Plate heat exchanger and fluid distributor therefor

CN122611697BActive Publication Date: 2026-09-22ZHEJIANG KANGSHENG HEAT EXCHANGER CO LTD +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202611082817.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2026-07-21
Publication Date
2026-09-22
Estimated Expiration
2046-07-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

[0005]为了解决上述问题,本申请的目的之一在于提供一种板式换热器用流体分配器,能够解决现有板式换热器用作蒸发器时,冷媒气液两相混合不均、流动噪音大以及节流孔易堵塞的问题

Benefits of technology

1、通过设置板片缺口一次分配+多孔消音部件预混合+节流孔二次分配的多级分配结构,在节流前对气液两相冷媒进行强制混合,使其达到均匀状态,实现气液均匀混合、降噪和过滤防堵,从而最大化换热性能。

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application discloses a plate heat exchanger and a fluid distributor thereof, and belongs to the technical field of heat exchangers. The plate heat exchanger comprises a plate bundle composed of a first heat exchange plate and a second heat exchange plate, and an inlet corner hole of refrigerant arranged on the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate. A fluid distribution structure is arranged in the inlet corner hole of refrigerant. The fluid distribution structure comprises a plate gap arranged on the inlet corner hole of refrigerant, a porous sound attenuation component and a throttle hole. The plate gap is located downstream of the refrigerant inlet pipe and serves as a first-stage distribution structure. The porous sound attenuation component is installed between the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate and is located between the plate gap and the throttle hole and is used for pre-mixing gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. The throttle hole is located downstream of the porous sound attenuation component and serves as a second-stage distribution structure. The plate heat exchanger can solve the problems that, when the plate heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is not uniformly mixed, flow noise is large, and the throttle hole is easily blocked.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of heat exchange equipment, and specifically to a plate heat exchanger and its fluid distributor. Background Technology

[0002] Plate heat exchangers, with their compact structure and high-efficiency heat exchange characteristics, are widely used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and industrial heat exchange applications. In evaporator operation, the refrigerant enters the flow channel between the plates in a gas-liquid two-phase state, and the uniformity of its distribution directly determines the heat exchange efficiency. Traditional distribution structures rely on the throttling effect of orifices to regulate flow, but they are not optimized for the mixing characteristics of the gas-liquid two-phase system. The first mainstream solution involves adding distribution pipes inside the corner holes of the plates or machining tiny throttling orifices (typically 1-3 mm in diameter) on the plate surface to achieve primary flow distribution using local resistance differences. This solution can only regulate the macroscopic flow rate and cannot change the flow pattern distribution of the gas and liquid phases, still suffering from problems such as uneven mixing, high noise, and easy clogging. The second mainstream solution directly adds metal foam at different positions of the corner holes, but the direct impact of high-speed refrigerant can easily cause the metal foam to deform and fail. While this achieves primary flow distribution by adjusting the resistance difference between the plates, it still suffers from problems such as uneven mixing and easy clogging. This leads to the following three main technical problems with fluid distribution in existing plate heat exchangers (especially when used as evaporators): 1) Inhomogeneous gas-liquid mixing and poor heat transfer performance: Current technologies primarily distribute flow by adding distribution pipes within corner holes or creating throttling orifices on plates. This results in primary distribution relying solely on these orifices. The refrigerant maintains its original stratified / annular flow pattern before reaching the orifice, leading to a more concentrated liquid phase and a more dispersed gas phase entering the orifice. This causes severe unevenness in the gas-liquid ratio between plates and within different areas of the same plate (representing "primary distribution"). The end result is that at the evaporator inlet, the refrigerant is mostly in stratified or annular flow, with some areas having more liquid than gas (intense heat transfer but high flow resistance) and others having more gas than liquid (prone to drying out). This fails to ensure uniform mixing of the gas and liquid refrigerant before entering the orifice. The uneven phase distribution between plates severely reduces overall heat transfer performance and energy efficiency, directly hindering further improvements in heat transfer performance.

