be fed to the bioreactor ( 27 ), the port ( 23 ) for the entry of the second fluid is connected to a medium supply line ( 31 ) for supplying the medium and the port ( 24 ) for the exit of the second fluid is connected to an inflow port of the bioreactor ( 27 ), and
the ports ( 21 , 22 ) for the first fluid are connected to a temperature control circuit.

16. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the plate heat exchanger ( 1 , 1 ′) is a disposable.

17. A plate heat exchanger, comprising:
a plurality of substantially identical plates ( 40 ′, 50 ′) formed from plastic, each of the plates ( 40 ′, 50 ′) having opposite first and second surfaces, the first surface of each of the plates ( 40 ′, 50 ′) having a first depression defining a first flow channel ( 4 ′) for a first fluid and a first inlet ( 9 ′) and a first outlet ( 8 ′) extending through the plate ( 40 ′, 50 ′) at the first depression, first flow guides ( 12 ) formed in the first depression and extending in a first direction, the second surface of each of the plates ( 40 ′, 50 ′) having a second de

Assignees

• Reif Oscar-Werner
• Van Den Boogaard Juergen
• Weisshaar Stefan
• Sartorius Stedim Biotech Gmbh

Inventors

• Reif Oscar-Werner
• Van Den Boogaard Juergen
• Weisshaar Stefan

Classifications

• F28D9/005 Primary

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

• F28F17/005

  Means for draining condensates from heat exchangers, e.g. from evaporators (F28B9/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F21/06

  of plastics material · CPC title

• F28F2280/06

  Adapter frames, e.g. for mounting heat exchanger cores on other structure and for allowing fluidic connections · CPC title

• F28F2275/06

  by welding · CPC title