Plate Heat Exchanger for Desalination Without Container
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plate heat exchangers for desalination, such as those used in seawater treatment, are costly and complex to manufacture and maintain due to the need for cylindrical containers, which limit plant size and complicate access for maintenance and cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A plate heat exchanger design that eliminates the need for a container, featuring compression-moulded plates with alternating interspaces and gaskets to facilitate efficient heat transfer and medium flow, allowing for easy assembly, maintenance, and cleaning, with gaskets used to close and direct flow paths for heating and cooling media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cylindrical container is used to enclose the plate package, then the heat exchanger can maintain structural integrity and contain the plate package, but the manufacturing and mounting become complex and time-consuming, and maintenance and cleaning become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the cylindrical container from the system entirely. The plate package is designed to be self-contained with the frame plate and pressure plate providing necessary support and sealing, eliminating the need for an external container. This extraction of the container component directly reduces manufacturing and mounting complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the plate package's own design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the heat exchanger into distinct functional components: frame plate, pressure plate, and plate package. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and assembled independently, simplifying the overall manufacturing process and enabling easier maintenance and cleaning by allowing access to individual components without disassembling a large container structure.
2Reliability
If a cylindrical container is used to enclose the plate package, then the heat exchanger can contain the plate package, but the cost for the container becomes a large part of the total cost for the plant
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the cylindrical container from the system, the patent eliminates the need to manufacture and install this expensive component. The containment function is achieved through the frame plate, pressure plate, and plate package themselves, which are less costly components that can be manufactured more simply and at lower cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simpler, less expensive sealing and containment mechanisms within the plate package that can be easily replaced or adjusted, rather than investing in a costly cylindrical container that would require significant capital expenditure and maintenance.
3Reliability
If the plate package is enclosed in a container, then the heat exchanger can maintain a closed system, but maintenance and cleaning of the heat exchanger plates become difficult since access is only possible after opening the container
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with frame plate, pressure plate, and plate package allows for modular access. The plate package can be accessed and maintained independently, and the frame plate and pressure plate can be removed or adjusted to provide direct access to the heat exchanger plates for cleaning and maintenance without requiring disassembly of a large container.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic sealing system where the frame plate and pressure plate can be adjusted or removed as needed for maintenance. This dynamic configuration allows the system to transition between a closed operational state and an open maintenance state, providing both system integrity during operation and accessibility during maintenance.
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 enables efficient desalination without a container, reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs, improving plant scalability, and simplifying the treatment process by allowing direct access to heat exchanger plates for maintenance and cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
arranged to permit through-flowing of a heating medium for heat transfer to the medium flowing in the first plate interspaces of the evaporation section for providing the evaporation
Implementation Method 2
heat transfer to the medium flowing in the first plate interspaces of the evaporation section for providing the evaporation
Implementation Method 3
arranged to permit through-flowing of a cooling medium for heat transfer from the medium flowing in the first plate interspaces of the condensation section for providing the condensation
Implementation Method 4
heat transfer from the medium flowing in the first plate interspaces of the condensation section for providing the condensation
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention refers to a plate heat exchanger for treatment of a medium. The plate heat exchanger comprises a number of compression-moulded heat exchanger plates (1), which are piled beside each other in a plate package (2) and which form first plate interspaces (5) for the medium and second plate interspaces (6). The first plate interspaces and the second plate interspaces are provided in an alternating order in the plate package. The plate package (2) encloses an evaporation section, a separation section and a condensation section. The evaporation section is arranged to permit evaporation of at least a part of the medium flowing through the first plate interspaces. The separation section is arranged to separate non-evaporated liquid from the evaporated part of the medium. The condensation section is arranged to condense the evaporated part flowing through the first plate interspaces.