Self cooling heat exchanger

Abstract

An inexpensive heat exchanger is disclosed, wherein the heat exchanger is made up of a plurality of plates and each plate has at least one channel defined in the plate. The plates are stacked and bonded together to form a block having conduits for carrying at least one fluid and where the exchanger includes an expansion device enclosed within the unit.

1 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 at least one plate having a first channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet, and a second channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the first and second channels are in fluid isolation;   an expansion device disposed within the first channel;   a cover plate;   a plurality of plates, wherein each plate has a first channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet, and a second channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the first and second channels are in fluid isolation;   an expansion device disposed within the first channel; and   at least one manifold having a first inlet channel in fluid communication with each first channel inlet, the at least one manifold having a first outlet channel in fluid communication with the each first channel outlet, the at least one manifold having a second inlet channel in fluid communication with each second channel inlet and the at least one manifold having a second outlet channel in fluid communication with each second channel outlet.   
     
     
         2 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 at least one first plate having a first channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the first channel has a first section, a second section, and a third section;   an expansion device disposed within the second section; and   a cover plate.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a second channel defined in the at least one plate having an inlet and an outlet. 
 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2  further comprising:
 at least one second plate having a second channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the first plate and second plate each have an upper face where the channel is defined in the upper face, and a lower face, and where the second plate is arranged such that the lower face of a first plate is in sealing contact with the upper face of a second plate, and the second channel is substantially parallel to the third section of the first channel. 
 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a plurality of first plates; 
 a plurality of second plates, wherein the first and second plates are stacked in an alternating sequence; and 
 at least one manifold having a first inlet channel in fluid communication with each first channel inlet, the at least one manifold having a first outlet channel in fluid communication with each first channel outlet, the at least one manifold having a second inlet channel in fluid communication with each second channel inlet and the at least one manifold having a second outlet channel in fluid communication with each second channel outlet. 
 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a plurality of first plates; 
 a plurality of second plates, wherein the first and second plates are stacked in an alternating sequence; and wherein the cover plate further includes a first channel inlet port in fluid communication with each first channel inlet, a first channel outlet port in fluid communication with the each first channel outlet, a second channel inlet port in fluid communication with each second channel inlet and a second channel outlet port in fluid communication with each second channel outlet. 
 
     
     
         7 . A heat exchanger comprising:
 at least one first plate having a first channel defined therein having an inlet and an outlet;   at least one second plate having a first channel defined therein having an inlet in fluid communication with the first plate first channel outlet and an outlet;   an expansion device disposed within the first channel.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7  further comprising a second channel defined in the at least one second plate and having an inlet and an outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 7  further comprising a cover plate having a first channel inlet port in fluid communication with each first channel inlet, and a first channel outlet port in fluid communication with each second plate first channel outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 9  further comprising a second channel inlet port in the cover plate in fluid communication with the second channel inlet and a second channel outlet port in the cover plate in fluid communication with the second channel outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger of  claim 10  wherein each of the inlet ports and outlets pass through the plates to be in fluid communication with the corresponding cover plate port. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising at least one manifold having a first inlet channel in fluid communication with each first channel inlet, the at least one manifold having a first outlet channel in fluid communication with the each first channel outlet, the at least one manifold having a second inlet channel in fluid communication with each second channel inlet and the at least one manifold having a second outlet channel in fluid communication with each second channel outlet.