[0003] 2) High flow noise: When refrigerant flows at high speed through a throttling orifice with a sudden change in diameter, static pressure energy is instantly converted into kinetic energy, causing a sharp increase in flow velocity. When the local pressure is lower than the saturation pressure, flashing or cavitation occurs, and the collapse of bubbles generates high-frequency pressure waves. The end result is that sharp refrigerant flow noise is easily generated. In application scenarios with strict noise requirements, this will seriously affect environmental comfort and user experience.

[0004] 3) Prone to clogging and low reliability: Existing throttling orifices have very small diameters, inevitably leading to the presence of tiny impurities such as welding slag and debris within the system. These impurities flow with the refrigerant to the small-diameter throttling orifice, gradually accumulating and completely clogging it. Consequently, no refrigerant flows through the corresponding heat exchange channel, causing pressure imbalance within the heat exchanger. The end result is that once the throttling orifice is clogged, the corresponding heat exchange channel fails, leading to pressure differential imbalance within the heat exchanger, localized overheating, stress concentration, and ultimately, heat exchanger leakage or permanent failure. This not only affects the yield rate but also severely reduces the product's lifespan and operational stability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, one objective of this application is to provide a fluid distributor for plate heat exchangers that can resolve problems such as uneven mixing of the refrigerant gas and liquid phases, high flow noise, and easy clogging of the throttling orifice when existing plate heat exchangers are used as evaporators.

[0006] The second objective of this application is to provide a plate heat exchanger that, through a multi-stage structure of "primary distribution - porous medium premixing - secondary distribution", significantly improves heat exchange performance, reduces refrigerant flow noise, effectively prevents throttling orifice blockage, and improves product reliability and service life.

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems, one of the objectives of this application is achieved through the following technical solution: A fluid distributor for a plate heat exchanger includes a plate bundle composed of a first heat exchange plate and a second heat exchange plate, a refrigerant inlet corner hole provided on the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate, and a fluid distribution structure provided in the refrigerant inlet corner hole. The fluid distribution structure includes a plate notch provided on the refrigerant inlet corner hole, a porous silencing component and a throttling orifice. The plate notch is located downstream of the refrigerant inlet pipe, serving as the first-stage distribution structure; the porous silencing component is installed between the first and second heat exchange plates, and is located between the plate notch and the throttling orifice, for premixing the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant; the throttling orifice is located downstream of the porous silencing component, serving as the second-stage distribution structure.

[0008] Preferably, the first heat exchange plate and the second heat exchange plate are provided with annular vertical flanges in the refrigerant inlet corner holes. The first heat exchange plate and / or the second heat exchange plate form annular grooves through the vertical flanges. The plate notches are provided on the vertical flanges, and the porous silencing component is arranged in the annular grooves.

[0009] Preferably, the vertical flange is further provided with a ring-shaped horizontal flange.

[0010] Preferably, the number of notches in the plate is one or more.

[0011] Preferably, the plate notch and the throttling orifice are spatially far apart, so that after the refrigerant flows through the plate notch, it first enters the interior of the porous silencing component for forced mixing and deceleration, and then is distributed into the inter-plate heat exchange channel through the throttling orifice.

[0012] Preferably, the porous sound-absorbing component is a block with a three-dimensional interconnected pore structure.

[0013] Preferably, the porous sound-absorbing component is made of one of the following materials: foamed metal, sintered metal powder, or multilayer metal wire mesh.

[0014] Preferably, the porous sound-absorbing component structure is provided between the plate notch and the refrigerant inlet pipe, thereby forming a four-level distribution.

[0015] Preferably, the porous sound-absorbing component is disposed between the notch in the plate and the refrigerant inlet pipe.

[0016] Preferably, the notch in the plate and the porous sound-absorbing component are an integral structure.

