Heat Transfer Plate Corrugation Layout to Prevent Plate Pack Bulging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Heat transfer plates in plate heat exchangers often bulge or become non-flat due to tension, leading to lost contact points and mechanical weakness in the plate pack, especially when new and old plates are combined or due to manufacturing tolerances and misalignment.

Innovation Solution

The heat transfer plate design varies the heat transfer corrugation pattern within transverse sub-areas to position intended contact points away from transition bands, optimizing contact points' location and reducing tension, with features like varying top pitches and angles in different sub-fields to enhance rigidity and prevent bulging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a heat transfer plate with herringbone corrugation pattern is pressed, then heat transfer area is increased, but tension arises causing the plate to bulge or become non-flat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer areaVSAvoidflatness

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The heat transfer area is divided into multiple transverse sub-areas separated by plane transition bands. This segmentation reduces the continuous corrugated structure into discrete segments, relieving the tension that causes bulging while preserving the heat transfer surface area of each segment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the heat transfer plate have different corrugation patterns. The plane transition bands have no corrugation (or reduced corrugation) compared to the highly corrugated heat transfer sub-areas. This local variation in quality allows the plate to maintain flatness in transition zones while maximizing heat transfer area in the corrugated zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Shape

If transition bands are introduced to ease tension, then plate flatness is improved, but intended contact points near transition bands may be lost due to misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflatnessVSAvoidcontact point reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The plane transition bands are strategically positioned to extract and remove the problematic contact points from the system. By placing transition bands between certain transverse sub-areas, the design intentionally sacrifices contact points in those locations to ensure overall plate flatness and prevent bulging, accepting the trade-off as necessary for structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If heat transfer plates are stacked with every second plate rotated 180 degrees, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing tolerances and misalignment cause lost contact points

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidalignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The design anticipates potential misalignment issues by incorporating plane transition bands as cushioning zones. These transition bands provide a tolerance buffer that absorbs the effects of manufacturing variations and misalignment, ensuring that contact points remain reliable even when plates are stacked with rotational orientation for enhanced heat transfer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design ensures stronger and flatter plate packs with fewer lost contact points, maintaining mechanical integrity and enhancing heat transfer efficiency by minimizing surface enlargement variations and plate strength fluctuations.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

Two fluids of initially different temperatures can flow through every second channel for transferring heat from one fluid to the other

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4575368B1Heat transfer plate, cassette and heat exchanger

Publication Date: 2026.04.08 ALFA LAVAL CORP AB

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AI summary

A heat transfer plate (8, 8a, 8b), a cassette (57) and a heat exchanger (2) are provided. The heat transfer plate (8, 8a) comprises a heat transfer area (46) provided with a heat transfer corrugation pattern comprising tops (60) and bottoms (62). The heat transfer area (46) comprises at least first and second transverse fields (1, 3) arranged in succession along a longitudinal center axis (L) of the heat transfer plate and each extending from a first long side (7) to a second long side (9) of the heat transfer area (46). The first and second transverse fields (1, 3) are separated by a first transverse border area (11). The heat transfer plate (8, 8a, 8b) is characterized in that a first top pitch (TP1) between the tops (60) extending within the first transverse field (1), within a first transverse sub-field (1') of the first transverse field (1), differs from a second top pitch (TP2) between the tops (60) extending within the second transverse field (3), within a second transverse sub-field (3') of the second transverse field (3).