Heat exchanger plate and plate heat exchanger
By designing a heat exchanger plate with defined inclination corrugation and concentric transition zone, the problem of high flow resistance of the heat-loading medium in the plate heat exchanger is solved, low flow disturbance and low pressure drop are achieved, and heat exchange efficiency is improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380076789.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-01
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-13
AI Technical Summary
In some plate heat exchangers, the heat-carrying medium encounters high flow resistance when entering the heat exchanger area, resulting in increased turbulence, reduced heat transfer efficiency and increased pressure drop.
A heat exchanger plate is designed with a quadrilateral shape with corrugations of ridges and valleys whose inclinations are defined within a certain range and low flow disturbances are achieved through concentric transition areas.
Through this design, low flow disturbance and low pressure drop are achieved, improving the efficiency and fluid distribution effect of the heat exchanger.
Smart Images
Figure CN120153219A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a heat exchanger plate according to the preamble of claim 1. The present invention also relates to a plate heat exchanger according to the preamble of claim 10. Background Art
[0002] A plate heat exchanger (PHE) typically consists of two end plates, between which a plurality of heat transfer plates are arranged in a stack or group. The heat transfer plates of the PHE can be of the same or different types, and they can be stacked in different ways. In some PHEs, the heat transfer plates are stacked such that the front and rear sides of one heat transfer plate face the front and rear sides of other heat transfer plates respectively, and every other heat transfer plate is rotated inversely relative to the remaining heat transfer plates. Typically, this is referred to as the heat transfer plates "flipping" relative to each other. In other PHEs, the heat transfer plates are stacked such that the front and rear sides of one heat transfer plate face the rear and front sides respectively. Typically, this is referred to as the heat transfer plates "rotating" relative to each other.
[0003] In some types of plate heat exchangers, it is possible that the heat-carrying medium flowing around the closed port hole area encounters a high flow resistance when entering the heat exchanger area. This can be due to a relatively high θ pattern in the heat exchanger area, i.e., a corrugation pattern that may have a relatively large inclination (V angle) relative to the longitudinal central axis of the heat exchanger plate. The relatively high θ pattern generates greater turbulence, and thus more heat transfer, higher pressure drop, and higher flow resistance.
[0004] In other plate heat exchanger applications, such as for cooling electrical components, cooling needs to be accomplished with high efficiency. Electrical components may be installed in racks of data center servers, where the components are arranged close to each other. When cooling electrical components, the fluid in contact with the components must be carefully selected so as not to impair the efficiency of the components. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems discussed above. More precisely, the object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger plate and a plate heat exchanger that achieve low flow disturbances. Another object is to have a low pressure drop on the heat exchanger.
[0006] The object is achieved by providing a heat exchanger plate with a seamlessly integrated heat transfer area and distribution area and no sharp change in the corrugation direction.
[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger plate for a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between at least a first fluid and a second fluid. The heat exchanger plate has a quadrilateral shape with two opposite parallel main sides and two opposite parallel secondary sides, and a longitudinal central axis parallel to the main sides. The heat exchanger plate includes a heat exchange area with corrugations having ridges and valleys, the ridges and valleys having a longitudinal extension defining an inclination with respect to the longitudinal central axis, four port holes, at least two of which are located at respective corners of the heat exchanger plate and extend through the heat exchanger plate, a first set of ridges and valleys and a second set of ridges and valleys, wherein the longitudinal extension of the first set of ridges and valleys defines a first angle with respect to the first main side, and the longitudinal extension of the second set of ridges and valleys defines a second angle with respect to the second main side, and the intersection between the first set of ridges and valleys and the second set of ridges and valleys is defined as a transition area, which includes a curvature of the ridges and valleys concentric with the port holes.
[0008] Thus, a concentric transition area between the corrugations with the first angle and the corrugations with the second angle achieves low flow disturbance.
[0009] Preferably, the ridges and valleys extend continuously from the first main side to the second main side. In this way, there is a smooth transition of the corrugations from the first main side to the second main side (and vice versa).
[0010] Preferably, the first angle is greater than the second angle.
[0011] Preferably, the first angle is in the range of 50° to 70°. More specifically, the first angle can be 55°, 60° or 65°.
