An adjustable plate heat exchanger
By incorporating rubber rings and sealing strips inside the plate heat exchanger, continuous adjustment of the medium flow cross-section is achieved, solving the problems of low adjustment accuracy and slow response of traditional plate heat exchangers, and realizing smooth temperature control and real-time adjustment capability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANDONG ZHILIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
Traditional plate heat exchangers cannot achieve continuous and precise flow heat exchange control, and are prone to over- or under-heat exchange when the load changes, resulting in low adjustment accuracy and slow response.
A rubber ring is installed inside the heat exchanger to separate the circulating and direct flow zones. A sealing strip is installed on the outside of the finned channel in the circulating zone. The compression and expansion of the sealing strip are controlled by fine-tuning the spacing of the heat exchange fins, so as to achieve continuous change of the medium flow cross section. Combined with the micro-push rod and pulley structure, the extrusion plate is moved in a small amplitude to adjust the medium flow area.
It achieves smooth and precise temperature control, avoids pressure fluctuations caused by sudden increases in flow rate, improves the resolution of low-load adjustment, and does not require disassembly or replacement of parts. It can be adjusted in real time during operation and is suitable for space-constrained installation environments.
Smart Images
Figure CN122360187A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchange equipment technology, and in particular to an adjustable plate heat exchanger. Background Technology
[0002] Plate heat exchangers are a type of high-efficiency heat exchanger consisting of a series of metal plates with a certain corrugated shape stacked together. Thin rectangular channels are formed between the various plates, through which heat exchange occurs. Plate heat exchangers are ideal devices for liquid-liquid and liquid-vapor heat exchange. They are characterized by high heat exchange efficiency, low heat loss, compact and lightweight structure, small footprint, wide application, and long service life.
[0003] Traditional plate heat exchangers consist of multiple layers of stacked heat exchange plates, with medium flow channels formed between the plates. The corrugated structure enhances heat exchange. However, the heat exchange area and flow cross-section are fixed after production and cannot be adjusted in real time according to load changes, resulting in excessive or insufficient heat exchange under some operating conditions. Although existing adjustable plate heat exchangers can adjust the number of heat exchange plates or change the parallel flow by increasing or decreasing the number of heat exchange plates, the adjustment accuracy is low and the response is slow, making it impossible to achieve continuous and precise flow heat exchange control. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This invention discloses an adjustable plate heat exchanger, which aims to solve the technical problems of shortcomings and deficiencies in the heat exchange rate adjustment function of existing plate heat exchangers.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An adjustable plate heat exchanger includes a back plate, a pair of brackets fixedly installed on one side of the back plate, an extrusion plate slidably installed between the brackets, and a heat exchange assembly disposed between the extrusion plate and the back plate. The heat exchange assembly includes several closely arranged heat exchange plates, and two pairs of flow channels are formed between the back plate and the sidewalls of the heat exchange plates. The two flow channels respectively introduce a hot medium and a cold medium into the interior of the heat exchange plates. A rubber ring is fixedly installed on the side of each heat exchange plate. The rubber ring, along the sidewall of the heat exchange plate, separates the two symmetrically distributed pairs of flow channels into a circulating zone and a direct flow zone. The medium flowing along the inside of the circulating zone flows through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate, while the medium flowing along the inside of the direct flow zone flows directly through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate. The medium then enters the next heat exchanger plate, and the circulating zone and the direct current zone on the side of each adjacent heat exchanger plate are staggered, so that the hot and cold medium sequentially penetrates and conducts temperature through each heat exchanger plate. The circulating zone has several evenly distributed fin channels, and each fin channel has several rows of evenly distributed sealing strips. The sealing strips are squeezed by the adjacent heat exchanger plates and sealed and pressed against the outside of the fin channel, controlling the area where the medium can flow along the inside of the circulating zone.
