Plate heat exchanger

Abstract

There is provided a plate heat exchanger including: a plurality of heat transfer plates stacked in a first direction, the heat transfer plates having heat transfer plate edges on one side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel are formed between the adjacent heat transfer plates and are in fluid isolation with each other; the two first ports are formed in the heat transfer plate on the side and the other side, opposite to each other in the second direction, of the heat transfer plate respectively and are in fluid communication with the first fluid channel; and a hole formed in the heat transfer plate between one of the two first ports located on the one side and the edge of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, in fluid communication with the first fluid channel and in fluid isolation from the second fluid channel. The holes are formed in the bottom area of the plate heat exchanger, so that excessive water is prevented from remaining in the plate heat exchanger when the plate heat exchanger is not used, and freezing in the plate heat exchanger is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a plate heat exchanger. Background Art

[0002] A conventional plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer plates, and fluid channels for two or more fluids are formed between adjacent heat transfer plates to perform heat exchange between the two or more fluids. Summary of the invention

[0003] An object of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a plate heat exchanger, whereby, for example, it is possible to avoid excess water remaining in the plate heat exchanger when not in use, thereby preventing ice from forming in the plate heat exchanger.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a plate heat exchanger, comprising: a plurality of heat transfer plates stacked along a first direction, the heat transfer plates having a heat transfer plate edge on one side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidically isolated from each other; two first ports, the two first ports being respectively formed in the heat transfer plates on the one side and the other side opposite to each other in the second direction, and being fluidly connected to the first fluid channel; and a hole, the hole being formed in the heat transfer plate between one of the two first ports located on the one side and the edge of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, being fluidly connected to the first fluid channel and fluidly isolated from the second fluid channel.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the plate heat exchanger is in use, the second direction is a vertical direction, and the hole is located in a bottom area of ​​the plate heat exchanger.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the hole wall portion of the hole close to the edge of the heat transfer plate and the edge of the heat transfer plate is 2 mm to 30 mm.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the hole is 2 mm2 to 200 mm2.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the invention, the hole is configured for mounting a temperature sensor therein.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plate heat exchanger further comprises: a connecting pipe, wherein the connecting pipe is in fluid communication with the hole.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plate heat exchanger further comprises: two cover plates, the plurality of heat transfer plates are arranged between the two cover plates, and the connecting pipe is connected to the cover plates.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting pipe is configured to be used for installing a detector in the connecting pipe, and the detector is used to detect whether the heat exchange medium in the second fluid channel leaks.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plate heat exchanger further comprises: two second ports, which are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction, and are fluidically connected to the second fluid channel, wherein the hole is a hole, which is arranged between the one of the two first ports and the one of the two second ports located on the one side in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the plate heat exchanger further includes: a third fluid channel formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidically isolated from the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel; two second ports, the two second ports are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction, and are fluidically connected to the second fluid channel; and two third ports, the two third ports are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction, and are fluidically connected to the third fluid channel.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the invention, the hole is also fluidically isolated from the third fluid channel.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the holes are two holes, and the two holes are respectively arranged on both sides of the one of the two first ports in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and the two holes are located between the one of the two second ports located on the one side and the one of the two third ports located on the one side.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first fluid passage is configured to utilize a secondary coolant as a heat exchange medium, and the second fluid passage is configured to utilize a refrigerant as a heat exchange medium.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, by providing holes in the bottom area of ​​the plate heat exchanger, for example, it is possible to avoid excessive water remaining in the plate heat exchanger when not in use, thereby preventing ice from forming in the plate heat exchanger. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a plate heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of a plate heat exchanger is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the plate heat exchanger shown taken along line AA;

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the plate heat exchanger shown taken along a line passing through the axis of the hole;

[0022] Figure 5 The temperature sensor is shown installed in Figure 4 A view showing the state of the hole in the plate heat exchanger;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A front view of a heat transfer plate of a plate heat exchanger shown; and

[0024] Figure 7 4 is a front view of a heat transfer plate of a plate heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0026] See also Figures 1 to 7 The plate heat exchanger 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises: a plurality of heat transfer plates 2 stacked along a first direction D1, wherein the heat transfer plates 2 have a heat transfer plate edge 20 ( Figure 6 , Figure 7 ); a first fluid channel 11 and a second fluid channel 12 formed between adjacent heat transfer plates 2 and fluidically isolated from each other; and two first ports 31, the two first ports 31 are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate 2 at the one side and the other side opposite to each other in the second direction D2 of the heat transfer plate 2, and are fluidically connected to the first fluid channel 11.