[0017] The second objective of this application is achieved through the following technical solution: A plate heat exchanger includes a plurality of stacked plate bundles and corner holes on the plate bundles. A first inter-plate heat exchange channel is provided in the plate bundles, and a second inter-plate heat exchange channel is formed between two adjacent plate bundles. The refrigerant inlet corner hole for connecting the refrigerant inlet pipe is provided with the fluid distribution structure. The first inter-plate heat exchange channel and the second inter-plate heat exchange channel are connected through the throttling orifice.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. By setting up a multi-stage distribution structure of plate notch primary distribution + porous silencer premixing + throttling orifice secondary distribution, the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is forcibly mixed before throttling to achieve a uniform state, thereby maximizing heat exchange performance by achieving uniform gas-liquid mixing, noise reduction and filtration to prevent clogging.

[0019] 2. By setting up a refrigerant fluid distributor, the refrigerant flow rate can be reduced, pressure fluctuations can be smoothed, and flow noise can be effectively suppressed or eliminated. At the same time, it can also filter system impurities, prevent throttling orifice blockage, and improve product reliability, yield, and lifespan.

[0020] 3. The combination of annular grooves and porous silencing components can guide the refrigerant to split and force flow around it, increasing the mixing path length. When the fluid flows through solid obstacles, the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant enters the silencing component and its flow direction is constantly changed by the silencing component to bypass the obstruction. The flow around the obstruction is repeated within the silencing component, promoting the micro-mixing of the gas-liquid two phases. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the fluid distributor in this invention, showing the state of multiple plate bundles stacked together; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the fluid distributor in this invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the fluid distributor and refrigerant inlet pipe combination in this invention, showing the flow trajectory of the refrigerant; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fluid distributor portion on the second heat exchange plate in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flow path of the refrigerant in the porous silencing component of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Embodiment 3 of the present invention, showing the structure in which the refrigerant is directly premixed through a porous silencing component; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Embodiment 4 of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the plate heat exchanger in this invention; In the diagram: 1. Plate bundle; 11. Second heat exchange plate; 12. First heat exchange plate; 2. Fluid distribution structure; 21. Plate notch; 22. Porous silencing component; 23. Throttling orifice; 3. Refrigerant inlet corner hole; 4. Vertical flange; 5. Horizontal flange; 6. Annular groove; 7. Refrigerant inlet pipe; 8. C-shaped slot; 9. C-shaped ring; 10. Corner hole; 20. First inter-plate heat exchange channel; 30. Second inter-plate heat exchange channel. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present application will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, without conflict, the various embodiments or technical features described below can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments.

[0023] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0024] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class, without limiting the number of objects; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0025] Example 1: As Figures 1-5 As shown, a fluid distributor for a plate heat exchanger includes a plate bundle 1 composed of a first heat exchange plate 12 and a second heat exchange plate 11, a refrigerant inlet corner hole 3 provided on the first heat exchange plate 12 and the second heat exchange plate 11, and a fluid distribution structure 2 provided in the refrigerant inlet corner hole 3. The fluid distribution structure 2 includes a plate notch 21 provided on the refrigerant inlet corner hole 3, a porous silencing component 22, and a throttling orifice 23. Wherein, the plate notch 21 is located downstream of the refrigerant inlet pipe 7, serving as the first-stage distribution structure; the porous silencing component 22 is installed between the first heat exchange plate 12 and the second heat exchange plate 11, and is located between the plate notch 21 and the throttling orifice 23, for premixing the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant; the throttling orifice 23 is located downstream of the porous silencing component 22, serving as the second-stage distribution structure.