[0006] By improving the heat exchange fins inside traditional plate heat exchangers, a rubber ring adhering to the outside of the fins divides the entire heat exchange fin into a circulating zone and a direct-flow zone. An additional sealing strip structure is installed on the outside of the fin channels within the circulating zone. The compression and expansion of the sealing strip are controlled by fine-tuning the spacing between the heat exchange fins, allowing for continuous variation in the flow area of the fin channels and the circulating zone. This linearly adjusts the medium flow cross-section, distinguishing it from the "on / off" or "fin number addition / reduction" jump adjustments of traditional plate heat exchangers, resulting in smoother temperature control. Precise and precise, the heat exchange components of this equipment directly act on the plate bundle spacing of the heat exchange fins, without disassembling the heat exchanger or replacing parts, and can be adjusted in real time during operation. The entire heat exchange component is integrated into the original flow channel of the heat exchange fins, without occupying additional space, making it suitable for space-constrained installation environments. Furthermore, this heat exchange component also sets different thicknesses for the edge sealing strips, so that when the fin spacing increases, the thinner edge sealing strip exposes the hole first, and the thicker edge sealing strip exposes the hole later, realizing a graded and gradual increase in the flow area, thereby preventing pressure fluctuations caused by sudden increases in flow rate and improving the resolution of low-load adjustment.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment, a micro-push rod is fixedly mounted on the outer side of the bracket. The output shaft of the micro-push rod is horizontally connected to the outer side of the extrusion plate and exerts a small-amplitude push on the extrusion plate. A pulley is rotatably mounted on the top of the extrusion plate, and the pulley slides in contact with the outer side of the bracket.
[0008] By setting up a micro-push rod connected to the extrusion plate, the micro-push rod pushes the extrusion plate, which, together with the sliding of the pulley, causes the extrusion plate to move slightly along the bottom of the support, thereby extruding the heat exchange plates and maintaining the integrity of the equipment operation.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment, several edge sealing strips located within the same circulation zone have progressively increasing thickness as they move closer to the outer side of the heat exchange plate. The edge sealing strips are made of a temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant elastomer with reversible compression and expansion characteristics.
[0010] By setting several sealing strips located within the same circulation zone to have progressively increasing thicknesses, the sealing strips of different thicknesses lose their compression as the micro-push rod drives the heat exchange plate to make small displacements. This progressively increases the flowable area within the circulation zone, thereby achieving temperature control and maintaining the rationality of the equipment's operation.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, each of the edge sealing strips has several U-shaped rings embedded at its bottom, and each U-shaped ring is distributed inside one of the fin channels. When the edge sealing strip is compressed, it will wrap the U-shaped rings inward. The side wall of the edge sealing strip is provided with a flow hole, and when the edge sealing strip is compressed, it will cause the flow hole to close.
[0012] By adding a U-shaped ring and flow hole structure to the edge sealing strip, the U-shaped ring and flow hole are exposed as the edge sealing strip gradually loses its compression, thus providing a flow path for the medium inside the circulation zone and maintaining the reasonable operation of the equipment.
[0013] As can be seen from the above, the adjustable plate heat exchanger provided by the present invention has the following technical effects.
[0014] Firstly, by improving the heat exchange fins inside the traditional heat exchanger, the heat exchange fins are divided into two parts: a circulating zone and a direct flow zone, using rubber rings adhered to the outside of the heat exchange fins. The circulating zone has an additional sealing strip structure on the outside of the built-in fin channels. By finely adjusting the spacing of the heat exchange fins, the compression and expansion of the sealing strip can be controlled, allowing the opening of the fin channels and the circulating zone to change continuously. This linearly adjusts the medium flow cross-section, thus distinguishing it from the "on / off" or "adding / removing the number of fins" jump adjustment of traditional plate heat exchangers. Temperature control is smoother and more precise.
[0015] Secondly, the heat exchange components of this equipment directly act on the plate bundle spacing of the heat exchange fins, eliminating the need to disassemble the heat exchanger or replace parts. This allows for real-time adjustment during operation, improving functionality and ease of operation.
[0016] Thirdly, the entire heat exchange component is integrated into the original flow channel of the heat exchange plate, without taking up additional space, making it suitable for space-constrained installation environments and providing higher adaptability.