[0027] See also Figure 1-3 6. In the embodiment of the present invention, the plate heat exchanger 100 may further include: a third fluid channel 13 formed between adjacent heat transfer plates 2 and fluidically isolated from the first fluid channel 11 and the second fluid channel 12; two second ports 32, the two second ports 32 are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate 2 at the one side and the other side opposite to each other in the second direction D2 of the heat transfer plate 2, and are fluidically connected to the second fluid channel 12; and two third ports 33, the two third ports 33 are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate 2 at the one side and the other side opposite to each other in the second direction D2 of the heat transfer plate 2, and are fluidically connected to the third fluid channel 13. The plate heat exchanger 100 may further include: a pipe connected to the first port 31, the second port 32, and the third port 33.

[0028] See also Figure 6 to Figure 7The plate heat exchanger 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes: a hole 5 formed in the heat transfer plate 2 between the one of the two first ports 31 and the heat transfer plate edge 20 in the second direction D2. Figure 5 , the hole 5 is in fluid communication with the first fluid channel 11 and is fluidically isolated from the second fluid channel 12. Figure 1-3 In the plate heat exchanger shown, the hole 5 is also fluidically isolated from the third fluid channel 13. The hole 5 is adjacent to the edge 20 of the heat transfer plate in the second direction D2.

[0029] According to an example of the present invention, the first fluid channel 11 is used for a first heat exchange medium, the second fluid channel 12 is used for a second heat exchange medium, and the third fluid channel 13 is used for a third heat exchange medium. The first heat exchange medium may be a coolant, such as liquids such as water, brine, ethylene glycol, and propylene glycol, and the second heat exchange medium and the third heat exchange medium may be refrigerants. The second heat exchange medium and the third heat exchange medium may be the same. According to an example of the present invention, the first heat exchange medium may also be a refrigerant.

[0030] The plate heat exchanger 100 may be a soldered plate heat exchanger, a brazed plate heat exchanger, a gasketed plate heat exchanger or any other type of plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger 100 may also include two cover plates 6, a plurality of heat transfer plates 2 are arranged between the two cover plates 6; and a reinforcing plate arranged on the cover plates 6, and the pipe is installed on the reinforcing plate.

[0031] The plate heat exchanger 100 may be Figure 1-3 The heat exchanger shown, or a heat exchanger having only two first ports 31 and two second ports 32 (see Figure 7 ) or other types of plate heat exchangers. The plate heat exchanger 100 may also be a double-wall plate heat exchanger.

[0032] See also Figure 1-2 4-7, according to an example of the present invention, when the plate heat exchanger 100 is in use, the second direction D2 is a vertical direction, and the hole 5 is located in the bottom area of ​​the plate heat exchanger 100.

[0033] See also Figure 1-4 According to an example of the present invention, the plate heat exchanger 100 further includes: a pipe 4, the pipe 4 being in fluid communication with the hole 5. The pipe 4 is connected to the cover plate 6. The hole 5 is configured to be used for installing a temperature sensor 9 in the hole 5. The pipe 4 can also be configured to be used for installing a detector in the pipe 4, the detector being used for detecting whether the heat exchange medium in the second fluid channel 12 is leaking, or the detector being used for detecting whether the heat exchange medium in the second fluid channel 12 and the third fluid channel 13 is leaking.

[0034] See also Figure 6 ,7 According to an example of the present invention, the distance between the hole wall portion 50 of the hole 5 close to the heat transfer plate edge 20 (or the lowermost portion of the hole wall in use) and the heat transfer plate edge 20 of the heat transfer plate 2 is 2 mm to 30 mm or 2 mm to 10 mm, etc. The minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the hole 5 is 2 mm2 to 200 mm2 or 2 mm2 to 50 mm2.

[0035] See also Figure 7 According to an example of the present invention, the hole 5 is one hole 5, and the one hole 5 is provided between the one of the two first ports 31 and the one of the two second ports 32 located on the one side in the third direction D3 perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. That is, the hole 5 is provided between the first port 31 and the second port 32 located on the same side in the third direction D3.

[0036] See also Figure 6 According to an example of the present invention, the holes 5 are two holes 5, and the two holes 5 are respectively arranged on both sides of the one of the two first ports 31 in the third direction D3 perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, and the two holes 5 are located between the one of the two second ports 32 located on the one side and the one of the two third ports 33 located on the one side. That is, the two holes 5 are respectively arranged between the first port 31 and the second port 32 located on the same side and between the first port 31 and the third port 33 in the third direction D3. The two holes 5 may be arranged symmetrically.