[0026] After the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant enters the evaporator through the refrigerant inlet pipe 7, it first flows out through the inlet pipe in the refrigerant inlet corner hole 3, undergoes primary distribution through the plate notch 21, and then enters the porous silencing component 22 for pre-mixing treatment involving flow splitting, bypassing, and merging. Finally, it undergoes secondary distribution through the throttling orifice 23, forming a tertiary treatment process. This achieves forced mixing of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before throttling, ensuring a uniform state and maximizing heat exchange performance by achieving uniform gas-liquid mixing, noise reduction, and filtration to prevent clogging. This effectively solves the problem of uneven phase distribution and poor heat exchange performance in existing evaporators where the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant cannot be guaranteed to be uniformly mixed before entering the throttling orifice 23. Meanwhile, the porous silencing component 22 can collide, mix, and filter the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before it enters the heat exchange channel between the plates, completely breaking the original flow pattern and making the gas-liquid two-phase reach a near-homogeneous micro-mixing state. This can avoid the blockage of the throttling orifice 23 and reduce the macroscopic flow velocity of the refrigerant, thus eliminating the flow noise of the refrigerant.

[0027] A further improvement is that the refrigerant inlet corner hole 3 of the first heat exchange plate 12 and the second heat exchange plate 11 are provided with annular vertical flanges 4, the first heat exchange plate 12 and / or the second heat exchange plate 11 form annular grooves 6 through the vertical flanges 4, the plate notch 21 is provided on the vertical flanges 4, and the porous silencing component 22 is arranged in the annular grooves 6.

[0028] At least one of the first heat exchange plates 12 and the second heat exchange plate 11 has an annular groove 6 formed by bending the vertical flange 4. During the installation of the porous silencing component 22, this groove ensures stable installation and positioning. The annular groove 6 also guides fluid diversion, flow around, and convergence. When the first heat exchange plate 12 and the second heat exchange plate 11 are stacked, a closed structure is formed by the combination of the two vertical flanges 4, ensuring that the refrigerant can only enter the heat exchange channel between the plates through the plate notch 21. The porous silencing component 22 is arranged around the outside of the vertical flange 4, allowing the refrigerant to flow a longer distance after being diverted in an annular manner from the plate notch 21 to the throttling orifice 23, resulting in better premixing, filtration, and silencing effects.

[0029] At the same time, an annular channel is formed through the annular groove 6 to fix the porous silencing component 22 and guide the refrigerant to split and force flow around it, increasing the mixing path length. After the addition of the porous silencing component 22 and the combination with the annular groove 6, the fluid can continuously change its flow direction and bypass the obstruction through the silencing component when it flows through a solid obstacle. The flow around the obstruction is repeated within the silencing component, promoting the micro-mixing of the gas and liquid phases.

[0030] A further improvement is made by providing a ring-shaped horizontal flange 5 on the vertical flange 4.

[0031] The lateral flange 5 allows for a wider contact surface and a better sealing line after the first heat exchange plate 12 and the second heat exchange plate 11 are stacked.

[0032] The number of notches 21 in the plate is one or more.

[0033] By setting multiple plate notches 21, it is possible to prevent fluid flow from being affected by a single notch blocking the flow, thereby reducing the risk of blockage.

[0034] As the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant enters the heat exchange channel, it flows according to the following steps to achieve "two-stage distribution and one-stage premixing": Step 1 (Primary Distribution): After the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant enters from the refrigerant inlet pipe 7 of the evaporator, it first flows out through the inlet pipe in the refrigerant inlet corner hole 3. The refrigerant undergoes the first flow distribution through the plate notch 21, and at the same time, the original stratified flow or annular flow pattern is initially broken.

[0035] Step 2 (Entering the porous silencing component 22 and splitting the flow): The refrigerant, after being distributed once, then enters the porous silencing component 22. Upon entry, because the porous silencing component 22 is located within the annular groove 6, the refrigerant is split into two streams (such as... Figure 5 As shown, it is divided into upper and lower routes.