[0017] Fourthly, this heat exchanger also sets different thicknesses for the sealing strips, so that when the spacing between the strips increases, the thinner sealing strips expose the holes first and the thicker sealing strips expose the holes later, realizing a graded and gradual increase in the flow area, thereby preventing pressure fluctuations caused by sudden increases in flow rate and improving the resolution of small load regulation. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure proposed in this invention.
[0019] Figure 2 This is a side view of the overall structure proposed in this invention.
[0020] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the overall structure proposed in this invention.
[0021] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the heat exchanger structure proposed in this invention.
[0022] Figure 5 This is a side view of the heat exchanger structure proposed in this invention.
[0023] Figure 6 The present invention proposes Figure 5 Enlarged view of the structure at point A in the middle.
[0024] Figure 7 This is a comparative schematic diagram of the edge banding strip shape proposed in this invention.
[0025] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the operating status of the edge banding strip proposed in this invention.
[0026] In the diagram: 1. Back plate; 101. Flow channel; 2. Support; 3. Extrusion plate; 301. Micro-push rod; 302. Pulley; 4. Heat exchange assembly; 401. Heat exchange plate; 4011. Sliding groove; 402. Rubber ring; 403. Circulation zone; 404. Direct flow zone; 405. Fin channel; 406. Sealing strip; 4061. U-ring; 4062. Flow hole; 407. Elastic element; 5. Limiting rod; 6. Stand. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.
[0028] The adjustable plate heat exchanger disclosed in this invention is mainly used in scenarios involving heat exchange of fluid media.
[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 8 An adjustable plate heat exchanger includes a back plate 1, a pair of brackets 2 fixedly installed on one side of the back plate 1, an extrusion plate 3 slidably installed between the brackets 2, and a heat exchange assembly 4 disposed between the extrusion plate 3 and the back plate 1. The heat exchange assembly 4 includes several closely arranged heat exchange plates 401. Two pairs of flow channels 101 are formed between the back plate 1 and the sidewall of the heat exchange plates 401. The two flow channels 101 respectively introduce hot and cold media into the interior of the heat exchange plates 401. A rubber ring 402 is fixedly installed on the side of each heat exchange plate 401. The rubber ring 402 separates the two symmetrically distributed pairs of flow channels 101 into a circulating region 403 and a direct flow region 404 along the sidewall of the heat exchange plate 401. The medium flowing inside the circulating region 403 flows through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate 401, while the medium flowing inside the direct flow region 404 flows through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate 401. The medium will directly enter the next heat exchange fin 401, and the circulating zone 403 and direct flow zone 404 on the side of each adjacent heat exchange fin 401 are staggered, so that the hot and cold medium will pass through each heat exchange fin 401 in sequence. The circulating zone 403 has several evenly distributed fin channels 405 inside, and each fin channel 405 has several rows of evenly distributed sealing strips 406 inside. The sealing strips 406 are squeezed by the adjacent heat exchange fins 401 and sealed and pressed on the outside of the fin channel 405, controlling the area that the medium can flow along the inside of the circulating zone 403.
[0030] In this embodiment: During operation, the hot and cold media enter the entire heat exchange assembly 4 through two pairs of flow channels 101. Simultaneously, the rubber ring 402 separates the two pairs of flow channels 101 into a circulating region 403 and a direct flow region 404. The media entering the heat exchange plate 401 and flowing along the circulating region 403 will flow through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate 401, while the media flowing along the direct flow region 404 will directly enter the next heat exchange plate 401. Furthermore, the circulating region 403 and direct flow region 404 on the sides of each adjacent heat exchange plate 401 are staggered, thus causing the hot and cold media to sequentially penetrate and conduct heat to each heat exchange plate 401, achieving "one heat exchange plate 401..." The effect of "01 cold, one heat exchange fin 401 hot" is achieved, thereby conducting temperature. During this process, when the user needs to adjust the temperature conduction, the user controls the extrusion plate 3 to move horizontally along the outside of the support 2. While moving, the extrusion on several heat exchange fins 401 is slowly reduced, causing the spacing between the heat exchange fins 401 to increase relatively. During the slow increase, the extruded sealing strip 406 will expand along the inside of the circulation zone 403 and the outside of the fin channel 405, and release the blockage of the fin channel 405, thereby increasing the flow area of the medium along the inside of the circulation zone 403, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the equipment and achieving temperature conduction control.
