Device for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system, and a refrigeration or heat pump system

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell (2) and end plates (3a, 3b) disposed at both ends of the shell, and at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system disposed within the same common outer casing, the units being selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system according to an independent claim, and to a refrigeration or heat pump system. Background Technology

[0002] In short, a common refrigeration system includes a compressor that delivers compressed refrigerant to a condenser. From the condenser, the refrigerant moves to the evaporator through an expansion device, and from the evaporator, the refrigerant returns to the compressor. This type of vapor compression refrigeration system is a closed system in which the refrigerant circulates and undergoes a phase change. The circulating refrigerant is compressed to a higher pressure, resulting in a higher temperature. The hot, compressed refrigerant gas is brought to a temperature and pressure where it can condense into a cooling medium, such as cooling water or cooling air. This is one stage of the vapor compression refrigeration system, where the circulating refrigerant releases heat from the system, and the released heat is removed.

[0003] The above provides a brief understanding of the basic concepts of refrigeration systems. Of course, refrigeration systems are utilized in combination with many configuration variations and optional devices and functions. For example, an enhanced technique known as the economizer cycle has been applied to refrigerant systems. Economizer circuits increase the capacity and efficiency of refrigerant systems. Superheaters are also commonly used in combination with evaporators. Refrigeration systems may also include superheat reducers and auxiliary chillers to improve refrigerant condensation. Additionally, because oil is required for the compressor to operate properly, systems generally include oil separators and oil coolers.

[0004] Since heat pump systems contain the same major components as refrigeration systems, they employ the same vapor compression cycle as refrigeration systems, but the direction of this cycle is reversed.

[0005] Generally, all components of a refrigeration or heat pump system are located separately as individual units. This type of system is typically complex. Consequently, the space required for a refrigeration or heat pump system is substantial in both area and height. The units of a refrigeration or heat pump system located separately also require piping to circulate refrigerant from one unit to another, which further increases the space required for this layout. Therefore, a simpler and more cost-effective heat exchanger structure is required in which two or more units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are combined into a single common unit.

[0006] Patent Publication (WO2013 / 150175) discloses an apparatus comprising an evaporator and a condenser inside a single outer casing in such a manner that the evaporator and the condenser are separated from each other by a partition. The problem to be solved

[0007] One objective of the present invention is to reduce or even eliminate the aforementioned problems that appear in the prior art.

[0008] One object of the present invention is to provide a device for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system, particularly in a vapor-compression cycle, which combines three or more units of a refrigeration or heat pump system into one common device, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the refrigeration or heat pump system and simplify installation work.

[0009] In particular, one objective of the present invention is to provide a compact device for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system, which reduces the number of individual devices in the refrigeration or heat pump system.

[0010] In addition, one object of the present invention is to provide a device for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system that can be easily manufactured using standard-sized parts of a heat exchanger. means of solving the problem

[0011] Above all, to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention is characterized by the features set forth in the appended independent claims. The remaining dependent claims present some preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] A typical device according to the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system is,

[0013] - An outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell and end plates disposed at both ends of the shell; and

[0014] - At least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system disposed within the same common outer casing - these units are selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and a reservoir -;

[0015] Includes,

[0016] The device,

[0017] (i) comprising at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack arranged adjacently to each other within a common outer casing to form a first unit and a second unit of the system and having their own inlet and outlet connections, additionally a third unit of the system is formed in the plate pack by placing a baffle plate within the flow passage of the first and / or second plate pack; or

[0018] (ii) comprises two separate parts of an outer casing formed by placing a first bulkhead between parts inside the outer casing, wherein the first part of the outer casing comprises at least two units of the system, and the units of this part are,

[0019] - formed by arranging at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack adjacent to each other within this part of the outer casing to form a first unit and a second unit of the system, or - these plate packs have their own inlet and outlet connections -, or

[0020] - formed by placing at least a plate pack inside this part of the outer casing, and - at least two units of the system are formed in the plate pack inside this part of the outer casing, and at least a baffle plate is placed inside the flow passage of the plate pack -,

[0021] And a second part of the outer casing comprises at least one unit of the system; or

[0022] (iii) at least three separate parts of the outer casing formed by arranging a first bulkhead and a second bulkhead between parts inside the outer casing—each of said parts comprises at least one unit of said system—; comprising.

[0023] The device of the present invention can be used as a component of a refrigeration or heat pump system, particularly a vapor compression-based system in which a circulating refrigerant undergoes a phase change while circulating in the system. A typical refrigeration or heat pump system according to the present invention includes the device according to the present invention.

[0024] The present invention is based on a compact structure of a device for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. The device according to the present invention comprises at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system within the same common outer shell. These units are selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and a reservoir. Each unit of the refrigeration system selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler comprises a stack of heat exchange plates (i.e., a plate pack). The present invention provides a structure in which these units can be placed within the same common outer casing and provide a compact structure. The device according to the present invention requires less space and piping for the circulation of refrigerant from one unit to another. The device according to the present invention is also easy to assemble into parts of a refrigeration or heat pump system.

[0025] If different units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are based on the use of the same type of plate packs, they can be easily placed adjacent to each other within the same common outer casing, or a single plate pack can be partitioned into different functional units of the system. More units can be placed within the same outer casing by partitioning the interior of the outer casing into two, three, or more separate sections, each section may contain one, two, or more units of the refrigeration or heat pump system. Units of the refrigeration or heat pump system can be placed adjacent to each other within the same stack of heat exchange plates, and typically these adjacent units are selected according to the flow sequence of the refrigeration or heat pump system or based on the temperature change required by the heat exchangers of these units.