[0036] Step 3 (Flow Mixing and Filtration): The two refrigerant streams are forced to flow around, collide with, and then merge again along the annular groove 6 within the three-dimensional porous structure of the porous silencing component 22. This process: completely breaks the original flow pattern, enabling the gas and liquid phases to reach a near-homogeneous micro-mixing state; reduces the macroscopic flow velocity of the refrigerant, absorbing pressure pulsations; and filters impurities by blocking them through the porous structure.

[0037] Step 4 (Secondary Distribution): After thorough mixing and deceleration, the two refrigerants finally converge at the throttling orifice 23, completing the second precise distribution through the throttling orifice 23, and then entering the heat exchange channel between the plates in a uniform phase for heat exchange.

[0038] Through the three-stage treatment of "primary distribution of plate notch 21 → internal diversion, flow around, and convergence (premixing) of porous silencing component 22 → secondary distribution of throttling orifice 23", the refrigerant is forced to mix the gas and liquid phases before throttling, so that it reaches a uniform state, achieving uniform gas-liquid mixing, noise reduction, and filtration to prevent clogging, thereby maximizing heat exchange performance.

[0039] A further improvement is made in that the plate notch 21 and the throttling orifice 23 are relatively far apart in spatial position, so that after the refrigerant flows through the plate notch 21, it first enters the interior of the porous silencing component 22 for forced mixing and deceleration, and then is distributed into the inter-plate heat exchange channel through the throttling orifice 23.

[0040] The plate notch 21 and the throttling orifice 23 are positioned as far apart as possible so that the distance can be maximized during the flow of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant from the plate notch 21 to the throttling orifice 23. This allows the refrigerant to pass through a longer flow path within the porous silencing component 22, thus achieving more thorough mixing.

[0041] A further improvement is that the porous sound-absorbing component 22 is a block with a three-dimensional interconnected pore structure.

[0042] The porous silencing component 22 adopts a block with a three-dimensional interconnected pore structure, which makes installation more convenient. The three-dimensional interconnected pore structure enables the refrigerant to achieve fluid mixing, deceleration, silencing and filtration functions when passing through it.

[0043] A further improvement is made in that the porous sound-absorbing component 22 is made of one of the following materials: foamed metal, sintered metal powder, or multilayer metal mesh.

[0044] The porous silencing component 22 can be not only a block of foamed metal or sintered metal powder, such as foamed copper, foamed nickel, or porous filter elements made of sintered metal powder, but also can be not limited to independent blocks. It can be pressed into the installation groove by stacking multiple layers of metal wire mesh in a staggered manner. It is mainly used for fluid mixing, deceleration, silencing and filtration of gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. It has a wide range of options and strong applicability.

[0045] Example 2: A further improvement on Example 1, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the porous silencing component 22 structure is provided between the plate notch 21 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 7, thereby forming a four-level distribution.

[0046] When the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows out from the refrigerant inlet pipe 7 through the refrigerant inlet corner hole, it first undergoes a first fluid mixing, deceleration, silencing, and filtration function through the porous silencing component 22 structure. It then undergoes a first distribution at the plate notch 21, followed by pre-mixing treatment of flow diversion, bypassing, and merging within the porous silencing component 22. Finally, it undergoes a second distribution through the throttling orifice 23, forming a four-stage treatment process. This not only prevents clogging of the throttling orifice 23 but also avoids clogging of the plate notch 21, while completely eliminating refrigerant flow noise. The porous silencing component 22 between the plate notch 21 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 7 can be positioned using the horizontal flange 5 and the vertical flange 4.

[0047] Example 3: As Figure 6 and 7 As shown, compared to Embodiment 1, the porous silencing component 22 is structured between the plate notch 21 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 7.