[0031] Among them, several evenly distributed limiting rods 5 are fixedly installed on the outer side of the back plate 1. The limiting rods 5 are distributed on the outer side of the heat exchange component 4 and are in contact with the extrusion plate 3. The ends of the bracket 2 are connected and fixed to the upright frame 6 to improve the structural stability of the entire equipment.
[0032] Reference Figures 1 to 3In a preferred embodiment, a micro-push rod 301 is fixedly installed on the outer side of the bracket 2. The output shaft of the micro-push rod 301 is horizontally connected to the outer side of the extrusion plate 3 and pushes the extrusion plate 3 slightly. A pulley 302 is rotatably installed on the top of the extrusion plate 3. The pulley 302 slides in contact with the outer side of the bracket 2. The extrusion plate 3, pushed by the micro-push rod 301, will move slightly along the outer side of the bracket 2 by relying on the pulley 302.
[0033] The heat exchange plate 401 has a sliding groove 4011 on its top, and the heat exchange plate 401 is slidably connected to the bracket 2 through the sliding groove 4011.
[0034] Reference Figures 5 to 8 In a preferred embodiment, several sealing strips 406 located within the same circulation zone 403 have progressively increasing thicknesses as they approach the outer side of the heat exchange fin 401. The sealing strips 406 are temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant elastomers with reversible compression and expansion characteristics. Each sealing strip 406 has several U-shaped rings 4061 embedded at its bottom. Each U-shaped ring 4061 is distributed within a corresponding fin channel 405. When compressed, the sealing strip 406 will inwardly wrap around the U-shaped rings 4061. A flow hole 4062 is provided through the sidewall of the sealing strip 406, and the compressed sealing strip 406 will cause the flow hole 4062 to close.
[0035] As the user controls the extrusion plate 3 to move horizontally along the outside of the support 2, the extrusion on several heat exchange fins 401 is gradually reduced, causing the spacing between the heat exchange fins 401 to increase relatively. During this slow increase, the extruded sealing strips 406 expand along the inside of the circulation zone 403 and the outside of the fin channel 405. Since the thickness of each sealing strip 406 is different, the thinner ones will move back to their original position first, followed by the thicker ones, and so on. The flow holes 4062 inside the sealing strips 406 will be released from extrusion and expand, and the U-shaped rings 4061 at the bottom of the sealing strips 406 will be released from extrusion and exposed, thus unblocking the fin channel 405. This increases the flow area of the medium along the inside of the circulation zone 403, improves the heat exchange efficiency of the equipment, and achieves temperature and conductivity control.
[0036] Each heat exchange plate 401 has a pair of elastic elements 407 fixedly installed on its side. The two adjacent heat exchange plates 401 are pressed into contact by the elastic elements 407, and the synchronous displacement of each heat exchange plate 401 is controlled by the elastic elements 407.
[0037] Working Principle: During use, the hot and cold media enter the entire heat exchange assembly 4 through two pairs of flow channels 101. Simultaneously, the rubber ring 402 separates the two pairs of flow channels 101 into a circulating zone 403 and a direct flow zone 404. The media flowing into the heat exchange plate 401 and along the circulating zone 403 flows over the sidewall of the heat exchange plate 401, while the media flowing along the direct flow zone 404 directly enters the next heat exchange plate 401. The circulating zone 403 and direct flow zone 404 on the sides of each adjacent heat exchange plate 401 are staggered, causing the hot and cold media to sequentially conduct heat to each heat exchange plate 401, achieving the effect of "one heat exchange plate 401 being cold, and another heat exchange plate 401 being hot," thus achieving temperature conduction. During this process, when the user needs to adjust the temperature conduction, the following steps are taken: The squeeze plate 3 is controlled to move horizontally along the outside of the support 2. While moving, the squeeze on several heat exchange fins 401 is slowly reduced, causing the spacing between the heat exchange fins 401 to increase relatively. During the slow increase, the squeezed sealing strips 406 will expand along the inside of the circulation zone 403 and the outside of the fin channel 405. Since the thickness of each sealing strip 406 is different, the thinner ones will move back to their original position first, followed by the thicker ones, and so on. The flow hole 4062 located inside the sealing strip 406 will be released from the squeeze and expand. The U-shaped ring 4061 located at the bottom of the sealing strip 406 will be released from the squeeze and exposed, and the blockage of the fin channel 405 will be released. This will increase the flow area of the medium along the inside of the circulation zone 403, improve the heat exchange efficiency of the equipment, and achieve temperature and conductivity control.