[0026] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises at least three units selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, and these units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are disposed in adjacent first and second plate packs placed inside a cylindrical outer casing. These adjacent plate packs have their own inlet and outlet connections, that is, they have their own pack-side circulation. A third unit of the system is formed in the first and / or second plate packs by placing a baffle plate inside one flow passage of the plate pack to form the third unit in the same plate pack. The device according to this embodiment provides a simple and compact structure in which adjacent plate packs providing specific units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are disposed inside the same common outer casing.

[0027] According to a second embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises at least three units selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and a reservoir, and these units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are disposed in two separate parts of an outer casing, and the parts are formed by placing a partition between the parts inside the outer casing. Accordingly, the partition divides the interior of the outer casing horizontally into a first part and a second part. The first part of the outer casing comprises at least two units of a refrigeration or heat pump system, and this part comprises at least two units of the system, and the units of this part are,

[0028] - formed by arranging at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack adjacent to each other within this part of the outer casing to form a first unit and a second unit of the system, or - these plate packs have their own inlet and outlet connections -, or

[0029] - formed by placing at least a plate pack inside this part of the outer casing, and - at least two units of the system are formed in the plate pack inside this part of the outer casing, and at least a baffle plate is placed inside the flow passage of the plate pack -,

[0030] And the second part of the outer casing includes at least one unit of the system.

[0031] In a second embodiment of the present invention, a second portion of the outer casing comprises at least one unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system. A first portion of the outer casing may comprise two or more units of a refrigeration or heat pump system, which are formed by a baffle plate disposed inside a flow channel of a plate pack and / or two or more adjacent plate packs.

[0032] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises at least three units selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and a reservoir, and these units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are disposed in at least three separate parts of an outer casing, and these parts are formed by placing a first partition and a second partition between parts inside the outer casing. Thus, the partitions divide the interior of the outer casing into a first part, a second part, and a third part in the horizontal direction. Each part comprises at least one unit of the system.

[0033] In one embodiment, the device may include three or more partitions, in which case the device includes four or more separate parts of the outer casing. Effects of the invention

[0034] The units of the device according to the present invention, selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, are constructed using welded plate and shell-type heat exchangers. Using standard-sized heat exchange plates and a single common outer casing provides a cost-effective method for producing a vapor compression-based refrigeration or heat pump system.

[0035] The device according to the present invention is typically used in large-scale refrigeration or heat pump systems. The device according to the present invention may be part of an industrial-scale refrigeration or heat pump system. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0036] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of a device according to a first embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. Figure 2 illustrates the device of Figure 1 connected to a liquid refrigerant container according to a work application. FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of a device according to a second embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of a device according to a third embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-section of another device according to a third embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0037] In the apparatus according to the present invention, at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are arranged within the same common outer casing. The at least three units of the refrigeration or heat pump system are selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a desuperheater, a sub-cooler, an oil cooler, and a reservoir. In one embodiment of the present invention, at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, and the device may further include at least one reservoir, that is, at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and an optional reservoir. A unit refers to one piece of equipment of a refrigeration or heat pump system. A unit selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler comprises a stack of plate heat exchange plates. Typically, such units of the device according to the present invention are based on plate and shell-type heat exchangers. Additionally, a unit may be a reservoir. A reservoir may refer to a space, also called a chamber, used to contain liquids or gases. Typically, a reservoir is a space circulated by walls and having inlet and / or outlet connection(s).In one embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit may be an outer casing or a space circulated by the outer casing and partition wall(s). This may be, for example, a storage unit for oil or refrigerant. A refrigeration or heat pump system according to the present invention refers to any type of refrigeration or heat pump system comprising at least three units selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and a storage unit. A device according to the present invention may be part of a refrigeration or heat pump system. A refrigeration or heat pump system comprises at least one device according to the present invention.

[0038] The device according to the present invention comprises an outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell and end plates disposed at both ends of the shell. The cylindrical shell is generally horizontal, and the end plates of the outer casing are vertical. In this context, the term longitudinal of the cylindrical shell or outer casing generally refers to the horizontal direction. For example, if the cylindrical shell of the outer casing is a straight circular cylinder, its longitudinal direction is the same as the direction of the center axis of the cylinder.

[0039] In the device according to the present invention, the outer casing functions as a pressure vessel. Accordingly, the device according to the present invention provides three or more functional units of a refrigeration or heat pump system inside a single pressure vessel.

[0040] Each unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system according to the present invention, selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, is formed by a stack of heat exchange plates, that is, each unit comprises a plate pack formed of heat exchanger plates arranged stacked on top of each other and having at least two openings. The plate pack comprises an outer surface defined by ends oriented toward the heat exchanger plates and outer edges of the heat exchanger plates. In an embodiment of the present invention, both ends of the plate pack may include separate support end plates. The plate packs are composed of several plate pairs. Each plate pair is typically formed of two heat exchanger plates attached together at least on their outer periphery. Each heat exchanger plate has at least two openings for the flow of a heat exchanger. Adjacent plate pairs are attached to each other by attaching the openings of two adjacent plate pairs together. The inner parts of the plate pairs are arranged to be connected to each other through flow passages formed by the openings of the heat exchange plates. In the plate pack, the heat exchange medium can flow from one plate pair to another through the openings. In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the heat exchange plates are typically circular heat exchange plates, and the plate pack is mainly in the shape of a circular cylinder. The plate pack may also be formed, for example, of semicircular or elliptical heat exchange plates. The longitudinal direction of the plate packs is the same as the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shell. The plate pack used in the device according to one embodiment of the present invention is mainly in the shape of a circular cylinder, and the longitudinal direction of the plate pack corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical shell.