[0048] The porous silencing component 22 can be installed not only between the plate notch 21 and the throttling orifice 23, but also directly between the plate notch 21 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 7. When the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows out from the refrigerant inlet pipe 7 through the refrigerant inlet corner hole, the porous silencing component 22 performs the first fluid mixing, deceleration, silencing, and filtration functions, enabling the refrigerant to directly reach a uniform state. After entering through the plate notch 21, it undergoes a first distribution, and finally, after a second distribution through the throttling orifice 23, a three-stage treatment is formed. This effectively solves the problem of uneven phase distribution and poor heat exchange performance in existing evaporators because the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant cannot be guaranteed to be uniformly mixed before entering the throttling orifice 23. At the same time, the porous silencing component 22 can perform collision mixing and filtration of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant before entering the plate notch, avoiding blockage of the plate notch 21.

[0049] like Figure 7As shown, compared to the above embodiments, when the porous silencing component 22 is arranged between the plate notch 21 and the refrigerant inlet pipe 7, after the porous silencing component 22 fills the refrigerant inlet corner hole 3, it can also eliminate the structures corresponding to the plate notch 21, the vertical flange 4, and the horizontal flange 5. This allows the refrigerant to directly pass through the porous silencing component 22 for primary fluid mixing, deceleration, silencing, and filtration, directly reaching a uniform state. After secondary distribution through the throttling orifice 23, a secondary treatment is formed. This solves the problem that existing evaporator inlets cannot guarantee that the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is uniformly mixed before entering the throttling orifice 23, resulting in uneven phase distribution and poor heat exchange performance between the plates.

[0050] Example 4: Figure 8 As shown, based on any one of embodiments 1 to 3, a further improvement is made in that the plate notch 21 and the porous sound-absorbing component 22 are an integral structure. In this structure, the vertical flange 4 and the horizontal flange 5 are replaced by an outward-facing C-shaped ring 9, and the porous sound-absorbing component 22 is installed in the C-shaped groove 8 of the C-shaped ring 9.

[0051] The plate notch 21 and the porous silencing component 22 are integrated into a single component. The porous silencing component 22 is installed in the C-shaped slot 8 of the C-shaped ring 9, which enables the component to have both the flow diversion function of the notch and the mixing and filtration function of the porous medium. It also makes the forming of the heat exchange plate more convenient, eliminating the need to bend the vertical flange 4 and the horizontal flange 5, and eliminating the need to open the heat exchange plate, thus reducing the manufacturing difficulty.

[0052] Example 5: Figure 9 As shown, a plate heat exchanger includes multiple stacked plate bundles 1 and corner holes 10 provided on the plate bundles 1. A first inter-plate heat exchange channel 20 is provided in the plate bundles 1, and a second inter-plate heat exchange channel 30 is formed between two adjacent plate bundles 1. The fluid distribution structure 2 is provided in the corner hole 3 for connecting the refrigerant inlet pipe 7. The first inter-plate heat exchange channel 20 and the second inter-plate heat exchange channel 30 are connected through the throttling orifice 23.

[0053] During operation, the refrigerant enters the plate heat exchanger through the refrigerant inlet pipe 7 and is then distributed through the fluid distribution structure 2 before entering the heat exchange channels between the plates. Upon entry, the refrigerant is first distributed through the plate notches 21 into the first inter-plate heat exchange channel 20, and then enters the porous silencing component 22. Guided by the annular groove 6, it undergoes flow splitting, circulation, collision, filtration, silencing, and merging, achieving forced uniform mixing of the gas and liquid phases, reducing flow velocity, and filtering impurities. Finally, it undergoes secondary distribution through the throttling orifice 23 and enters the second inter-plate heat exchange channel 30. Compared to existing structures, the plate heat exchanger's distribution of the gas and liquid refrigerant through the fluid distribution structure 2 provides several advantages: 1) Significantly improved heat exchange performance: Because the refrigerant is first distributed through the plate notch 21, then forced to flow and mix within the porous silencing component 22 (especially due to the flow diversion and convergence effect brought about by the annular groove 6), and finally distributed again through the throttling orifice 23, the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant entering the inter-plate heat exchange channel has reached a highly uniform mixing state. This ensures that each plate heat exchange channel and different areas within the same plate receive refrigerant with essentially the same dryness. This avoids localized drying or excessive boiling, fully utilizes the heat exchange area, and effectively improves the overall heat transfer coefficient and heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger under the same operating conditions and dimensions.