[0037] In the case where the first heat exchange medium of the first fluid channel 11 of the plate heat exchanger 100 is water or salt water, in some low temperature environments such as below 0 degrees, if the water level of the water or salt water is higher than the safety limit, the water or salt water has the risk of freezing. By setting the hole 5, it is possible to avoid excessive water remaining in the first fluid channel 11 of the plate heat exchanger 100, so that the water level of the residual water in the first fluid channel 11 of the plate heat exchanger 100 is reduced. As a result, the risk of freezing failure of the plate heat exchanger 100 is low. In addition, a temperature sensor 9 can be set in the hole 5, which can more accurately measure the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the first fluid channel 11 of the plate heat exchanger 100, so that the system response is more accurate. Furthermore, a detector can be installed in the pipe 4 to detect whether the heat exchange medium in the second fluid channel 12 is leaked. Thus, the leaked harmful heat exchange medium is prevented from polluting the environment. In addition, in some harmful refrigerant or drinking water applications, the pipe 4 can be connected to a harmful refrigerant collection bag or any system to prevent the harmful refrigerant from flowing into the atmosphere or the room, thereby avoiding further damage. Since the detector is installed in the pipe 4, the leakage of the harmful refrigerant can be quickly discovered.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pipe 4 is in fluid communication with the hole 5. The pipe 4 is connected to the cover plate 6. A manual valve can be installed on the pipe 4 to manually drain the water, or an electric control valve can be installed on the pipe 4 to automatically control the drainage through system operation.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, any number of holes 5 may be provided, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4 or more holes 5 may be provided, and the pipe 4 may be connected to any one or both of the two cover plates 6. The shape of the hole may be any shape such as a circle, a rectangle, a triangle, a trapezoid, a square, an ellipse, etc.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the plate heat exchanger 100 is in the evaporator working condition, a temperature sensor is usually installed in the pipe connected to the first port 31 to avoid the dynamic freezing problem, but the water temperature in the pipe connected to the first port 31 is usually not the lowest temperature, and the water temperature in the hole 5 is much lower. Therefore, by installing the temperature sensor 9 in the hole 5 through the pipe 4, a lower temperature can be detected as a system logic input to avoid the risk of freezing.

[0041] Since the temperature sensor 9 is installed in hole 5, the dynamic freezing problem can be avoided, but usually the water temperature at the water inlet is not the lowest temperature, and the temperature of the drain hole is much lower, so if the temperature sensor is installed to hole 5 through the pipe, the lower temperature can be detected as the system logic input to avoid the risk of freezing.

[0042] Although the present invention is described in conjunction with the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, some embodiments of all embodiments and some technical features of all embodiments can be combined with each other to form new embodiments.

Claims

1. A plate heat exchanger, comprising: A plurality of heat transfer plates stacked in a first direction, the heat transfer plates having a heat transfer plate edge on one side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first fluid channel and a second fluid channel formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from each other; two first ports, the two first ports are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction and are in fluid communication with the first fluid channel; as well as A hole is formed in the heat transfer plate between one of the two first ports located on the one side and the edge of the heat transfer plate in the second direction, is fluidly connected to the first fluid channel and is fluidly isolated from the second fluid channel.

2. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: When the plate heat exchanger is in use, the second direction is a vertical direction, and the hole is located in the bottom area of ​​the plate heat exchanger.

3. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The distance between the hole wall portion of the hole close to the edge of the heat transfer plate and the edge of the heat transfer plate is 2 mm to 30 mm.

4. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the hole is 2 mm2 to 200 mm2.

5. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The hole is configured for mounting a temperature sensor therein.

6. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising: A nozzle is connected to the hole for fluid communication.

7. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 6, further comprising: two cover plates, the plurality of heat transfer plates being arranged between the two cover plates, The connecting pipe is connected to the cover plate.

8. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein: The connecting pipe is configured to be used for installing a detector in the connecting pipe, and the detector is used for detecting whether the heat exchange medium in the second fluid channel leaks.

9. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising: two second ports, the two second ports are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction and are in fluid communication with the second fluid channel, The hole is a hole that is disposed between the one of the two first ports and the one of the two second ports located on the one side in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

10. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising: a third fluid channel formed between adjacent heat transfer plates and fluidly isolated from the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel; two second ports, the two second ports are respectively formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction and are in fluid communication with the second fluid channel; as well as Two third ports are formed in the heat transfer plate at the one side and the other side of the heat transfer plate opposite in the second direction, respectively, and are in fluid communication with the third fluid channel.

11. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein: The aperture is also fluidly isolated from the third fluid channel.

12. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein: The holes are two holes, and the two holes are respectively arranged on both sides of the one of the two first ports in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and the two holes are located between the one of the two second ports located on the one side and the one of the two third ports located on the one side.

13. The plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The first fluid passage is configured to utilize a secondary coolant as a heat exchange medium, and the second fluid passage is configured to utilize a refrigerant as a heat exchange medium.

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