[0012] Preferably, the second angle is in the range of 30° to 60°. More specifically, the second angle can be 35°, 40°, 45°, 50° or 55°.
[0013] Preferably, the port holes include a first port hole, a second port hole, a third port hole and a fourth port hole, and the transition area is concentric with the first port hole. This gives a radius with no sharp change in the corrugation direction across the plate, which results in good fluid distribution with low flow disturbance.
[0014] Preferably, the first port hole and the third port hole have the same diameter, and the second port hole and the fourth port hole have the same diameter, and the first port hole and the third port hole have a diameter greater than that of the second port hole and the fourth port hole.
[0015] Preferably, the distance between the two main sides is at most 90 mm.
[0016] Preferably, the distance between the two main sides is at most 45 mm.
[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plate heat exchanger comprising a first heat exchanger plate and a second heat exchanger plate arranged side by side,
[0018] a first plate gap for a first fluid, each first plate gap being formed by one of the first heat exchanger plates and an adjacent one of the second heat exchanger plates, and
[0019] a second plate gap for a second fluid, each second plate gap being formed by one of the second heat exchanger plates and an adjacent one of the first heat exchanger plates, at least one of the first heat exchanger plates being a heat exchanger plate according to the first aspect.
[0020] Preferably, the first heat exchanger plate and the second heat exchanger plate are permanently connected to each other.
[0021] Preferably, the second heat exchanger plate is a mirror image version of the first heat exchanger plate.
[0022] Preferably, the first port hole and the third port hole communicate with the first plate gap, and wherein the second port hole and the fourth port hole communicate with the second plate gap. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The present invention will now be explained in more detail by describing various embodiments and referring to the drawings attached hereto.
[0024] Figure 1 A top view of a heat exchanger plate according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically disclosed.
[0025] Figure 2A Schematically disclosed Figure 1 an enlarged view of.
[0026] Figure 2B Disclosed is a cross-section along Figure 2A line A-A' in.
[0027] Figure 2C Disclosed is a cross-section along Figure 2A line B-B' in.
[0028] Figure 3 Schematically disclosed is a side view of a plate heat exchanger with at least one plate of an embodiment with Figure 1 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The plate heat exchanger can be configured to operate as a vaporizer or a condenser. However, the plate heat exchanger can also be used for other heat exchange applications. Figure 3Embodiments of an open plate heat exchanger are disclosed, in which a first heat exchanger plate A and a second heat exchanger plate B are arranged side by side such that a first plate gap 3 for a first fluid and a second plate gap 4 for a second fluid are formed. At least one of the first heat exchanger plates A can be a heat exchanger plate 1 as described with respect to Figure 1 the heat exchanger plate 1.
[0030] In the application of the disclosed embodiments, the first fluid can be a heat-carrying fluid, such as a dielectric fluid, and the second fluid can be water.
[0031] Figure 1 A heat exchanger plate 1 is disclosed, which has a corrugation of ridges and valleys and has a quadrilateral shape with two opposite parallel major sides 5 and two opposite parallel minor sides 6. In the disclosed embodiments, the quadrilateral shape is a rectangle with rounded corners, where the major sides 5 form the long sides and the minor sides 6 form the short sides. The plate includes a first major side 5a and a second major side 5b. The heat exchanger plate includes a heat exchange region extending parallel to an extending plane.
[0032] A longitudinal central axis x extends through the minor side 6 and is parallel to the major sides 5. The longitudinal central axis x is parallel to the extending plane of each of the first heat exchanger plate A and the second heat exchanger plate B ( Figure 3 ).
[0033] The heat exchanger plate 1 has a first port hole 11, a second port hole 12, a third port hole 13, and a fourth port hole 14. Two of the four port holes are positioned close to the minor side, and the other two port holes are positioned close to the opposite minor side. The second port hole 12 is positioned closer to the corner of the plate than the first port hole 11. The fourth port hole 14 is positioned closer to the corner of the plate than the third port hole 13.