[0041] A plate heat exchanger device according to the present invention includes an inlet connection and an outlet connection for each plate pack, and these connections are connected to the flow passages of the plate pack. Accordingly, the primary circuit of the plate pack is formed between the inlet and outlet connections of the plate pack. The inlet and outlet connections of the secondary circuit are arranged in the spaces between the plate pairs, connected to the inner side of the outer casing through the outer casing. Typically, the primary circuits and the secondary circuits of the plate packs are separated from each other, that is, the heat exchange medium flowing in the inner part of a given plate pack cannot be mixed with the heat exchange medium flowing in the outer casing, nor can it be mixed with the heat exchange medium flowing in the inner part of another plate pack.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plate pack structure provides a fully welded structure and does not affect the pressure-tightness of the device. The plate pack according to the present invention may also be semi-welded or may include seals between the plates.

[0043] Plate packs according to the present invention may include different numbers of plate pairs formed of heat exchange plates. The plate packs of the units may be dimensioned based on the requirements of the application.

[0044] A refrigeration or heat pump system according to the present invention comprises at least one device according to the present invention. Additionally, the refrigeration system comprises all essential components of the system, such as a compressor, an expansion device, piping for circulating a refrigerant, etc., and units that are not part of the device according to the present invention. A vapor-compression refrigeration or heat pump system according to the present invention is a closed-loop system in which a refrigerant circulates in a closed cycle and undergoes a phase change.

[0045] In the vapor compression refrigeration or heat pump system according to the present invention, the refrigerant may be any suitable refrigerant.

[0046] There are many variations in arranging at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system within the device of the present invention. The device according to the present invention may include at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system within a single common outer casing, the interior of the outer casing may also be common to all units, or the interior of the outer casing may be divided into at least two or three separate parts by intermediate wall(s). If the interior of the outer casing is divided by one intermediate wall to form two parts of the outer casing, two units of the refrigeration or heat pump system are arranged within the first part of the outer casing, and the second part of the outer casing contains at least one unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system. If the interior of the outer casing is divided by two intermediate walls to form three parts of the outer casing, at least one unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system is arranged within each part of the outer casing. In one embodiment, the device may include three or more partitions, and the device includes four or more separate parts of the outer casing. These different embodiments according to the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0047] First embodiment according to the present invention

[0048] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises at least three units selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, and these units of a refrigeration or heat pump system are disposed inside a common cylindrical outer casing. The device may further comprise a reservoir. In one embodiment, one or more reservoir(s) may be disposed inside the outer casing.

[0049] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack, each having its own inlet and outlet connections, are arranged adjacent to each other within a common outer casing to form a first unit and a second unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system. At least the first plate pack or the second plate pack includes a baffle plate inside the flow passage of the plate pack to form a third unit of the system in the plate pack.

[0050] According to one embodiment, adjacent first plate packs and second plate packs, each having their own inlet and outlet connections, are separated by an intermediate plate placed between the units formed by these adjacent plate packs. If the first plate pack and the second plate pack have the same diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates, they can be formed into the same stack of heat exchange plates simply by placing an intermediate plate between the heat exchange plates, and the intermediate plate closes the connection through the flow passages from one unit to another. Alternatively, adjacent first plate packs and second plate packs, each having their own inlet and outlet connections, are formed from a single plate pack, and baffle plates are arranged in the flow channels of this plate pack to close the flow connections between the plate packs, and this plate pack is partitioned into a first plate pack and a second plate pack, i.e., the baffle plates close the connection through the flow passages from one unit to another. In this specification, portions of such plate packs in a stack of heat exchange plates separated from one another by baffle plates or intermediate plates of flow channels are also referred to as different plate packs.

[0051] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a first plate pack and a second plate pack include their own inlet and outlet connections arranged in connection with internal parts of the plate pack. A primary circuit of the first plate pack is formed between the inlet and outlet connections of the plate pack. A primary circuit of the second plate pack is located between the inlet and outlet connections of the plate pack.

[0052] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the first and / or second plate packs may be further subdivided into individual units of a refrigeration or heat pump system by placing a baffle plate inside the flow channel of the plate packs, and two or more passes (flows through the same plate pack) may be formed through one plate pack, and thus one plate pack may include two or more units, i.e., functional parts of a refrigeration or heat pump system. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first plate pack and / or the second plate pack comprises one or more baffle plates for forming a plurality of passes in the plate packs.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, adjacent first and second plate packs have substantially the same diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates.

[0054] In one embodiment, where the first plate pack and the second plate pack have substantially the same diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates, at least one inlet or outlet connection of the second plate pack, which is partitioned into at least two units by a baffle plate, comprises a connecting pipe disposed within the flow passage of the first plate pack between the end plate of the outer casing and the intermediate plate or baffle plate between the units, one end of the connecting pipe is attached to the intermediate plate to form a connection to the flow passage of the second plate pack, and the second end of the connecting pipe elongates through the end plate of the outer casing. This double connecting pipe structure, i.e., the connection to the two plate packs is disposed through one opening of the end plate, makes it possible to place at least three units in two adjacent plate packs having the same outer diameter. One end of the connecting pipe may be in close contact with an intermediate plate or a baffle plate, or may be attached as a seal to form a connection to the flow passage of a second plate pack, and the heat exchange media inside the plate packs cannot be mixed with each other. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a partition plate disposed between adjacent plate packs has a thickness of about 5 to 20 mm. The partition plate is substantially thicker than the heat exchange plates of the plate pack and the support end plates of the plate pack. A baffle plate is any suitable structure disposed inside the flow channel to close the connection through the flow passages from one unit to another unit.