[0054] 2) Operating noise is significantly reduced: Because the refrigerant flows through a porous silencing component 22 with high flow resistance and silencing properties before entering the sharp throttling orifice 23, the macroscopic flow velocity is significantly reduced, and pressure fluctuations are absorbed by the porous structure, thus eliminating cavitation noise and jet noise caused by throttling. This enables the plate heat exchanger to meet the requirements of scenarios with stringent noise requirements (such as indoor units and silent units), significantly improving the comfort of the end product.

[0055] 3) Significantly improved reliability and lifespan: Because the porous silencing component 22 acts as an effective online filter, it traps hard impurities such as welding slag and copper filings in the system, preventing blockage of the throttling orifice 23 and subsequent heat exchange channels. This avoids pressure differential imbalance and localized failure caused by blockage. It significantly reduces the early failure rate of the heat exchanger, improves product yield and mean time between failures (MTBF), and extends the overall service life of the unit.

[0056] 4) Compact structure and easy to implement: The plate notch 21 and the groove for installing the porous sound-absorbing component 22 can be formed together in the original plate stamping process without changing the main structure of the heat exchange plate or adding external pipelines. It is easy to improve on the basis of the existing production process and the cost increase is limited.

[0057] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. Any non-substantial changes and substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on this application shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by this application.

Claims

1. A plate heat exchanger, comprising a plate bundle (1) composed of a first heat exchange plate (12) and a second heat exchange plate (11), and a refrigerant inlet corner hole (3) disposed on the first heat exchange plate (12) and the second heat exchange plate (11), characterized in that: The refrigerant inlet corner hole (3) is provided with a fluid distribution structure (2), the fluid distribution structure (2) includes a plate notch (21), a porous silencing component (22) and a throttling hole (23) provided on the refrigerant inlet corner hole (3); The plate notch (21) is located downstream of the refrigerant inlet pipe (7) and serves as the first-stage distribution structure. The porous silencing component (22) is installed between the first heat exchange plate (12) and the second heat exchange plate (11), and is located between the plate notch (21) and the throttling hole (23) for premixing the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant; The throttling orifice (23) is located downstream of the porous silencing component (22) and serves as a second-stage distribution structure; The first heat exchange plate (12) and the second heat exchange plate (11) are provided with annular vertical flanges (4) in the refrigerant inlet corner holes (3). The first heat exchange plate (12) and / or the second heat exchange plate (11) form annular grooves (6) through the vertical flanges (4). The plate notch (21) is provided on the vertical flanges (4). The porous sound-absorbing component (22) is arranged in the annular grooves (6). The plate notch (21) and the throttling orifice (23) are relatively far apart in space, so that after the refrigerant flows through the plate notch (21), it first enters the interior of the porous silencing component (22) for forced mixing and deceleration, and then is distributed into the inter-plate heat exchange channel through the throttling orifice (23). A porous sound-absorbing component (22) structure is provided between the plate notch (21) and the refrigerant inlet pipe (7), thereby forming a four-level distribution.

2. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical flange (4) is also provided with a ring-shaped horizontal flange (5).

3. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the plate notches (21) is one or more.

4. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The porous sound-absorbing component (22) is a block with a three-dimensional interconnected pore structure.

5. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 4, characterized in that: The porous sound-absorbing component (22) includes one of foamed metal, sintered metal powder, or multilayer metal wire mesh.

6. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The assembly includes multiple stacked plate bundles (1), each plate bundle (1) having a first inter-plate heat exchange channel (20), and a second inter-plate heat exchange channel (30) formed between two adjacent plate bundles (1). The first inter-plate heat exchange channel (20) and the second inter-plate heat exchange channel (30) are connected through the throttling orifice (23).

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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