[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. An adjustable plate heat exchanger, comprising a back plate (1), characterized in that, A pair of brackets (2) are fixedly installed on one side of the back plate (1), and an extrusion plate (3) is slidably installed between the brackets (2). A heat exchange assembly (4) is provided between the extrusion plate (3) and the back plate (1). The heat exchange assembly (4) includes several closely arranged heat exchange plates (401), and two pairs of flow channels (101) are provided through the back plate (1) and the sidewall of the heat exchange plate (401). The two flow channels (101) respectively introduce hot medium and cold medium into the interior of the heat exchange plate (401). Each heat exchange plate (401) is fixedly installed with a rubber ring (402) on its side. The rubber ring (402) separates the two symmetrically distributed pairs of flow channels (101) into a circulation zone (403) and a direct flow zone (404) along the sidewall of the heat exchange plate (401). The medium flowing along the inside of the circulation zone (403) will flow through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate (401), while the medium flowing along the inside of the direct flow zone (404) will flow through the sidewall of the heat exchange plate (401). The circulating medium will directly enter the next heat exchange plate (401), and the circulating zone (403) and the direct flow zone (404) on the side of each adjacent heat exchange plate (401) are staggered, so that the hot and cold medium will pass through each heat exchange plate (401) in sequence. The circulating zone (403) has several evenly distributed fin channels (405) inside, and each fin channel (405) has several rows of evenly distributed sealing strips (406) inside. The sealing strips (406) are squeezed by the adjacent heat exchange plates (401) and sealed and pressed on the outside of the fin channel (405), controlling the area that the medium can flow along the inside of the circulating zone (403).
2. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A number of evenly distributed limiting rods (5) are fixedly installed on the outer side of the back plate (1). The limiting rods (5) are distributed on the outer side of the heat exchange assembly (4) and are in contact with the extrusion plate (3).
3. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ends of the bracket (2) are connected and fixed to the upright (6).
4. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A micro-push rod (301) is fixedly installed on the outside of the bracket (2). The output shaft of the micro-push rod (301) is horizontally connected to the outside of the extrusion plate (3) and pushes the extrusion plate (3) slightly.
5. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A pulley (302) is rotatably mounted on the top of the extrusion plate (3), and the pulley (302) and the outer side of the bracket (2) slide in contact.
6. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat exchange plate (401) has a sliding groove (4011) on its top, and the heat exchange plate (401) is slidably connected to the bracket (2) through the sliding groove (4011).
7. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of several edge sealing strips (406) located within the same circulation zone (403) increases sequentially towards the outer side of the heat exchange plate (401). Meanwhile, the edge sealing strips (406) are temperature-resistant and corrosion-resistant elastomers with reversible compression and expansion characteristics.
8. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the edge sealing strips (406) has several U-shaped rings (4061) embedded at its bottom. Each U-shaped ring (4061) is distributed inside a fin channel (405), and the edge sealing strip (406) under pressure will indent and wrap the U-shaped ring (4061).
9. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sidewall of the sealing strip (406) has a through-hole (4062), and the sealing strip (406) under pressure will cause the through-hole (4062) to close.
10. An adjustable plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each heat exchange plate (401) has a pair of elastic elements (407) fixedly installed on its side, and the heat exchange plates (401) adjacent to each other are pressed into contact by the elastic elements (407).