[0055] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, the first and second plate packs may be formed of plate packs having different diameters defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first plate pack and the second plate pack are arranged adjacently to each other within a common outer casing, and the first plate pack has a diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates that is smaller than the diameter of the second plate pack. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate plate arranged between adjacent plate packs has a size that corresponds at least to the size of the plate pack having the larger diameter. In one embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate plate has a size such that the intermediate plate is connected to the inner surface of the outer casing from at least one edge of the intermediate plate. The intermediate plate between adjacent plate packs may provide a rigid structure to the plate packs having different sizes defined by the diameters of the heat exchange plates. In one embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate plate is positioned on one side of a plate pack to extend from the outer surface of the plate pack to the inner surface of the shell, and accordingly, the intermediate plate forms a plurality of passes for a heat exchange medium on the shell side. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate plate positioned between adjacent plate packs has a thickness of about 20 to 100 mm. The intermediate plate supports the structure of the plate packs and improves pressure resistance.

[0056] Adjacent plate packs having different outer diameters enable the inlet and / or outlet connection of a larger plate pack to be easily positioned through an end plate of the same outer casing as the inlet and outlet connection of the smaller plate pack. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inlet and / or outlet connection of the larger plate pack is positioned outside the outer surface of the smaller plate pack.

[0057] According to the present invention, there may be more than two separate plate packs disposed adjacently within the same common outer casing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises a third plate pack disposed adjacent to a first plate pack or a second plate pack, and the third plate pack is separated from the adjacent plate pack by disposing of baffle plates in the flow channels of the plate pack to close the flow connection between the plate packs and / or by disposing of an intermediate plate between them (the third plate pack and the adjacent plate pack). In one embodiment, at least one plate pack has a larger diameter than the other plate packs. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inlet connection and the outlet connection of the plate pack include connecting pipes, which are nested, and the outer diameter of the inner connecting pipe is smaller than the diameter of the outer connecting pipe and the flow passage of the plate pack. When inlet and outlet connections are inserted and arranged to be connected to a single flow channel of a plate pack, the inlet connection of the plate pack is formed by arranging a connecting pipe through the outlet connection of the plate pack, the inlet connecting pipe extends inside the flow passage of the plate pack, and the outlet connecting pipe is attached to the end of the plate pack to form a connection to this flow channel. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate plate arranged between adjacent plate packs having different diameters has a thickness of about 20 to 100 mm.

[0058] Plate packs according to the first embodiment of the present invention may be cooled / heated using a single heat exchange medium flowing along the shell side. Shell-side inlet and outlet connections may be formed regardless of the connections of the plate packs. In a typical embodiment according to the present invention, the shell side is common to the units of the system inside the outer casing. Inlet and outlet connections for the heat exchange medium flowing through the shell are arranged through the outer casing, typically through the shell of the outer casing. The shell-side inlet and outlet connections may be arranged through end plate(s), through the shell, or through any combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a single heat exchange medium flows along the shell side, i.e., the shell side is common to all plate packs.

[0059] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in order to form a plurality of passes for a heat exchange medium on the shell side, a separate stopper plate may be disposed between the outer surface of the plate pack and the inner surface of the shell on at least one side of the plate pack.

[0060] In one embodiment according to the present invention, where the condenser is one unit of the first embodiment of the present invention, the condenser may be a unit disposed in the second plate pack of the first embodiment according to the present invention, and the second plate pack includes a baffle plate inside the flow passage of the plate pack for partitioning the plate pack into different units. The refrigerant to be condensed may be arranged to flow inside the plate pack, that is, the refrigerant is a heat exchange medium flowing through the internal parts of the plate pack, and condensation occurs on the pack side of the plate and shell type heat exchanger. This can reduce the amount of refrigerant required in the system and minimize pressure loss compared to a system where the refrigerant is a heat exchange medium for shell-side circulation.

[0061] Second embodiment according to the present invention

[0062] According to a second embodiment of the present invention, the device includes two separated parts of an outer casing formed by placing a partition between parts inside the shell of the outer casing.

[0063] According to one embodiment of the present invention, if a first part of the outer casing comprises at least two units of a refrigeration or heat pump system, a second part of the outer casing comprises at least one unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system.

[0064] In one embodiment according to the present invention, the shell of the outer casing is a continuous shell from the first end plate to the second end plate of the outer casing, that is, the shell is uniform along the longitudinal direction of the shell, and the shell is partitioned along the longitudinal direction of the shell so that the parts are separated by partitions between the parts inside the shell. The partitions are attached to the inner surface of the shell and are preferably welded. In another embodiment, the longitudinal cylindrical shell of the outer casing may be composed of two parts, wherein the shell continuously covers at least one part of the outer casing. In particular, when the size of the device is increased, the shell may be composed of two separate parts that are attached to each other and preferably welded to each other, and these form the longitudinal cylindrical shell of the outer casing. When the shell of the outer casing is formed from two parts, the partitions may be placed in the structure so as to be between the parts of the shell. According to the present invention, the shell of the outer casing is configured such that the diameter of the longitudinal cylindrical shell is substantially the same in two module parts of the device, that is, the diameter of the shell of the outer casing is substantially the same from the first end plate of the outer casing to the second end plate.

[0065] In a typical embodiment, the partition plate horizontally partitions the interior of the outer casing into a first part and a second part. In a typical embodiment, the bulkhead is positioned primarily vertically inside a horizontal cylindrical shell. In one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the bulkhead is typically 20 to 100 mm or 40 to 100 mm. The bulkhead is typically made of the same material as the outer casing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the bulkhead may include a layer of insulating material. Due to the temperature difference between parts during the operation of the vapor compression cycle, an insulated bulkhead may be used between parts of the outer casing. The insulated bulkhead reduces or eliminates heat conduction between separated parts of the outer casing.

