Stacked plate heat exchanger for a reforming reactor

Abstract

A heat exchanger has a stack of thermally conductive plate elements, each having a wave-shaped cross sectional profile. The plate elements are connected in a fluid-tight manner along abutting wave profile regions to form first and second channel structures which are separated from each other in a fluid-tight manner. The wave profiles of the plate elements comprise at least two types of waves of different width: a first type of wave defines the channels of the first channel structure, and a second type of wave defines the channels of the second channel structure. The channels of the first channel structure have a larger passage cross section than the channels of the second channel structure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A heat exchanger comprising: 
 a stack of thermally conductive plate elements, each having a wave profile, which plate elements are connected in a fluid-tight manner along abutting wave profile regions to form first and second channel structures that are separated from each other in a fluid tight manner, wherein: 
 wave profiles of the plate elements comprise at least two types of waves, with different widths;  
 in said stack of plate elements, a first type of wave defines at least one channel of the first channel structure and a second type of wave defines at least one channel of the second channel structure; and  
 the at least one channel of the first channel structure has a larger passage cross section than the at least one channel of the second channel structure.  
   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger according to    claim 1   , wherein the wave profiles comprise grooves which are spaced apart from one another by planar plate sections, and have a cross section which is one of semicircular and trough shaped.  
     
     
         3 . A heat exchanger, comprising a stack of alternating first and second thermally conductive plate elements having a plurality of elongate parallel ridges and grooves formed therein, wherein: 
 said ridges of said first plate elements have a first transverse cross sectional shape and define a first transverse cross sectional area which is open in a first direction, and said grooves have a second transverse cross sectional shape different from said first cross sectional shape, and define a second transverse cross sectional area which is open in a second direction opposite said first direction;    said second transverse cross sectional area is greater than said first transverse cross sectional area;    ridges and grooves of said first plate elements are transversely space and aligned with ridges and grooves of said second plate elements, whereby ridges and grooves of adjacent stacked plate elements form first and second channel structures, respectively; and    abutting surfaces of said ridges and grooves in adjacent plate elements in said stack are joined in a fluid tight manner, whereby said first and second channel structures are sealed off from each other.    
     
     
         4 . A heat exchanger according to    claim 3   , wherein: 
 said ridges are formed by a separation of said grooves; and    said second cross sectional shape is one of undulating and trough shaped.