Plate heat exchanger

Claim 2

In a heat exchanger including a frame, a plurality of heat exchange plates mounted in the frame and having substantially the same rectangular shape and size, said plates being disposed in spaced face-to-face relationship and with pairs of adjacent plates sealed to each other to define a series of passages for separate flows of two heat exchanging media therethrough, the corner regions of the plates having openings defining inlet and outlet channels for conducting said media to and from the respective passages, the improvement comprising an inlet connection and an outlet connection for one of said media located at one end of the heat exchanger, said plates being arranged in a first group and a second group, said inlet connection communicating through said inlet channels for said one medium in said first group of plates with said inlet channels for said one medium in the second group of plates, said first and second groups having their said outlet channels for said one medium in communication with said outlet connection, said openings in the plates of the first group being of a first size for defining said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium, said openings in the plates of the second group being of a second size for defining said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium, said second size being substantially smaller than said first size, said openings in the plates of the second group being located eccentrically relative to the corresponding openings in the plates of the first group, each said eccentrically located opening being displaced toward at least one of the two adjacent plate edges from its location if it were concentric relative to the corresponding openings in the plates of the first group, whereby each plate of the second group has a substantially larger heat exchange area than each plate of the first group.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1, in which said first group is located nearer said one end of the heat exchanger than said second group.

Claim 4

The improvement of claim 1, comprising also gasket rings closely surrounding the openings of said first and second sizes, said openings being so located that the spacing between the outer diameter of each gasket ring and the adjacent plate edges is the same for the plates of said first and second groups.

Claim 5

In a heat exchanger including a frame, a plurality of heat exchange plates mounted in the frame and having substantially the same rectangular shape and size, said plates being disposed in spaced face-to-face relationship and with pairs of adjacent plates sealed to each other to define a series of passages for separate flows of two heat exchanging media therethrough, the corner regions of the plates having openings defining inlet and outlet channels for conducting said media to and from the respective passages, the improvement comprising inlet and outlet connections for at least one of said media located at one end of the heat exchanger, said plates being arranged in a first group and a second group, the plates of each group having their said inlet and outlet channels communicating with said inlet and outlet channels in the plates of the other group, said openings in the plates of the first group being of a first size for defining said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium, said openings in the plates of the second group being of a second size for defining said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium, said second size being substantially smaller than said first size, said openings in the plates of said second group being located eccentrically relative to the corresponding openings in the plates of the first group, each said eccentrically located opening being displaced toward at least one of the two adjacent plate edges from its location if it were concentric relative to the corresponding openings in the plates of the first group, whereby each plate of the second group has a substantially larger heat exchange area than each plate of said first group, said second group of plates having its said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium communicating with said inlet and outlet connections by way of corresponding channels in said first group of plates.

Claim 6

In a heat exchanger including a frame, a plurality of heat exchange plates mounted in the frame and having substantially the same rectangular shape and size, said plates being disposed in spaced face-to-face relationship and with pairs of adjacent plates sealed to each other to define a series of passages for separate flows of two heat exchanging media therethrough, the corner regions of the plates having openings defining inlet and outlet channels for conducting said media to and from the respective passages, the improvement comprising inlet and outlet connections for at least one of said media located at one end of the heat exchanger, said plates being arranged in a first group and a second group, the plates of each group having their said inlet and outlet channels communicating with said inlet and outlet channels in the plates of the other group, said openings in the plates of the first group being of a first size for defining said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium, said openings in the plates of the second group being of a second size for defining said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium, said second size being substantially smaller than said first size, said openings in the plates of said second group being located eccentrically relative to the corresponding openings in the plates of the first group, each said eccentrically located opening being displaced toward at least one of the two adjacent plate edges from its location if it were concentric relative to the corresponding openings in the plates of the first group, whereby each plate of the second group has a substantially larger heat exchange area than each plate of said first group, said second group of plates having its said inlet and outlet channels for said one medium communicating with said inlet and outlet connections by way of corresponding channels in said first group of plates.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 4, comprising also gasket rings closely surrounding the openings of said first and second sizes, said openings being so located that the spacing between the outer diameter of each gasket ring and the adjacent plate edges is the same for the plates of said first and second groups.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 4, comprising also a separation plate separating said first and second groups from each other, and gasket rings sealing said groups against the separation plate.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 5, comprising also a separation plate separating said first and second groups from each other, said gasket rings including rings sealing said groups against the separation plate.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 4 or 5, in which the openings of said first size are at least 50% but not more than 100% larger than the openings of said second size.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 4 or 5, in which the number of plates in said second group is at least 1/2 but not more than 2/3 of the total number of plates in the first and second groups.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 9, in which the openings of said first size are at least 50% but not more than 100% larger than the openings of said second size.