[0066] Typically, in the apparatus according to the present invention, the outer casing functions as a pressure vessel. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition is an internal pressure wall.

[0067] In a second embodiment of the present invention, a first portion of the outer casing comprises at least two units of a refrigeration or heat pump system selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, and the units of this portion are,

[0068] - formed by arranging at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack adjacent to each other within this part of the outer casing to form a first unit and a second unit of the system, or - these plate packs have their own inlet and outlet connections -, or

[0069] - formed by placing at least a plate pack inside this part of the outer casing, and - at least a baffle plate is placed inside the flow passage of the plate pack to form at least two units of the system in the plate pack inside this part of the outer casing, i.e., functional units are formed by placing multiple passes through one plate pack -,

[0070] And the second part of the outer casing includes at least one unit of the system.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention in which at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack, each having its own inlet and outlet connections, are disposed adjacent to each other within a part of an outer casing, the adjacent plate packs may be separated from each other by placing baffle plates in the flow channels of the plate packs to close the flow connections between the plate packs, or by an intermediate plate. The first and / or second plate packs may be further partitioned into individual units of a refrigeration or heat pump system by placing baffle plates within the flow channels of the plate packs. Two or more passes may be formed through a single plate pack by the baffle plates, and thus a single plate pack may include two or more units, namely functional parts of a refrigeration or heat pump system. This may be combined with baffle plates between the first and second plate packs or with an intermediate plate disposed between the plate packs, that is, a certain portion of the units is formed in adjacent plate packs having their inlet and outlet connections, and a certain portion of the units is formed in these plate packs by a baffle plate for forming a plurality of passes inside this plate pack portion. One portion of the outer casing may include the plate pack structure defined in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Additionally, in a second embodiment of the present invention, adjacent plate packs may have substantially the same diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates, or adjacent plate packs may be formed from plate packs of different sizes. These embodiments are similar to those described above in the first embodiment of the present invention. Inlet and outlet connections of plate packs within one part of the outer casing may be formed as disclosed in the first embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment having two separate parts of the outer casing, inlet and outlet connections are positioned through the end plates of the outer casing, and there may be a requirement for inlet and / or outlet connections to be fitted in as described in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] In a second embodiment of the present invention, a second part of the outer casing may be a storage unit. In one embodiment, one, two, or more storage units may be disposed inside at least one part of the outer casing.

[0074] In a second embodiment of the present invention, two parts of the outer casing include their own inlet and outlet connections for a heat exchange medium flowing through the inlet and / or outlet of the reservoir or the shell side. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shell side is common to the units of the system within the same part of the outer casing.

[0075] Third embodiment of the present invention

[0076] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, the device includes a first partition and a second partition, and the outer casing is divided into three separate parts, namely a first part, a second part and a third part of the outer casing, each part includes at least one unit of the system.

[0077] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the shell of the outer casing is a continuous shell from the first end plate to the second end plate of the outer casing, that is, the shell is uniform along the longitudinal direction of the shell, and the shell is partitioned along the longitudinal direction of the shell so that the parts are separated by first and second partitions between the parts inside the shell. The partitions are attached to the inner surface of the shell and are preferably welded. In another embodiment, the longitudinal cylindrical shell of the outer casing may be composed of two or three parts, wherein the shell continuously covers at least one part of the outer casing. In particular, when the size of the device is increased, the shell may be composed of two or more separate parts that are attached to each other and preferably welded to each other, and these form the longitudinal cylindrical shell of the outer casing. When the shell of the outer casing is formed from two or more parts, the partitions may be placed in the structure so as to be between the parts of the shell. According to the present invention, the shell of the outer casing is configured such that the diameter of the longitudinal cylindrical shell is substantially the same in all module parts of the device, that is, the diameter of the shell of the outer casing is substantially the same from the first end plate of the outer casing to the second end plate.

[0078] In a typical embodiment, the partition plates horizontally partition the interior of the outer casing into a first part, a second part, and a third part. In a typical embodiment, the bulkhead is positioned primarily vertically inside a horizontal cylindrical shell. In one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the bulkhead is typically 20 to 100 mm or 40 to 100 mm. The bulkhead is typically made of the same material as the outer casing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the bulkhead may include a layer of insulating material. Due to temperature differences between parts during the operation of the vapor compression cycle, an insulated bulkhead may be used between parts of the outer casing. The insulated bulkhead reduces or eliminates heat conduction between separated parts of the outer casing.

[0079] Typically, in the apparatus according to the present invention, the outer casing functions as a pressure vessel. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition is an internal pressure wall.

[0080] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, each part of the casing may include one, two, or more unit(s) selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler, and these may be formed into plate pack(s) as described in the first and second embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, one part may include a reservoir, and other parts may include one or more units selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler. In one embodiment of the present invention, the device may include two or more reservoirs. In one embodiment, one, two, or more reservoir(s) may be disposed inside at least one part of the outer casing.

[0081] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the outer casing of the device comprises three separate parts, at least one part of the outer casing functions as a reservoir, for example, for a refrigerant or oil. In one embodiment of the present invention, the part functioning as a reservoir is the central part of the outer casing. In this embodiment, the first part of the outer casing comprises at least one unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system, the second part of the outer casing comprises a reservoir, and the third part comprises at least one unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the central part does not comprise an oil separator and is disposed separately prior to this reservoir.