[0034] In a set of heat exchanger plates, the port holes can be grouped as 11 and 12 respectively serving as inlet port holes for the first fluid and the second fluid. Then, the port holes 13 and 14 respectively serve as outlet port holes for the first fluid and the second fluid. The first port hole 11 is an inlet for the first fluid, and the third port hole 13 is an outlet for the first fluid, where these two port holes have the same diameter. The second port hole 12 is an inlet for the second fluid, and the fourth port hole 14 is an outlet for the second fluid, where these two port holes have the same diameter and their diameter is smaller than the port holes for the first fluid. The first port hole 11 and the third port hole 13 are arranged in a recessed hot plate region. The first fluid and the second fluid can also be guided through the set of heat exchanger plates in opposite directions such that the first port hole 11 is an outlet for the first fluid, the third port hole 13 is an inlet for the first fluid, the second port hole 12 is an outlet for the second fluid, and the fourth port hole 14 is an inlet for the second fluid.
[0035] The heat exchanger plate 1 has a rather elongated configuration, where the main side 5 has a length that is more than four times the length of the secondary side 6.
[0036] Figure 2A Disclosed is a corrugated heat exchanger plate 1 having ridges 8a, 8b and valleys 9a, 9b near the first inlet port hole 11 and the second inlet port hole 12. From a first main side 5a to a second main side 5b, the ridges and valleys have a constant width along their extension. The first set of ridges 8a and the first set of valleys 9a are positioned closer to the first main side 5a, and the second set of ridges 8b and the second set of valleys 9b are positioned closer to the second main side 5b. The first inlet port hole 11 is closer to the first main side 5a, and the second inlet port hole 12 is closer to the second main side 5b.
[0037] The ridges 8a, 8b and the valleys 9a, 9b have inclinations with respect to the main sides 5a, 5b respectively (the main sides are parallel to the longitudinal central axis x). The first set of ridges 8a and valleys 9a are inclined at a first angle α with respect to the first main side 5a. The second set of ridges 8b and valleys 9b are inclined at a second angle β with respect to the second main side 5b. The first angle α is greater than the second angle β. The first angle α is in the range of 50° to 70°, or a value between them, such as 55°, 60° or 65°. The second angle β is in the range of 30° to 60°, or a value between them, such as 35°, 40°, 45°, 50° or 55°.
[0038] A transition region 10 is defined where the first set of ridges 8a and valleys 9a meet the second set of ridges 8b and valleys 9b. The bending of the ridges and valleys in the transition region 10 is concentric with the first port hole 11.
[0039] The corrugations of the ridges 8a, 8b and valleys 9a, 9b extend between a top plane and a bottom plane. The top plane and the bottom plane are parallel to each other and parallel to the extension plane. The ridges extend along the top plane, and the valleys extend along the bottom plane.
[0040] Figure 2B Disclosed is a cross-section taken along Figure 2A line A - A' in and depicting the top plane of the first set of ridges 8a and the bottom plane of the first set of valleys 9a. The second set of ridges 8b and valleys 9b have corresponding cross-sectional profiles.
[0041] Figure 2C Disclosed is a cross-section taken along Figure 2A line B - B' in, where the first port hole 11 and the second port hole 12 are disclosed as being positioned in different planes.
[0042] Figure 3An open plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of first heat exchanger plates A and a plurality of second heat exchanger plates B arranged side by side in an alternating order in the plate heat exchanger. The side view is taken as a cross-section through the centers of the second port hole 12 and the fourth port hole 14, where the cut is parallel to the longitudinal central axis x.
[0043] As can be seen in Figure 3 each of the first plate gaps 3 is formed by one of the first heat exchanger plates A and an adjacent one of the second heat exchanger plates B. Each of the second plate gaps 4 is formed by one of the second heat exchanger plates B and an adjacent one of the first heat exchanger plates A.
[0044] The first plate gaps 3 and the second plate gaps 4 are arranged side by side in an alternating order. A first inlet passage connected to the first inlet port hole and a first outlet passage connected to the first outlet port hole communicate with the first plate gaps 3 to supply a first fluid to the first plate gaps 3 and discharge the first fluid from the first plate gaps 3. A second inlet passage connected to the first inlet port hole and a second outlet passage connected to the second outlet port hole communicate with the second plate gaps 4 to supply a second fluid to the second plate gaps 4 and discharge the second fluid from the second plate gaps 4.
