Plate heat exchanger with strengthening sheet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9400141-B2
Application number	US-200913063959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2009
Priority date	Oct 3, 2008
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

The invention refers to a plate heat exchanger comprising a first end plate ( 1 ), a second end plate ( 2 ) and a number of heat exchanger plates ( 3 ), forming first plate interspaces (I) and second plate interspaces (II), in alternating order. The heat exchanger plates comprise a first outermost plate pair ( 5 ), a second outermost plate pair ( 6 ) and intermediate plate pairs ( 7 ). The first end plate and the heat exchanger plates comprise first porthole areas ( 11, 12 ) for first porthole channels ( 13, 14 ) for the formation of inlet and outlet for a first medium to and from the first plate interspaces, and second porthole areas ( 21, 22 ) for the formation of second porthole channels ( 23, 24 ) for inlet and outlet for a second medium to and from the second plate interspaces. The first porthole areas of the heat exchanger plates of the second outermost plate pair form portholes and the second porthole areas of these heat exchanger plates are closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plate heat exchanger configured to be used as an evaporator for evaporating a second medium by using a first medium, wherein the plate heat exchanger comprises
a first end plate,
a second end plate, and
a number of heat exchanger plates provided between the first end plate and the second end plate and configured to form first plate interspaces and second plate interspaces arranged in an alternating order,
wherein the heat exchanger plates comprise a first outermost plate pair, which forms a first one of the first plate interspaces inside the first end plate, the first one of the first plate interspaces constituting the interspace closest to the first end plate, the first outermost plate pair containing two heat exchanger plates of said number of heat exchanger plates that are arranged closest to the first end plate, a second outermost plate pair, which forms a second one of the first plate interspaces inside the second end plate, the second one of the first plate interspaces constituting the interspace closest to the second end plate, the second outermost plate pair containing two heat exchanger plates of said number of heat exchanger plates that are arranged closest to the second end plate, and intermediate plate pairs, each of which forms one of the first plate interspaces between the first outermost plate pair and the second outermost plate pair,
wherein the first end plate and the heat exchanger plates comprise first porthole areas enabling the formation of first porthole channels, which form an inlet and an outlet for the first medium to and from the first plate interspaces, and second porthole areas, enabling the formation of second porthole channels, which form an inlet and an outlet for the second medium to and from the second plate interspaces,
wherein said first porthole areas of the heat exchanger plates of the second outermost plate pair are open portholes,
wherein said second porthole areas of at least one of the heat exchanger plates of the second outermost plate pair are closed by closed plate portions which are part of the at least one heat exchanger plate,
and the plate heat exchanger comprises a strengthening sheet, which is provided between the second end plate and the second outermost plate pair,
wherein the strengthening sheet adjoins the second outermost plate pair, adjoins the second porthole areas of the second outermost plate pair, and adjoins the open portholes of the first porthole areas of the second outermost plate pair so that the first porthole channels allow the first medium to reach the strengthening sheet, and wherein said closed second porthole areas closed by said closed plate portions prevent the second medium from reaching the strengthening sheet.

2. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the strengthening sheet is made of stainless steel.

3. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the strengthening sheet is planar.

4. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a gasket is provided around the portholes of the second porthole areas between the second outermost plate pair and the strengthening sheet.

5. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a gasket is provided around the portholes of the first porthole areas between the second outermost plate pair and the strengthening sheet to provide a seal between the gasket and the strengthening sheet.

6. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the heat exchanger plates in each plate pair are permanently joined to each other.

7. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said closed plate portions of the second porthole areas comprises a corrugation.

8. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 7 , wherein the second porthole areas of the heat exchanger plates of the second outermost plate are formed by a respective closed plate portion which is a part of the respective heat exchanger plate, wherein these plate portions for at least one of the second porthole areas are permanently joined to each other by at least one respective joint extending over said second porthole areas.

9. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said first porthole areas of each heat exchanger plate of the second outermost plate pair form portholes for the first porthole channels.

10. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a gasket is provided around the first porthole areas between adjacent plate pairs, and said adjacent plate pairs form said second plate interspace for the second medium between themselves.

11. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the heat exchanger plates are made of a material comprising at least one of Ti, Ni and alloys thereof, or more noble stainless steel alloys.

Assignees

• Gustafsson Helén
• Kovacs Tomas
• Alfa Laval Corp Ab

Inventors

• Gustafsson Helén
• Kovacs Tomas

Classifications

• F28F3/046

  the deformations being linear, e.g. corrugations · CPC title

• F28F2265/12

  for preventing overpressure · CPC title

• F28F2225/04

  for conduits · CPC title

• F28D9/005 Primary

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

• F28F3/083

  capable of being taken apart · CPC title