[0082] In an embodiment having three separate parts of the outer casing, i.e., an embodiment having two partitions, the inlet and / or outlet connection of the plate pack of the first and / or third part may be formed through the partition(s), and this connection is opened to the second part of the outer casing, which is the central part of the outer casing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the second part of the outer casing disposed between the first and second parts includes a reservoir, and thus the inlets and / or outlets of the other parts may be formed through the partition(s). In one embodiment, the central part of the outer casing may include unit(s) formed of plate pack(s).

[0083] In a third embodiment of the present invention, each part of the outer casing includes its own inlet and outlet connections for a heat exchange medium flowing through the shell side, or the inlet and / or outlet of the reservoir. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the shell side is common to the units of the system within the same part of the outer casing.

[0084] Other embodiments of the present invention

[0085] The device according to the present invention may include three or more partitions, and the device includes four or more separate parts of an outer casing, each part including at least one unit of a system.

[0086] Exemplary embodiments

[0087] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the shell sides of units arranged adjacent to each other are common within the same common outer casing or within the same part of the outer casing, and thus adjacent units are selected, for example, based on the temperature change required by the heat exchangers of these units. Adjacent units may also be selected according to the order of flow of a refrigeration or heat pump system. In one embodiment according to the present invention, units arranged in the same plate pack and / or adjacent plate packs may be condensers, superheat reducers, auxiliary coolers and / or oil coolers. In one embodiment according to the present invention, units arranged in the same plate pack and / or adjacent plate packs may be evaporators, superheaters and economizers.

[0088] Some embodiments according to the present invention are presented in more detail below and in the drawings of the present invention. These drawings represent exemplary embodiments of a device comprising at least three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system.

[0089] For clarity, the same reference numbers are used for corresponding parts in different embodiments.

[0090] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a device (1) according to an exemplary embodiment of the first embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. The device (1) comprises an outer casing, the outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell (2) and end plates (3a, 3b) disposed at both ends of the shell. The device (1) shown in FIG. 1 comprises three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system within the same common outer casing. The device (1) comprises a first plate pack and a second plate pack within the outer casing, which are disposed adjacent to each other within the common outer casing and have their own inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) to form a first unit (4a) and a second unit (4b) of the system. An intermediate plate (7) is disposed between the units (4a, 4b) formed by the adjacent plate packs. The second plate pack includes a baffle plate (8) inside the flow passage (9a) of the plate pack to form the third unit (4c) of the system for this plate pack.

[0091] Each unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system of FIG. 1 comprises a stack of heat exchanger plates stacked on top of each other, having at least two openings, and the heat exchanger plates are attached to each other as plate pairs, and the inner parts of the plate pairs are connected to each other through flow passages (9a, 9b, 10a, 10b) formed by the openings of the heat exchanger plates.

[0092] In FIG. 1, the first plate pack and the second plate pack separated by the intermediate plate (7) have substantially the same diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates. Adjacent plate packs used in the system may also have different diameters, for example, the diameter of the first plate pack separated from the second plate pack by the intermediate plate (7) may be smaller than the diameter of the second plate pack.

[0093] In FIG. 1, the shell side of the device (1) includes an inlet connection (11a) and an outlet connection (11b). The shell side includes three passes formed by stopper plates (12, 13) positioned between the plate pack and the inner surface of the outer casing. Units of a refrigeration or heat pump system share a common shell side in the device shown in FIG. 1.

[0094] FIG. 2 shows a corresponding device (1) as in FIG. 1 in an application in which the device (1) comprises three units (4a, 4b, 4c) of a refrigeration or heat pump system, namely a superheat reducer (4c), a condenser (4b), and an auxiliary cooler (4a). In the embodiment presented in FIG. 2, the refrigerant to be condensed is arranged to flow into the plate packs of the units, that is, the refrigerant is a heat exchange medium flowing through the internal parts of the plate packs. This reduces the amount of refrigerant required by the system. The refrigerant is guided to the superheat reducer through the inlet connection (6a), flows forward from the superheat reducer through the condenser, and the condensed refrigerant is guided to the container (22) through the outlet connection (6b). From the container (22), the condensed refrigerant is guided to the auxiliary cooler (4a) through the inlet connection (5a).

[0095] The device of FIG. 1 may include three units (4a, 4b, 4c) of a refrigeration or heat pump system, namely a superheat reducer (4c), a condenser (4b), and an auxiliary cooler (4a), as described above in the description of FIG. 2. Alternatively, the device (1) presented in FIG. 1 may include a condenser (4c), an auxiliary cooler (4b), and an oil cooler (4a). If the second plate pack includes more than one baffle plate (8) within the flow passages (9a, 9b) of the plate pack, the second plate pack may include, for example, three units of a refrigeration or heat pump system, such as a superheat reducer, a condenser, and an auxiliary cooler of the same plate pack. The use of the first embodiment according to the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, but the units of the refrigeration or heat pump system may be selected as required in the application.

[0096] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of a device (1) according to an exemplary embodiment of a second embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system, wherein the device comprises two separate parts within a common outer casing. The device (1) comprises an outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell (2) and end plates (3a, 3b) disposed at both ends of the shell. The shell (2) of the outer casing is typically a uniform longitudinal shell extending from the first end plate (3a) to the second end plate (3b). The shell (2) is partitioned into two separate parts along the longitudinal direction of the shell by placing a first partition (14) between the parts within the shell. In the device (1) shown in FIG. 3, the first part comprises at least two units (4a, 4b) of a refrigeration or heat pump system, and the second part comprises at least one unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system.