[0045] In the disclosed embodiment, the first heat exchanger plates A and the second heat exchanger plates B are permanently joined to each other, preferably brazed to each other. However, the first heat exchanger plates A and the second heat exchanger plates B can be mounted together in other ways, such as by means of tension bolts.
[0046] The flange in the edge region of one of the first heat exchanger plates A can be joined to the corresponding flange in the edge region of an adjacent one of the second heat exchanger plates B.
[0047] As mentioned above, the disclosed embodiment relates to a vaporizer. According to another embodiment, the heat exchanger plates and the plate heat exchanger can be used as a condenser.
[0048] The embodiments disclosed and discussed above are configured for countercurrent flow of the first fluid and the second fluid. However, the embodiments can alternatively be configured for cocurrent flow of the first fluid and the second fluid, where, for example, the first outlet passage forms an inlet for the first fluid and the first inlet passage forms an outlet for the first fluid.
[0049] The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but can be modified and varied within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A heat exchanger plate (1) for a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange at least between a first fluid and a second fluid, the heat exchanger plate (1) having a quadrilateral shape with two opposite parallel main sides (5) and two opposite parallel secondary sides (6) and a longitudinal central axis (x) parallel to the main sides (5), the heat exchanger plate (1) comprising a corrugated heat exchange area with ridges and valleys, the ridges and valleys having a longitudinal extension defining an inclination relative to the longitudinal central axis (x), four port holes (11, 12, 13, 14), at least two of the four port holes (11, 12, 13, 14) being located at respective corners of the heat exchanger plate (1) and extending through the heat exchanger plate (1), characterized in that a first set of ridges (8a) and valleys (9a) and a second set of ridges (8b) and valleys (9b), wherein the longitudinal extension of the first set of ridges and valleys (8a, 9a) defines a first angle (α) relative to a first main side (5a), and the longitudinal extension of the second set of ridges and valleys (8b, 9b) defines a second angle (β) relative to a second main side (5b), wherein the intersection between the first set of ridges and valleys (8a, 9a) and the second set of ridges and valleys (8b, 9b) is defined as a transition area (10), the transition area (10) including bends of ridges and valleys concentric with the port holes.
2. The heat exchanger plate according to claim 1, wherein the ridges (8a, 8b) and valleys (9a, 9b) extend continuously from the first main side (5a) to the second main side (5b).
3. The heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first angle (α) is greater than the second angle (β).
4. The heat exchanger plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first angle (α) is in the range of 50° to 70°.
5. The heat exchanger plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second angle (β) is in the range of 30° to 60°.
6. The heat exchanger plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the port holes include a first port hole (11), a second port hole (12), a third port hole (13) and a fourth port hole (14), and wherein the transition area (10) is concentric with the first port hole (11).
7. The heat exchanger plate according to claim 6, wherein the first port hole (11) and the third port hole (13) have the same diameter, and wherein the second port hole (12) and the fourth port hole (14) have the same diameter, and wherein the first port hole (11) and the third port hole (13) have a diameter greater than that of the second port hole (12) and the fourth port hole (14).
8. The heat exchanger plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the distance between the two main sides (6) is at most 90 mm.
9. The heat exchanger plate according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The distance between the two main sides (6) is at most 45 mm.
10. A plate heat exchanger, the plate heat exchanger comprising a first heat exchanger plate (A) and a second heat exchanger plate (B) arranged side by side, a first plate gap (3) for a first fluid, each first plate gap (3) being formed by one of the first heat exchanger plates (A) and an adjacent one of the second heat exchanger plates (B), and a second plate gap (4) for a second fluid, each second plate gap (4) being formed by one of the second heat exchanger plates (B) and an adjacent one of the first heat exchanger plates (A), characterized in that at least one of the first heat exchanger plates (A) is the heat exchanger plate (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.
11. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein the first heat exchanger plate (A) and the second heat exchanger plate (B) are permanently connected to each other.
12. The plate heat exchanger according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the second heat exchanger plate (B) is a mirror image version of the first heat exchanger plate (A).
13. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 11, wherein a first port hole (11) and a third port hole (13) communicate with the first plate gap (3), and wherein a second port hole (12) and a fourth port hole (14) communicate with the second plate gap (4).