[0097] In FIG. 3, a first part of the device (1) comprises a first plate pack and a second plate pack arranged adjacent to each other to form a first unit (4a) and a second unit (4b) of a refrigeration or heat pump system. The two plate packs each have inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b). An intermediate plate (7) is arranged between the units (4a, 4b). The inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) of the plate packs are arranged through the same end plate (3b), and thus the inlet and outlet connections (6a, 6b) of the plate pack forming the second unit (4b) are connected to the intermediate plate (7) and arranged through the flow channels and inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b) of the plate pack forming the first unit (4a). The intermediate plate (7) blocks the flow connection between the flow channels of the units (4a, 4b). The shell side of the first part includes three passes formed by stopper plates (12, 13) disposed between the inner surface of the outer casing and the plate packs. The inlet connection (11a) and outlet connection (11b) on the shell side are disposed through the shell (2) of the outer casing. The second part of the outer casing includes a plate pack (17). A heat exchange medium circuit of the plate pack (17) is formed between the inlet and outlet connections (18a, 18b), and the flow direction can be either way. The second part of the outer casing also includes inlet and outlet connections (20a, 20b) on the shell side.

[0098] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of a device (1) according to an exemplary embodiment of the third embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system, wherein the device comprises three separate parts within a common outer casing. The device (1) comprises an outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell (2) and end plates (3a, 3b) disposed at both ends of the shell. The shell (2) of the outer casing is typically a uniform longitudinal shell extending from the first end plate (3a) to the second end plate (3b). The shell (2) is partitioned into separated parts along the longitudinal direction of the shell by placing a first partition (14) and a second partition (15) between the parts within the shell. The shell (2) of the outer casing may also be composed of three parts, wherein the first partition (14) and the second partition (15) are disposed between the parts, and the shell (2) continuously covers at least one part of the device.

[0099] In the device (1) shown in FIG. 4, the first part comprises at least two units (4a, 4b) of a refrigeration or heat pump system, the second part (the central part of the outer casing) comprises a reservoir (21), and the third part comprises at least one unit of a refrigeration or heat pump system. The second part comprising the reservoir is positioned as the central part of the device.

[0100] In FIG. 4, a first part of the device (1) comprises a first plate pack and a second plate pack arranged adjacent to each other to form a first unit (4a) and a second unit (4b) of a refrigeration or heat pump system. The two plate packs each have inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b). An intermediate plate (7) is arranged between the units (4a, 4b). The inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b) of the plate packs are arranged through the same end plate (3b), and thus the inlet and outlet connections (6a, 6b) of the plate pack forming the second unit (4b) are connected to the intermediate plate (7) and arranged through the flow channels and inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b) of the plate pack forming the first unit (4a). The intermediate plate (7) blocks the flow connection between the flow channels of the units (4a, 4b). The shell side of the first part includes three passes formed by stopper plates (12, 13) disposed between the inner surface of the outer casing and the plate packs. The inlet connection (11a) and outlet connection (11b) on the shell side are disposed through the shell (2) of the outer casing. The second part of the device functioning as a reservoir (21) includes an inlet connection (16a) and an outlet connection (16b). The third part includes a plate pack (17). A heat exchange medium circuit of the plate pack (17) is formed between the inlet and outlet connections (18a, 18b), and the flow direction can be either way. The third part also includes inlet and outlet connections (20a, 20b) on the shell side.

[0101] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a device (1) according to a third embodiment of the present invention for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system. The device (1) comprises an outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell (2) and end plates (3a, 3b) disposed at both ends of the shell. The shell (2) of the outer casing may be a uniform longitudinal shell from the first end plate (3a) to the second end plate (3b). The shell (2) of the outer casing may also be composed of three parts as shown in FIG. 5, wherein a first partition (14) and a second partition (15) are disposed between the parts, and the shell (2) continuously covers at least one part of the device.

[0102] In FIG. 5, the device according to the present invention comprises five units of a storage unit and a refrigeration or heat pump system within a common outer casing. A first portion of the outer casing comprises four units of the refrigeration or heat pump system. A second portion comprises a storage unit. A third portion comprises at least one unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system. The second portion comprising the storage unit is positioned as the central portion of the device.

[0103] The first portion of the outer casing shown in FIG. 5 comprises two adjacent plate packs, a first plate pack and a second plate pack, and an intermediate plate (7) between these plate packs. In an exemplary embodiment, the first plate pack forms a unit (4a) of a refrigeration or heat pump system that can function as an oil cooler. The second plate pack comprises three units (4b, 4c, 4d) of a refrigeration or heat pump system formed by placing baffle plates (8) within flow channels (9a, 9b) to form multiple passes within the plate pack. In an exemplary application shown in FIG. 5, the second plate pack may include a superheat reducer (4b), a condenser (4c), and an auxiliary cooler (4d).

[0104] In FIG. 5, the first plate and the second plate pack have different diameters defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates. The intermediate plate (7) has a size corresponding to the size of the plate pack having the larger diameter (i.e., the size of the second plate pack). The inlet connection (6a) of the second plate pack is positioned through the partition plate (14), and the outlet connection (6b) is positioned through the end plate (3b). Since the inlet connection (6a) of the second plate pack is positioned outside the outer surface of the first plate pack, it can be easily positioned through the partition plate (14). The refrigerant to be condensed is positioned to flow into the second plate pack through the inlet connection (6a). The inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b) of the first plate pack are positioned through the partition plate (14). The circuit of the first plate pack, i.e., the unit (4a), is formed between the inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b) and circulates within the plate pack through the flow channels (10a, 10b). The inlet connection (5a) of the first plate pack is positioned inside the outlet connection (5b) of the first plate pack, and the connections (5a, 5b) are fitted in, and the internal connection (5a) extends at least partially inside the flow channel (10a). The shell side of the first part includes three passes formed by stopper plates (12, 13) positioned between the inner surface of the outer casing and the plate packs. The inlet connection (11a) and outlet connections (11b, 11c) of the shell side are positioned through the shell (2) of the outer casing. The second part, which functions as a reservoir, includes an inlet connection (16).

[0105] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, unit (4a) is an oil cooler, unit (4b) is an auxiliary cooler, unit (4c) is a condenser, and unit (4d) is a superheat reducer. The cooling medium flows between the inlet connection (11a) and the outlet connections (10b, 11c) inside the shell, and the order of the units of the plate pack is selected based on the temperature change required by the heat exchangers of these units.

[0106] In FIG. 5, the third portion of the outer casing may include an evaporator formed, for example, by placing a plate pack (17) inside the third portion. A heat exchange medium circuit of the plate pack (17) is formed between the inlet and outlet connections (18a, 18b), and the flow direction may be either way. The inlet and outlet connections (18a, 18b) are connected to the flow channels (19a, 19b) of the plate pack. The evaporator may be a flooded evaporator, and the third portion may also include a droplet separator on the plate pack that functions as an evaporator. Alternatively, the evaporator may be a DX evaporator. The third portion may also include a superheater formed inside the same plate pack as the evaporator, for example, by using adjacent plate packs as described above, or by the same baffle as described above. The third part also includes inlet and outlet connections (20a, 20b) on the shell side.

[0107] The use of the third embodiment according to the present invention is not limited to the examples described above, and the units of the refrigeration or heat pump system may be selected as required in the application.

Claims

Claim 1 A device (1) for use in a refrigeration or heat pump system, wherein the device comprises: - an outer casing comprising a longitudinal cylindrical shell (2) and end plates (3a, 3b) disposed at both ends of the longitudinal cylindrical shell (2); and - at least three units of the refrigeration or heat pump system disposed within the same common outer casing - said units are selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, an oil cooler, and a reservoir - ; The device comprises: (i) at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack arranged adjacently to each other within a common outer casing to form a first unit (4a) and a second unit (4b) of the refrigeration or heat pump system, and having an inlet connection (5a) and an outlet connection (5b) for the first plate pack and an inlet connection (6a) and an outlet connection (6b) for the second plate pack, and additionally, a third unit (4c) of the refrigeration or heat pump system is formed in at least one of the first and second plate packs by placing a baffle plate (8) inside a flow passage of at least one of the first and second plate packs;(ii) comprising two separate parts of the outer casing formed by placing a first partition (14) between the parts inside the outer casing, wherein the first part of the outer casing comprises at least two units of the refrigeration or heat pump system, said units of said part are formed by arranging - at least a first plate pack and a second plate pack - said first plate pack and the second plate pack have an inlet connection (5a) and an outlet connection (5b) for the first plate pack and an inlet connection (6a) and an outlet connection (6b) for the second plate pack - adjacent to each other inside said part of the outer casing, or - formed by arranging one or more plate packs inside said part of the outer casing, said units of the refrigeration or heat pump system, said units of said unit are formed by arranging - at least two of said units of said unit are formed by arranging - one or more plate packs inside said part of the outer casing, said units of said unit are formed by arranging - at least two of said units of said refrigeration or heat pump system in one or more plate packs inside said part of the outer casing. At least one baffle plate (8) is disposed within a flow passage (9a) of one or more plate packs to form units (4b, 4c, 4d), and a second portion of the outer casing comprises at least one unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system; or (iii) comprises at least three separate portions of the outer casing formed by disposing of a first partition and a second partition (14, 15) between portions inside the outer casing, each of which comprises at least one unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system; device.; Claim 2 In claim 1, each unit of the refrigeration or heat pump system selected from the group consisting of an evaporator, a superheater, an economizer, a condenser, a superheat reducer, an auxiliary cooler, and an oil cooler comprises heat exchanger plates stacked on top of each other and having at least two openings, said heat exchanger plates are attached to each other as plate pairs, and said plate pairs are connected to each other through flow passages formed by the openings of said heat exchanger plates. Claim 3 A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein adjacent first plate packs and second plate packs, each having their own inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b), are separated by an intermediate plate (7) disposed between units (4a, 4b) formed by adjacent plate packs. Claim 4 An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein adjacent first plate pack and second plate pack, each having its own inlet and outlet connections (5a, 5b, 6a, 6b), are formed from a single plate pack, the baffle plates are disposed in the flow channels of the plate pack to separate the flow connections between the plate packs, and the plate pack is partitioned into the first plate pack and the second plate pack. Claim 5 A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein adjacent first and second plate packs have substantially the same diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates. Claim 6 A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the diameter of the first plate pack separated from the second plate pack by the intermediate plate (7) is smaller than the diameter of the second plate pack, the diameter defined by the outer edges of the heat exchange plates. Claim 7 An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first plate pack and the second plate pack further comprises one or more baffle plates for forming units in the plate packs. Claim 8 An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus comprises a third plate pack disposed adjacent to the first plate pack or the second plate pack, and wherein the third plate pack is separated from the adjacent plate pack by performing at least one of disposing of baffle plates in the flow channels of the third plate pack to close the flow connection between the plate packs, and disposing of an intermediate plate between the third plate pack and the adjacent plate pack. Claim 9 A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device comprises three separate parts, and one part of the outer casing functions as a reservoir. Claim 10 In claim 9, the device, wherein the part functioning as the reservoir is the central part of the outer casing. Claim 11 The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device comprises a shell side common to a separated portion of the outer casing or units of the refrigeration or heat pump system inside the outer casing. Claim 12 A refrigeration system comprising at least one device according to claim 1 or 2. Claim 13 A heat pump system comprising at least one device according to claim 1 or 2.

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